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Easy, creamy, and utterly delicious cheesy chicken tetrazzini is a family favorite that takes minutes to prep!
Our go-to Chicken Pasta Dinner!
Today’s recipe for chicken tetrazzini happens to be one of those yummy recipes that everyone enjoys. In fact, our family is obsessed and because of that, it’s our go-to chicken pasta dinner.
With over 1,000 5 STAR REVIEWS, you can see it’s not just loved by our family. It’s a recipe our mom first found decades ago and especially loved with fried zucchini, cheesy garlic bread and roasted vegetables.
Why we love it:
- DELICIOUS! As mentioned above, it has all the delicious ingredients that make for a cheesy, hearty, yummy pasta dinner.
- SIMPLE. Not only is it delicious, but the recipe is simple too. There are extra steps in cooking the chicken and pasta, but it’s a classic easy dinner idea.
- HOLIDAY DINNER. We have made this for SO many special occasions including birthdays, Sunday dinner, and holidays. It’s always a hit!
Ingredients
- linguine – Substitute the linguine with fettuccine, tagliatelle or spaghetti.
- unsalted butter
- chicken breasts, cooked and diced – chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken also work
- cream of chicken soup – cream of mushroom soup or even the combined cream of chicken and mushroom soup work great too
- sour cream
- garlic salt with parsley flakes
- pepper
- chicken broth
- grated Parmesan cheese
- shredded Mozzarella cheese – Change it up by using different cheeses.
How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- PASTA. Cook noodles, to al dente, according to the box instructions. Drain and set aside.
- SAUCE. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, sour cream, butter, chicken broth, garlic salt, and pepper. Mix well, then stir in cooked noodles.
- BAKE. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle both cheeses on top and bake, uncovered, for 36–42 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling.
Complete the Meal:
- SIDE DISHES: Cheesy Garlic Bread, Baked Parmesan Asparagus. Olive Garden Breadsticks, Fried Zucchini
- DESSERTS: Italian Cookies, Panna Cotta, Angel Food Cake
- More easy Chicken Pasta Dinners: Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Stroganoff, Chicken Alfredo Bake
More Collections: Sunday Dinner Ideas, Italian Dinner Ideas, Chicken Pasta Recipes
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Easy, creamy, and utterly delicious cheesy chicken tetrazzini is a family favorite that takes minutes to prep!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces linguini cooked
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt with parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Cook noodles, to al dente, according to the box instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, sour cream, butter, chicken broth, garlic salt and pepper. Mix well, then stir in cooked noodles.
- Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle both cheeses on top and bake, uncovered, for 36–42 minutes, until cheeses are melted and bubbling.
Video
Notes
Make ahead of time. We frequently make this tetrazzini recipe ahead of time. Just make it as instructed except don’t top with the cheese or bake. Instead, cover tightly with foil or saran wrap and place in fridge for up to 24 hours before adding the cheese and baking.
STORE leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
FREEZE. Just make as instructed, cover tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Just let thaw in the fridge overnight, add the cheese and bake in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 714kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 166mg, Sodium: 1284mg, Potassium: 687mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1086IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 248mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
RECIPE FAQ
Best Variations for Tetrazzini?
- Vegetables. Add in vegetables like peas, corn, broccoli florets, mushrooms, and onions.
- Seasonings. Season with garlic salt, or parsley flakes. Add a little heat after it has been baked with some red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
- Meat. Use freshly made or leftover turkey instead. Be sure to check out our Turkey Tetrazzini too!
Can this be made ahead of time?
- We frequently make this chicken tetrazzini recipe ahead of time. Just make it as instructed except don’t top with the cheese or bake. Instead, cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours before adding the cheese and baking.
How to store chicken Tetrazzini?
- STORE leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- FREEZE. Just make as instructed, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Just let thaw in the fridge overnight, toss it with a bit of fresh milk, add the cheese, and bake in the oven.
Thanks for sharing! I am going to try this tonight. Is this dish really only baked at 300 degrees, or is that possibly a typo?
350 for 40-45 in the written recipe. Came out perfect for me!
I made this tonight, just as the recipe states except my cream of chicken soup was cream of chicken with herbs (just happened to be what I had in the pantry). It is soooo good! Thank you so much! This is going into our regular dinner rotation!
Thanks for stopping by! I’ve never tried the cream of chicken wth herbs, so I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks for the suggestion!
