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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.
My family will love this!
Love this recipe. My family really enjoyed it and kids can’t wait to have it again. The pasta is easy to make and is creamy. The flavors are bursting! Thank you for sharing!
Just made this last night and it was fantastic! Definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing so many great and easy meals! I will need to cut the recipe in half for my family of three next time. As far as freezing this, it seems as though your instructions are for freezing prior to cooking. If that is correct, can we freeze the leftovers AFTER it’s made?
Yes, you could freeze the leftovers too. Wrap it tightly and then I’d just defrost it in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the oven when you want to eat it again.
Hands down the best chicken tetrazzini recipe ever! Always a huge hit! I’ve made it for work potluck, week night dinners, and comfort food for friends!
Yay! I’m so glad this recipe has been such a hit!
Made this last night and it was yummy. My husband even had 2 helpings. I did use gluten free cream of chicken soup and gluten free pasta. Also added Italian seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder and threw i peas. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing how you tweaked things. So glad you all enjoyed the recipe!
YUM!! This is delicious! Even my 2 year old couldn’t get enough which is rare, so that’s a massive compliment to this recipe. I used my homemade cream of chicken soup in it which takes it to another level.
Oh that makes me so happy to hear!! Toddler approved! Thanks for sharing!
Don’t get me wrong, this was a decent dish, but the flavor wasn’t 5 stars… it was 3+, maybe 4. For ease of preparation, it was 5 stars, for sure! I’m comparing this to another tetrazzini recipe in which you make a roux from scratch, add more spices, and was fantastic, so maybe that’s not fair, but since I know there’s better, gotta be honest.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try.
What do you think you could substitute for the sour cream?
Plain greek yogurt is a great substitution. You could also try cream cheese.
So good! Added peas. Broccoli would have been great!
I added peas to it and it was fabulous!