Olive Garden Chicken Margherita Copycat Recipe

This Olive Garden Chicken Margherita recipe brings the restaurant’s signature grilled chicken dish to your own stovetop, topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, and a lemony white wine sauce. It comes together in about 35 minutes, which makes it a genuine option for a weeknight dinner rather than just a weekend project.

The flavors are bright and a little tangy from the wine and lemon, balanced by the richness of melted mozzarella and a good drizzle of pesto. You probably have most of the ingredients already.

Why I Love This Recipe

The white wine and lemon sauce is sharp and bright in a way that cuts through the cheese without the whole dish feeling heavy. That balance is what keeps me coming back to it.

It also reheats surprisingly well for a chicken dish, because the sauce stays loose and keeps the meat from drying out.

The pesto on top is not decorative. It adds a grassy, garlicky note that ties everything together in a way that plain melted cheese alone would not.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts – halved horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets, which cook faster and more evenly
• 1 tsp garlic powder – for seasoning the chicken
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning – dried oregano and thyme work if you do not have a blend
• 1/2 tsp salt – kosher preferred
• 1/4 tsp black pepper – freshly ground if you have it
• 2 tbsp olive oil – for searing; something mid-range, not your nicest bottle
• 3 cloves garlic – minced; fresh makes a noticeable difference here
• 1/2 cup dry white wine – Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc; see FAQ if you want to skip it
• 1/2 cup chicken broth – low-sodium so you can control the salt
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice – from about 1 lemon; bottled works but fresh is brighter
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter – stirred in at the end to round out the sauce
• 4 slices fresh mozzarella – about 1 oz each; low-moisture shreds will melt faster but the texture is different
• 2 medium roma tomatoes – diced; roma holds its shape better than beefsteak
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves – torn or stacked and sliced thin
• 3 tbsp store-bought basil pesto – jarred is fine; homemade works too
• Lemon slices – for garnish at the end

Variations / Substitutions

• Chicken thighs – Boneless, skinless thighs stay juicier and need about 2 extra minutes per side; the rest of the recipe stays the same.
• No wine – Replace the 1/2 cup white wine with an extra 1/2 cup chicken broth and a splash of white wine vinegar for a similar acidity without the alcohol.
• Dairy-free – Skip the mozzarella and stir 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast into the sauce instead; the dish loses some richness but stays cohesive.
• Spicy – Add 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes to the pan with the garlic and you get a noticeable warmth without overpowering the lemon.
• Sun-dried tomatoes – Swap the fresh roma tomatoes for 3 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil for a deeper, more concentrated flavor.
• Vegan pesto – Most store-bought pestos contain Parmesan; choose a dairy-free variety if needed, and the flavor stays close.

If you enjoy this kind of light Italian-style pan sauce, Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Copycat Recipe uses a very similar technique with pasta.

How To Make Chicken Margherita

Step 1: Season and Sear the Chicken

Pat the 4 chicken cutlets dry with paper towels, then sprinkle both sides evenly with the 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the cutlets in a single layer and sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side without moving them.

The chicken should release easily from the pan when it is ready to flip. If it sticks, give it another 30 seconds. You are looking for a deep golden-brown crust on each side, and the internal temperature should read 165°F (74°C) at the thickest point. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a plate and set aside.

Do not crowd the pan. If your skillet is not large enough for all 4 cutlets, cook them in 2 batches and keep the heat consistent. Crowding causes steaming instead of searing, and you lose that brown crust that adds flavor to the sauce later.

Step 2: Build the White Wine Sauce

With the pan still over medium heat, add the 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it smells fragrant but has not taken on any color. Pour in the 1/2 cup dry white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble and reduce for 2 minutes.

Add the 1/2 cup chicken broth and the 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Bring it back to a simmer and let it cook for another 3 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by about a third and looks slightly syrupy around the edges of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp unsalted butter until it melts into the sauce. The butter will make the sauce look glossy and a little thicker. Taste it here and adjust the salt if needed before the chicken goes back in.