Can you Use cream of muShroom sOup instawd of cream shicken soup?
Yes 🙂 Enjoy!!
WE’VE HAD A SIMILAR RECIPE IN OUR FAMILY FOR YEARS, I USE 1 CAN of CREAM OF CHICKEN, AND One CAN OF Cream of muSHROOM. I ALSO ADD MUSHROOMS AND ON OCCASSION ONIONS FOR A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TASTE. I now use less sour cream, Which is fat free, no sodium chicken broth, and fat free soup and cheese to cut back on calories. One of our Favorite dishes. You can totally modify to add or take out many ingredients to make it your own.
Very true!! Thank you for sharing your changes! Sounds great!
Yummy!!!! Thanks for sharing!! I used pasta spirals instead of linguini, added 1/2 a raw cauliflower (finely chopped), used a little less butter, and sprinkled breadcrumbs on top with the cheese (I also didn’t bother using the alfoil as I wanted a nice, brown, crispy top).
Mmmmm!!!! It was so yummy that I claimed the leftovers and have been enjoying them these last couple of days. 😉
It is a simple and yet very tasty meal which I have just written up in my recipe collection. Thanks again!!!
No veggies??, I remember growing up tetrazzini having veggies. In our house, it was peas and mushrooms. Weird combo but it worked. Can I suggest cooking pasta less then what it says on the box? If you cook it to done then bake for another hour, you will have mushy pasta. Any casserole that uses pasta and is baked, I cook 1-2 minutes less.
That’s a great suggestion! I have never had that problem, but I could see how you could. And if you want veggies, feel free to add them. 😉
I wondered the same thing about not completely cooking the pasta. I used fettuccine (didn’t have linguine on hand) which I cooked according to the package and then baked it in the casserole. It wasn’t mushy at all. Maybe because it is a little bigger than fettuccine? Great casserole. My family loved it!
I was thinking the same thing. I will add the veggies to mine. Thanks.
If you want to add peas, use frozen and do not cook them first. They will be perfect! They are a great addition to the dish and so colorful.
Good point about cooking the pasta less. Traditionally it’s made with Peas and Mushrooms. I don’t like mushrooms but mine has the peas. I only have one suggestion…you can do without the sour cream but if you do, use a small amount. 2 cups is insane…more of a stroganoff. I recommend 1/2 cup. Bon Apetit, Chef Cosmo
Thanks for the suggestions!
we love this we add mushrooms and pimentos for a twist of flavor. My kids asked for peas in it not sure if that would taste yummy.
Can this be frozen? If so, should I cook it first or get it ready to bake and then freeze?
I’ve never freezed it but I’m sure you could get it all ready to cook and then the day off, take it out to let it unthaw and then cook the regular time. 😉
It should freeze well. Just defrost in the fridge and then bake. Because it has dairy in it the consistency may be a little different.
I plan On making this tOnight. Will halve the recipe and add some mixed vegetables to up the nutrition factor.
Hope you like it!
I’d add just a little extra sauce or just extra broth to it. Pasta is known to soak up liquid. I could be wrong. Just an idea. Extra sauce never hurts anything. 🙂
If you cook the pasta until about a minute under al dente, it will finish cooking in the soup mixture in the oven, only absorbing what’s needed to finish cooking. That’s why I use Barilla pastas. It never overcooks or gets mushy. You shouldn’t need to add more liquid, at least, I wouldn’t.
Looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Kristyn , Happy New Year! I’ve never made chicken tetrazzini. Looks yummy and so does your crispy chicken pasta. My daughter hates red sauce so these recipes need to go onto my must try list.
Have you tried adding sugar to the red sauce. I am not a huge red sauce fan either but its pretty good with sugar 🙂
There is no red sauce in this recipe…
I’m sorry Desiree, i didn’t realize that you were replying to a different comMent about red Sauce. My apologies.
This looks delicious, Kristyn! I want to dig in right now! Pinning for sure!
I’ve made this many times and followed these directions closely. It turns out perfect, never mushy! I have added mushrooms the last couple of times and it’s great!
Makes me happy to hear! Thank you for letting me know!
Oh man…yummy! I am always looking for new and easy recipes to make for my family! Thank you so much for sharing all of these delicious chicken recipes. They are all sure to be winners with my little fam! PINNED!