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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.
We make this recipe regularly at our house. My kids love it! After making it many times I realized that the 1/2 cup of butter can totally be left out. In fact I prefer it left out. There’s plenty of other fats 🙂 I use rotisserie chicken and also add some garlic and onion powder to the sauce. I love easy family meals like this. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad to hear this one is a family favorite. Thanks for sharing what you do!
My husband and I loved this recipe. Made it with Butterball carved chicken breast in a package and halfed the recipe for 2 people. So good and served with Italian green beans. Am sharing this with friends!!!
Where are the onions, garlic, and MUSHROOMS? This is spaghetti with chicken soup and cheese. Blecch.
You can definitely add any or all of those ingredients in to your liking. 🙂
can I use shrimp
I suppose you could! I have never tried it with shrimp before.
Can you cut this in half?
Absolutely!
Absolute go to recipe for my family. They love it and so easy to make. I bought a lasagna pan, it fits perfectly in there!
Awesome! I’m so glad this recipe is a hit with your family!
My husband RAVES about this dish! Perfectly thought out! The only change I have to make is use cream of mushroom rather than cream of chicken because my local grocery store doesn’t carry gluten free cream of chicken. I use gluten free pasta too, of course because of a wheat intolerance (Celiac).
Thank you for sharing!
I love to hear that you have made this recipe gluten free! So glad that it is a hit with your family!
This is so easy and delicious. The first time I made the recipe everyone loved it. Now the recipe is on my “company food” list.
Oh I love that! So happy to hear that the recipe is a hit. Thanks for sharing!
Did you bake this covered or uncovered?
I bake it uncovered.:)
Yummy! A few changes I made: I addded about a cup of a cup and a half of frozen petite peas, I also mixed a handful of cheddar and mozzarella in with the noodles and pasta, and then also topped the casserole with cheese before baking. Lastly, I added about a teaspoon or so of garlic powder into the mixture and added some green onions on top when it came out. Wonderful!! Thanks
Sounds delicious! I love all of your additions! Thanks so much for sharing what you did. I’ll have to try it out!