The BEST chicken tetrazzini recipe begins with chicken, mushrooms, and pasta tossed together with a creamy, garlicky sauce.
Layer that deliciousness in a baking dish and sprinkle it with just a handful of cheese before baking just long enough to melt everything together. Served with warm bread and a salad, this meal is a hit every time.
Almost 18 years ago now, my sweet friend Lisa brought my family a pan of this Chicken Tetrazzini. It was a night just a few days after my middle son was born; and in the midst of our new baby fog and sleep deprivation, we managed to eat an absurd amount of this dish.
You know those dishes you taste once and can’t stop thinking about? This chicken Tetrazzini recipe is one of those. When you’re exhausted from a new baby, a hot meal at the end of the day is extra divine.
I promised Sean I’d get the recipe as soon as possible. Lisa shared her recipe with me and this pasta has made regular appearances on our table ever since.
Best Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
At the time, this was the best chicken and pasta dish we had ever tasted, giving it the honor of being christened “The Best Chicken Tetrazzini.” (And it still stands as one of the tastiest chicken pasta dishes you’ll ever make!)
It’s an easy and comforting dinner that I make so often I can just about cook it from memory at this point. And I have a feeling that chicken tetrazzini will be a meal my boys think of when they think of favorite family dinners from their childhoods.
My whole family enjoys this meal very much and one of my boys would happily do his best to eat this entire recipe on his own! As I began to make this for dinner last night, I was surprised to realize that I didn’t already have this recipe on the blog.
It’s become such a favorite, I rarely even pull out my recipe book when I make it anymore. Since this is one of our family’s most requested meals, I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t share the love with all of you.
Traditional Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this:
- spaghetti noodles
- butter
- garlic
- mushrooms
- chicken
- flour
- chicken broth
- heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- Parmesan
Chicken Tetrazzini with Mushrooms
Do you have mushroom haters in your family? This recipe is completely delicious without the mushrooms as well.
I find that the mushroom flavor is not very strong in this recipe compared to the garlic and chicken. Even my kids who aren’t the biggest fans of mushrooms enjoy the chicken tetrazzini recipe as written. That said, if you’re truly mushroom averse feel free to leave them out.
Recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini
At first glance, this recipe might look like it has a lot of steps but it’s plenty easy enough for a weeknight meal. It’s a fantastic way to use up leftover baked chicken, too!
If you don’t have any leftover cooked chicken and don’t feel like making any, a grocery rotisserie chicken will work just fine too.
Kitchen Tip: I use this skillet, this colander, and this baking dish to make this recipe.
To make the ultimate chicken tetrazzini, you start by sauteing mushrooms in a pan with melted butter and garlic.
The smell of the garlic cooking in the butter is always enough to make me want to eat all the garlicky mushrooms straight from the pan. Fortunately, knowing how good the final dish is, gives me the self-control I need.
After removing the cooked mushrooms from the heat, you make a roux with more butter, flour, and chicken broth. Then add heavy cream.
There are a couple of different ways you can make this. Layer the cooked pasta, chicken, and mushrooms in a dish and pour the sauce over it all. Then sprinkle the whole thing with cheese.
Or alternatively, toss the pasta, chicken, and mushrooms back into the pan with the sauce and stir to coat.
Sprinkle with cheese and pop the oven-safe skillet in the oven to melt the cheese.
20 minutes in the oven gets the sauce bubbling and the cheese melty. Chicken Tetrazzini is delicious served hot from the oven. We also love having leftovers around to reheat for the next couple of days.
This chicken recipe is garlicky, creamy and full of tender chicken. I can’t emphasize enough how big of a hit this meal is both with the kids and adults alike.
Chicken Tetrazzini is a full meal all on its own but it is also great served with a simple green salad tossed with Homemade Italian Salad Dressing.
Baked Pasta Recipe
Looking for more baked pasta ideas? Lately, we’ve all been loving this Cheesy Pizza Pasta Bake and this Cheesy Baked Mexican Pasta. With a side of crusty bread, these meals are dinners that no one can resist.
For a pasta that’s sure to warm you up, try this Mushroom Florentine Pasta, or this One-Pot Creamy Tuscan Pasta. Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta and Homemade Hamburger Helper are kid favorites too.