Step 3: Simmer the Chicken in the Sauce

Return the seared chicken cutlets to the pan in a single layer. Spoon some of the sauce over each piece, then lay 1 slice of fresh mozzarella on top of each cutlet. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mozzarella has melted fully and the chicken has warmed back through.

The cheese should look soft, slightly translucent, and just starting to drape over the edges of the chicken. If your lid is not tight, you can help things along by adding a very brief 30-second blast of heat on medium.

Step 4: Plate and Garnish

Lift the cutlets onto serving plates or a large platter. Spoon the remaining sauce generously over and around each piece. Scatter the diced roma tomatoes and the 1/4 cup fresh basil over the top, then add a small spoonful of the 3 tbsp basil pesto onto each cutlet. Finish with a slice or two of fresh lemon on the side of each plate.

Recipe Tips

• Pound the cutlets if they are uneven. After slicing horizontally, if one end is noticeably thicker than the other, give it a few firm taps with a rolling pin or the flat side of a heavy pan until the thickness is roughly uniform. This avoids one end overcooking while the other finishes.
• Room temperature chicken sears better. Pull the chicken from the fridge about 15 minutes before you cook it. Cold meat drops the pan temperature and makes it harder to get a proper sear.
• Let the wine reduce properly. If you rush past the 2-minute reduction in step 2, the sauce will taste sharp and raw. Give it the full time and the alcohol cooks off, leaving the fruity, bright flavor behind.
• Use the pesto as a sauce, not just a garnish. Press it onto the chicken right after plating so it starts to soften and run into the sauce a little. It integrates better than when it sits on top untouched.

Cook times by chicken cutlet thickness:

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep the tomatoes and basil separate if possible, as they go soft against the hot chicken.
• Reheating – Warm gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce, about 4 to 5 minutes. The microwave works in a pinch but the mozzarella can turn rubbery.

What To Serve With Chicken Margherita

A bowl of buttered angel hair pasta or plain linguine is the most natural pairing because the noodles soak up the lemony pan sauce rather than leaving it behind on the plate. Roasted broccolini works well alongside because the slight char and bitterness offset the richness of the pesto and cheese. A simple arugula salad dressed with lemon and olive oil also fits naturally because the peppery greens echo the brightness already in the dish without competing with it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

You can sear the chicken and make the sauce up to a day in advance, then store them separately in the fridge. Reheat the sauce and simmer the chicken through it fresh before adding the mozzarella, or the cheese gets tough.

Can I use chicken tenderloins instead of breasts?

Yes. Tenderloins are already thin, so skip the horizontal slice and sear them for 2 to 3 minutes per side at medium-high heat. Everything else in the recipe stays the same.

My sauce looks thin. What went wrong?

It likely needed more reduction time. Put the pan back on medium heat without the chicken and let it bubble for another 2 to 3 minutes. The sauce thickens noticeably as the liquid concentrates.

Can I grill the chicken instead of pan-searing it?

Yes, and it tastes great that way. Grill the seasoned cutlets over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side, then build the sauce separately in a small saucepan and pour it over when you plate.

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Olive Garden Chicken Margherita Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4 .*

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 slices fresh mozzarella (about 1 oz each)
• 2 medium roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced thin
• 3 tbsp store-bought basil pesto
• Lemon slices, for garnish

Method

 

1. Pat chicken cutlets dry, season both sides with the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then sear in olive oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F (74°C). Transfer to a plate.
2. In the same pan over medium heat, cook the minced garlic for 1 minute, then add the white wine and scrape up the browned bits. Reduce for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth and lemon juice and simmer for 3 minutes until slightly reduced. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
3. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon sauce over each cutlet, top with a slice of mozzarella, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese melts.
4. Transfer to plates, spoon over the remaining sauce, top with diced tomatoes and fresh basil, add a spoonful of pesto to each cutlet, and finish with lemon slices on the side.

Notes

Pull the chicken from the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking so it sears evenly. If you are skipping the wine, an equal amount of chicken broth plus a small splash of white wine vinegar gives the sauce a similar brightness. Leftovers keep well for up to 3 days — store the fresh tomatoes and basil separately so they do not wilt against the chicken.