Olive Garden Copycat Chicken And Shrimp Carbonara

Elevate your dinner tonight with our chicken and shrimp carbonara, a truly irresistible dish that combines the richness of chicken, the succulence of shrimp, and a creamy carbonara sauce.

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Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings6

The best kind of dinner is the one that makes everyone go quiet at the table—because they’re too busy devouring it. This Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara is that kind of dish.

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Creamy, smoky, garlicky, and loaded with all the good stuff—tender chicken, juicy shrimp, crispy bacon, sweet red peppers, and a silky carbonara sauce clinging to every strand of spaghetti. It’s a spot-on restaurant copycat recipe, but better than the original (yes, we said it), because you’re making it fresh in your own kitchen.

Chicken And Shrimp Carbonara Ingredients

Substitutions and Additions

SHRIMP: You can use frozen shrimp. Just make sure to thaw and pat them dry before cooking.

PASTA: While linguine works beautifully, you can experiment with fettuccine or spaghetti.

SPICE IT UP: If you love heat, consider adding red pepper flakes to the sauce for a spicy kick.

How to Make Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara

(That Won’t Scramble Your Sauce)

1. Cook the pasta al dente in salty water. Don’t forget to save some pasta water. It’s gold for the sauce.
2. Whisk the sauce base: egg yolks, cream, parmesan, and a splash of pasta water to temper.
3. Crisp the bacon in a large skillet until golden, then drain (but save a little bacon fat—trust me).
4. Sear the chicken until browned and cooked through. Repeat with the shrimp.
   
   
   
5. Sauté peppers, onion, garlic in the same skillet.
6. Add the egg mixture off the heat, then stir constantly over low heat until the sauce thickens.
7. Toss in the pasta, bacon, and peppers—add more pasta water if needed to get that silky texture.
   
   
   
8. Top with chicken and shrimp, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Tips for Success

💡Warm your egg mixture with hot pasta water to avoid scrambling.
💡A clean-ish skillet = prettier carbonara.
💡Use freshly grated Parmesan – it makes a smoother sauce.
💡Dry your shrimp well before searing so they brown instead of steam.

For The Full Olive Garden Experience

If you’re going for the full Olive Garden copycat experience, serve it with garlic breadsticks (store-bought or straight from the restaurant), a simple copycat Olive Garden salad, and a side of stuffed ziti fritta. Round it out with a crisp white wine or a sparkling water with lemon.

Leftovers & Reheating

FREEZER: Not recommended—the cream and egg base won’t hold up well.

FRIDGE: Store in an airtight container for up to two days.

REHEAT: Add a splash of water and warm in a skillet over low heat, stirring gently to loosen the sauce.

This homemade Olive Garden pasta is the kind of dinner that turns any night into something special. Loaded with bold flavor and creamy comfort, it checks every box—chicken carbonara with bacon, juicy shrimp, and a rich, silky sauce that feels restaurant-worthy but is easy enough for a weeknight.

More Carbonara Recipes

If you’re craving more carbonara recipes, give these a try:

• Carbonara Pasta Recipe – velvety sauce, smoky bacon, and perfectly cooked noodles, it’s a must-try for fans of Italian-inspired dinners.
• Tortellini Carbonara Recipe – for a fun twist—cheese-filled pasta pockets take the decadence up a notch and make every bite extra satisfying.
• Shrimp Carbonara Recipe – delivers all the creamy goodness of classic carbonara with tender, juicy shrimp folded in for a protein-packed upgrade.
  

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Chicken And Shrimp Carbonara

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Elevate your dinner tonight with our chicken and shrimp carbonara, a truly irresistible dish that combines the richness of chicken, the succulence of shrimp, and a creamy carbonara sauce.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

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Ingredients

  

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• ½ pound spaghetti noodles, cooked to al dente in salted water according to package directions (reserve 1 cup of the pasta water after cooking as you will use ½ -1 cup when making the sauce)
• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ½ pound thick cut smoked bacon, diced into ½ -¾ inch size pieces (5 to 6 strips)
• 1 pound chicken tenderloin strips
• ½ pound raw shrimp (deveined, shells and tails removed)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large red bell pepper (stem, seeds and veins removed, cut into ¼ thick strips)
• ½ cup diced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, garnish

Instructions

 

• Cook the spaghetti pasta to al dente according to package directions (approximately 9-11 minutes in salted boiling water). Once the spaghetti noodles are done cooking, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and set aside.
• To a medium bowl add the egg yolks, heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine. While whisking constantly, slowly add ½ cup of the warm pasta water. You want to gently temper, or warm, the egg yolks to avoid having them scramble when added to the skillet. Set aside.
• To a large, 12 inch, skillet over medium heat, add the diced bacon. Cook the bacon for 15-18 minutes or until the fat renders and the bacon pieces are crispy. Be sure to stir the bacon often to ensure it does not burn. Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy bacon pieces from the skillet and place them onto a paper towel lined plate. Set the crispy bacon pieces aside and drain all but two tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet.
• To a large bowl add the chicken tenderloin strips, raw shrimp, olive oil, italian seasoning blend, salt and black pepper. Toss to combine and coat the chicken and shrimp with the seasonings.
• Turn the heat to the skillet up to medium-high then add the seasoned chicken tender strips to the hot skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Remove the browned chicken from the skillet and place onto a plate.
• Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly golden on the outside and cooked all the way through. Remove the cooked shrimp from the skillet and add them to the plate with the cooked chicken.
• Add the red bell pepper strips, diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes or just until the vegetables become crisp-tender and the garlic is fragrant. Remove the red bell peppers from the skillet, leaving the onions and garlic to continue cooking. Place onto a plate and set aside.
• Turn the heat to the skillet down to medium-low and slowly pour in the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Cook the sauce for 2-3 minutes, while whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens. The sauce should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon without running off.
• Add the red bell pepper strips and cooked spaghetti noodles back to the sauce. Toss to coat the spaghetti in the carbonara sauce.
• Return the crispy bacon pieces to the skillet and toss them with the spaghetti and sauce.
• Top the carbonara coated spaghetti with the cooked chicken strips and shrimp.
• Garnish with a light sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and serve.

Notes

• Be mindful not to overcook the pasta. Cook it until it’s just al dente, as it will continue to cook slightly when combined with the sauce later.
• Keep a close eye on the bacon while cooking it in the skillet. It can go from crispy to burnt quickly, so stir it continuously and adjust the heat as needed.
• When you add the cream and chicken broth to the skillet, maintain a gentle simmer. Avoid boiling the cream, as it may curdle.

Nutrition

Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 1036mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1431IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 3mg

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