Our Grilled Chicken Margherita Olive Garden copycat has all of the classic Italian flavors you know and love in a simple, flavor-packed restaurant style dish! The grilled margherita chicken is moist and tender, coated in a lemon butter sauce with fresh tomatoes and lots of ooey-gooey melted cheese!
The flavor of these juicy chicken breasts paired with the cheese and tomatoes on top of the chicken is the best! This recipe does a great job of using fresh ingredients to add so much flavor! You can also make homemade pesto or use store-bought pesto; totally up to you. This Olive Garden chicken Margherita recipe is great at having options!
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Once you cook the grilled chicken breasts, you’re well on your way to making the rest of this copycat recipe. I love to mix in some fresh basil as well because once the cheese melts, the flavors really come through!
Follow the simple steps on the recipe card below to make these tender chicken breasts topped with juicy cherry tomatoes and melty mozzarella cheese. The next time you’re craving a delicious piece of chicken, this is a great recipe to make!
Grilled Chicken Margherita Olive Garden
My copycat of the grilled chicken margherita Olive Garden® recipe is way less expensive to make, but just as delicious.
Not to be confused with margarita chicken, which features the classic lime and tequila flavors of the popular cocktail!
With huge dollops of melty mozzarella, tomatoes, and a slathering of pesto, you get all of the colors and flavors of Italy on one plate!
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Grill up the poultry in just 30 minutes — and if you don’t feel like grilling outdoors, you can use a grill pan indoors!
You can also enjoy all of the flavors of Olive Garden chicken margherita in pizza form. My lemon herb margherita pizza is just as quick and easy to make and just as tasty too!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken – The original grilled chicken margherita Olive Garden recipe uses boneless breasts, but you could use cutlets instead if you want! Those will actually cook faster and more evenly than thicker breast meat. Using boneless chicken thighs is another option that should work well. Just be sure they aren’t too thick, or you may have problems grilling them completely.
- Pesto – You can use your favorite store-bought variety, but I always use homemade basil pesto. It’s super quick, super cheap, and super tasty!
- Italian Seasoning – This is a great staple seasoning to have on hand for any Italian recipe. But, if you have the time, I suggest using fresh herbs instead!Oregano, thyme, rosemary, and basil are easy to dice and can be found in most grocery stores all year round.
- Tomatoes – These are chopped up and sprinkled right on top as the grand finale for the grilled chicken margherita! Use regular-sized tomatoes if you have them. Otherwise, cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half are perfect. You can also change up some of the flavors by adding lemon garlic sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, crushed pine nuts, or any other seasoning that you want to add to this savory herb chicken. Have fun with the flavors! Check out my quick kitchen hack for slicing small tomatoes — it’s a huge time saver!
Margherita Chicken Recipe Variations
- Make it cheesier!
Once you lay the mozzarella on the margherita chicken, cover the skillet with a lid.
You can also slide your skillet under an oven broiler to get the cheese nice and brown on the surface as it melts into ooey gooey perfection.
- Sauce it up!
For a saucier version of Olive Garden chicken margherita, add about 1 tablespoon of flour to the pan after frying the garlic.
Then, when you add the lemon zest and juice, include ½ cup of water or chicken broth/stock as well. Let it simmer, reduce, and thicken into dreamy, creamy lemon butter sauce!
- Include more veggies.
There isn’t a veggie on the planet that wouldn’t taste divine with chicken margherita!
In fact, the grilled chicken breast is just begging for some diced eggplant, squash, mushrooms, or a handful of spinach.
- Cook inside instead.
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Sometimes the weather just won’t allow for outdoor grilling. Feel free to use an electric or stovetop grill pan instead!No matter the cooking method, use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that the internal temp of your grilled chicken margherita reaches 165°F.
Serving Suggestions
There are plenty of sides that go well with chicken margherita! Something simple like a loaf of rosemary bread would be fabulous! Some roasted potatoes will soak the yummy lemon sauce right up, making them extra tasty, or you could try your hand at making homemade pasta!
If you want to lighten the meal with a fresh salad, you already have the ingredients for a nice tomato basil salad. Just whip up some Olive Garden Italian dressing and you’re good to go!
Storing and Reheating Leftover
You should store leftover Olive Garden chicken margherita without all of the toppings, to keep the texture and flavor just right. Reheat in a skillet with the sauce once again. Then, add the pesto and mozzarella as written in the recipe instructions below.Store your leftover grilled chicken margherita in a covered container in the fridge — it will keep for 4-5 days.
Grilled Chicken Margherita FAQ
Enjoy!With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Originally published August 2022, updated and republished October 2024
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