CREAMY CHICKEN SCAMPI – OLIVE GARDEN COPYCAT

By deiv3 on August 30, 2024

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into tenders sized pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons butter, divided
¾ cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces mixed bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, green), sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
freshly shredded parmesan cheese, for serving and garnish
finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken tenders and pan-sear on both sides until they are a nice golden brown, about 3 minutes each side. Remove the chicken from the pan, cover and set aside (Chicken will not be fully cooked at this stage.)
Using the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the garlic and half of the onions. Sauté until the onions are tender and the garlic is fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with chicken stock. Using a rubber spatula, scrape off and mix in any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low to simmer. Let simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the heavy cream and allow to simmer 5 to 10 minutes to allow sauce to begin thickening. Mix in Parmesan cheese, sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Add chicken back to the pan, along with the remaining onions and the mixed bell peppers. Finish cooking the chicken in the sauce on medium-low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the peppers are crisp-tender, the sauce has thickened, and the chicken is cooked through.
Plate the chicken and then pour the sauce over top. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley before serving

NOTES
Net carbs per serving: 4g
Storage: Store leftover creamy chicken scampi in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: I recommend reheating this in a pan on the stovetop and adding a splash of cream to help bring the sauce back to life.
Change up the protein: Instead of making chicken scampi, you can also replace the chicken with shrimp to make a shrimp scampi. It is also delicious with pork or even salmon.
Add white wine: To enhance the flavor even more, replace half of the chicken stock with dry white wine.
Add more veggies: Amp up the nutritional value with more vegetables. Some of my favorites to add are mushrooms and broccoli.
Make it dairy free: To make this a dairy free creamy chicken scampi, you can use full-fat coconut milk in place of the heavy cream and use a vegan parmesan cheese, or omit the cheese altogether. For a cheesy parmesan flavor without using cheese, you can also add a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the sauce.

NUTRITION
Calories: 680
Fat: 34g
Carbohydrates: 8g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 38g