Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
This Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara delivers creamy, smoky, cheesy pasta perfection right at home, easier and cheaper than a restaurant trip.
Bringing Olive Garden's Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Home
If you have ever ordered the Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Pasta at Olive Garden and immediately wanted the recipe, you are in very good company. This dish is one of the chain's most requested copycats for a reason. It combines a rich, garlicky parmesan cream sauce with tender chicken, juicy shrimp, and crisp bacon, all tossed with fettuccine until every strand is coated in silky goodness. This homemade version of the Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara tastes just as indulgent as the restaurant original, but comes together in your own kitchen in well under an hour.
What makes this Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Carbonara so satisfying is the layering of flavors. The bacon drippings season the chicken and shrimp as they cook, the garlic butter builds a savory base for the sauce, and the egg yolks give the cream its classic carbonara richness without ever feeling heavy or one-note.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and a few quality ingredients make a real difference here. A heavy, deep skillet helps the sauce reduce evenly without scorching, and freshly grated parmesan (not the pre-shredded kind) melts far more smoothly into the cream. These are the products that genuinely help this recipe shine:
Why This Recipe Works So Well
The secret to a great Chicken Carbonara Recipe Olive Garden fans will recognize lies in building flavor in stages instead of dumping everything into one pot at once.
- Rendering the bacon first infuses the pan with smoky depth.
- Searing the chicken and shrimp separately keeps both proteins tender instead of overcooked.
- Tempering the egg yolks before adding them to the hot cream prevents any risk of scrambling.
Chef's Tip: Always pull a portion of hot cream into the egg yolks first, then slowly whisk that mixture back into the skillet. This gentle tempering is what gives carbonara sauce its signature silky texture instead of a grainy one.
A Few Notes on Ingredients
This Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Recipe is fairly forgiving, which is part of why it is such a popular weeknight indulgence. Fettuccine is traditional here, but spaghetti or linguine work beautifully too. Large shrimp hold their texture best, so avoid anything pre-cooked, since it tends to turn rubbery when reheated in the sauce.
Freshly grated parmesan is worth the extra few minutes. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starches that can leave the sauce slightly grainy instead of smooth and glossy, which really matters in a dish built around a creamy carbonara base.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe for this Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara:
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
This Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara delivers creamy, smoky, cheesy pasta perfection right at home, easier and cheaper than a restaurant trip.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fettuccine pasta, or spaghetti
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
- 6 slices bacon, diced
- 3 tbsp butter, unsalted, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 2 large egg yolks, beaten
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instruction
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large deep skillet over medium heat and cook the diced bacon until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the bacon drippings. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper and cook until golden and cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
In the same skillet, melt another tablespoon of butter and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and just opaque. Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium-low, add the remaining butter and the minced garlic, and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it reduce slightly for 3 to 4 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with a few tablespoons of the warm cream mixture to temper them, then slowly stir the tempered yolks back into the skillet.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the parmesan cheese a little at a time until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Season with black pepper and salt to taste.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
Return the chicken, shrimp, and bacon to the skillet and gently toss everything together until heated through.
Garnish with chopped parsley and extra parmesan, then serve immediately.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large deep skillet
- Slotted spoon
- Whisk
- Tongs
Notes
Serving and Storage Tips
Serve this pasta immediately while the sauce is at its silkiest, ideally with warm garlic bread and a simple green salad on the side, echoing the classic Olive Garden meal. A sprinkle of extra parmesan and cracked black pepper right before serving never hurts either.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Since cream sauces can separate in the microwave, reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of milk or broth, stirring frequently until the sauce comes back together.
Chef's Tip: If you are making this for a crowd, keep the sauce a touch thinner than you want it to look, since pasta continues absorbing liquid as it sits. A little extra reserved pasta water goes a long way.
However you serve it, this Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Copycat Recipe is proof that some of the best restaurant dishes are just as good, if not better, made fresh at home.
