Classic Chicken Tetrazzini

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Chicken tetrazzini is a classic Italian-American dish that combines succulent chicken with pasta and mushrooms in a sauce that will leave your taste buds wanting more. With a few simple ingredients, you can have this savory meal ready in under an hour.

What Is Chicken Tetrazzini?

Chicken tetrazzini is a hearty and comforting meal that’s perfect for cozy nights. It’s an easy one-dish dinner that everyone loves. The name tetrazzini comes from an opera singer named Luisa Tetrazzini, who was popular during the time the dish was created.

Chicken tetrazzini is a classic casserole dish that includes cooked chicken, spaghetti or fettuccine noodles, Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, and a cream sauce. Over the years, creative cooks have added other ingredients, such as other veggies, bacon, and nuts, to their chicken tetrazzini recipes.

It is common to serve the dish with a side of bread or garlic toast for dipping into the creamy sauce. It also makes for great leftovers because it will keep for several days in the fridge and for several months in the freezer.

Ingredients You’ll Need for this Recipe

Pasta (I used fettucine)
Shredded cooked chicken
Whole mushrooms
White onion
Garlic cloves
Olive oil
Chicken stock
Evaporated milk
Salt
Thyme
Italian seasoning
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
Bunch of fresh parsley for garnish

How to Make Classic Chicken Tetrazzini

Peel and finely dice the onion. Set aside.
Grate or press the garlic cloves. Set aside
Cut the mushrooms into quarters. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Cook the pasta according to package directions, but stop the cooking process 2 minutes before it is ready. You will continue cooking the pasta in the oven.
Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Saute the garlic, onion, and mushrooms until soft, golden, and fragrant (around 15 minutes).
Add the shredded cooked chicken, salt, thyme, and Italian seasoning to the pan. Mix well.
Pour the evaporated milk and chicken stock into the pan. Mix well.
Add most of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and mix well. Save a bit of cheese for the top of the casserole.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Mix the cooked pasta with the sauce in the pan. Pour into an oven dish.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the pasta.
Cook for 5 minutes at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until the top is golden and crispy.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Tips and Variations for Chicken Tetrazzini

When making classic chicken tetrazzini, there are plenty of tips and variations to try for the best dish.

For the shredded chicken, choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts if possible. Use this recipe for shredded chicken in the Instant Pot. It’s quick and easy for this recipe for chicken tetrazzini and many others.
Use rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to save time.
Consider adding cooked bacon or prosciutto to the filling.
To give your tetrazzini extra flavor and texture, try adding various vegetables, such as peas, diced bell peppers, carrots, or spinach to the filling.
For added flavor, incorporate different fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, basil, and oregano into the sauce.
Substitute the fettuccine or spaghetti noodles with egg noodles, penne, bow-tie pasta, shells, or any other type of short noodle.
Add a few tablespoons of white cooking wine to the dish for a richer flavor.
Serve chicken tetrazzini with a side salad and some crusty bread for an easy weeknight meal.
For an extra crunchy finish, sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the top of the dish before baking.

Chicken Tetrazzini FAQs

How can I make this recipe gluten free?

The pasta is the only ingredient that contains gluten. So if you replace the fettucini with a gluten-free pasta option, such as quinoa noodles, brown rice noodles, or even veggie spirals, it will be gluten free.

What sides should I serve with chicken tetrazzini?

Some side choices include a fresh green salad tossed with vinaigrette dressing, steamed or roasted vegetables, mashed or roasted potatoes, and garlic bread slices. Try Greek Caesar Salad, Oven-Roasted Carrots with Garlic and Parsley, or Crockpot Mashed Potatoes.

How do I store leftovers of chicken tetrazzini?

You can store this classic chicken tetrazzini in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Other Chicken Recipes

Yield: 4 servings

Classic Chicken Tetrazzini

Creamy delicious chicken tetrazzini. Comfort food at its best

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz of pasta (fettucini)
2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups mushrooms
1 white onion
4 garlic cloves
2 olive oil
¼ cup white flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
A bunch of fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Peel the onion and dice it finely. Set aside.
Grate or press the garlic cloves. Set aside.
Cut the mushrooms in quarters. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 374F/ 190C
Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Stop the cooking process 2 minutes before is ready since we are going to cook the pasta in the oven too.
Heat a pan on medium heat with the olive oil. Sautee the garlic, the onion, and the mushrooms until soft, golden, and fragrant (around 15 minutes).
Add the shredded chicken to the pan, and add all the herbs and seasonings. Mix well.
Pour the evaporated milk into the pan, mix well and add the cheeses (reserve some for later)
Mix well, and cook for 5 more minutes.
Mix the cooked pasta with the sauce in the pan. Pour it into an oven dish.
Pour more cheese on top of the pasta.
Cook for 5 minutes at 374 F/190C for 5 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

To do the chicken tetrazzini you can use rotisserie chicken or use our recipe for shredded chicken in the instant pot. It’s very easy and quick to do for a lot of recipes including this.

The chicken tetrazzini can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container.