The Easiest Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese is on our meal plan for this week. As an added bonus, it looks simple enough that my kids should be able to make it themselves.
Did you know that you can make creamy, rich, and saucy stovetop mac and cheese from scratch in the same amount of time it takes to cook boxed mac and cheese?
Creamy, rich truffle mac and cheese is a fancy spin on the ultimate comfort food. If you’ve never tasted this awesomeness, you’ve been missing out and I can not recommend it highly enough.
Creamy and cheesy, with wonderful lingering heat, this green chile mac and cheese is a keeper, transforming the quintessential comfort food into a dish that is positively irresistible.
We love the convenience of a make-ahead pasta salad like the Creamy Pasta Salad or Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad. If you love the garlic in this chicken tetrazzini recipe you’re also sure to love Garlic Lover’s Potato Salad
Big pans of pasta often make a good amount of food so we’re likely to have leftovers for lunch the next day. That’s a dinner win in my world.
Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles or the pasta of your choice (gluten free works great)
- 5 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces baby mushrooms sliced thin
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped small
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour brown rice flour works great for gluten free
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust as needed, if using store-bought chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook and drain the pasta, according to the directions on the package. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the mushrooms, and cook for 3-5 minutes until browned, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken, toss to coat, and remove from the heat.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the melted butter and then slowly add the chicken broth, whisking to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 2 minutes and then add the cream. When the sauce begins to simmer again, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer on low, stirring constantly for 8-10 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place the pasta in a 9×13 baking dish and then spread the chicken mixture over top of it. Pour the sauce over everything to coat thoroughly and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Stir and sprinkle with parsley, if desired, before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
{originally posted 8/29/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/29/23}
Amanda says
I love everything about this!
Sue/the view from great island says
Pure comfort on a plate!
Velva says
Dishes like this chicken tetrazzini are classic American comfort foods. Love it.
Velva
Chris says
Turkey tetrazzini was one of my favorite things to look forward too at our huge family reunions at the farm around Thanksgiving and I only make it around that time. I need to give chicken tetrazzini a shot.
Allison says
I'm cooking this now, I love that it uses real ingredients instead of canned soup! Thanks for the recipe!
Anonymous says
I always put celery in mine! Love your choice of pasta in your photo – I will give it a try next time.
Anonymous says
Prepping for tomorrow's dinner!!
CathWren says
I have a similar recipe that uses sour cream (fat free) instead of heavy cream. It's really rich and creamy.
Eileen says
This looked so good that I had to make it right away, but I didn't have any chicken. So I cooked up some without the chicken and froze the rest until I could go grocery shopping. I just wanted you to know that it tasted wonderful both ways!
Patricia says
You can also make it with diced ham, add peas – very versatile dish.
Gena Murphy Photography says
THIS WAS AMAZING:)
Heather says
This recipe rocked my socks off! 😀 It was perfect! I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for sharing it!
German Eduardo says
esta receta delo mejor como para deleite familiar gracias
Unknown says
I'm very excited to make this recipe! However, I was just wondering if I am supposed to cover the dish when it goes into the oven?
Mary says
There's no need to cover the dish. It's only going to bake for 20 minutes, just long enough to get bubbling hot and melt the cheese. Enjoy!
[email protected] says
I followed the recipe exactly and even used 3 cloves of garlic. I found this recipe very bland and had to add some more cheese and garlic powder in the end to make it have flavor.
Hannah says
This was amazing! Do you think it will be as tasty if I make it the night before for a friend in need and just let them bake it?
Mary says
I frequently prepare this a day ahead and just cover it overnight in the refrigerator. I bake it later when we are ready to eat! If I'm delivering this as a meal for a friend, I'd probably take it and let them bake it when they want to serve it.
Carol says
Im making this tonight.Love the fact there isnt soup in it.We try to watch our sodium.
Amy @Belly Full says
What’s not to love?!
pj says
This is the recipe I use, except add a little sherry to the sauce! Yumm!!
Larry says
Look very good Mary. We haven’t made this in years but really enjoy it, perhaps this will inspire us.
Vanessa C. Conley says
This is the best chicken and pasta dish we hat. I don’t believe I can cook a great and delicious dish for my family. They like it so much and would like to add it into menu’s Christmas.