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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.
Easy to make with ingredients on hand, just like most of the recipes on this site.
– Very flavourful thanks to the cheeses, broth, and soup. I also thoroughly seasoned the chicken.
– I undercooked the noodles slightly as recommended by others in the comments to avoid overcooking during baking. The texture ended up being just right!
– I used the pasta pot to combine the chicken and wet ingredients rather than the medium bowl suggested in the recipe. (The noodles were draining in a colander.) I didn’t dirty an additional item and a medium bowl would never have fit everything.
Points of concern
– The butter was softened to room temp but I found it hard to combine with the other ingredients. It presented as medium-sized chunks throughout. Is this correct? Can I do something to improve how the butter combines?
– I used a 9×13 dish and felt like it wasn’t big enough, even after trying to flatten everything down with a spatula. While I was cooking, the cheese and cream started bubbling over the edge of my dish. I quickly put another pan underneath. How deep of a 9×13 should I be using? Mine are all about 2 inches deep.
Overall it was a great meal that both my boyfriend and I enjoyed with a generous side of peas and peach dump cake à la mode for dessert!
Thanks so much for sharing what you did! I appreciate it! For the butter – I would try having it soften a little more. You want it at about the same consistency as the cream of chicken soup. Then it should blend with those creamy ingredients a lot better. It’s true – some 9 x 13 pans are deeper than others. Mine is a little deeper than 2 inches. You can still use your 9 x 13 pan and not fill it so much and then put any leftover in a smaller 8 x 8 pan and bake those at the same time. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for the suggestions! I will definitely keep it in mind for the future because this recipe is going to happen again 🙂
You’re so welcome! Let me know how it turns out the next time you make it. 🙂
I’m making this now. Can’t wait. I’m going to melt the butter instead of just soften it. Hope it turns out as wonderful as I know it will.
Thank you!
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoyed the tetrazzini!
Easy recipe. My family loved it.
My whole family LOVED this meal…im making it for the second time but adding chopped onion and green pepper… also mixing cheese into.. instead of on top.
Sounds delicious! I’m so glad your family enjoyed the dish! Thanks for sharing.
So delicious!! Is the nutrition info for one serving? And if so what is considered one serving? Ty
I’d say a serving size is about 1.5 cups… give or take. Depending on how large of portion sizes you want.
My Hubby absolutely loves this!! This is my 3rd time making it!! Just made it for a last minute dinner with my bestie and her hubby. . It is the perfect go to comfort food for family and friends swinging by for dinner!!
Thank you! I’m so glad that this recipe is a hit for you family. Couldn’t agree with you more… comfort food at it’s finest. 😉
WAY too many add popping up in front of the recipe so can’t even see it.
The ads do enable us to be able to provide free recipes and content to our awesome readers. Thanks for understanding!
Could this be made with ground beef or vegan meat instead of chicken?
I haven’t tried it before, but I’m sure it could!! You’ll have to let us know how it turned out if you made the swap.
Easy to make, delicious after the bake, and will be eating again tomorrow!
Cut the recipe in half for 2 people.
Your recipe is the bell 🔔 in my steeple!
When you cut the recipe, did the cook time fluctuate at all that you noticed? Also have to cut the recipe!
You may need to cut the baking time down just a bit, but probably not quite half. You’ll want to make sure the ingredients are all melted and heated through, with a nice golden brown top.
So good and loved I can freeze one!
Mmm this is amazing! Our whole family loves this!!
Omg so delicious and easy. My most favorite 😋