This Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe is a comforting, supremely creamy, and cheesy pasta bake loaded with tender chicken and plump mushrooms. This meal is a crowd-favorite casserole dish perfect for casual family dinners, holiday potluck parties, bringing a meal to a new mother, and every occasion in between. Watch the video below to see how simple it is!
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Helpful Reader Review
“Excellent recipe! Creamy and cheesy in perfect combination also simple to put together makes it a winner” – Janet ★★★★★
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Classic chicken tetrazzini has been around forever and for good reason! It’s ridiculously good, easy to prepare, kid-friendly and reheats well. It’s sometimes made with soup flavor packets or canned soup, but my friends, you don’t need those to make this flavorful meal. I based this winning recipe on my popular Chicken and Mushroom Casserole recipe. The simple ingredients add all the creamy delicious flavor, and it’s nice to know there aren’t any mystery ingredients in the dish.
When you bake this Chicken Tetrazzini pasta casserole, some of the sauce bakes into the pasta, the flavors marry and [!!BAM!!] something wonderful happens. You’ll know what I mean when you try it. P.S. you can further simplify this by using rotisserie chicken – You’re welcome ‘ma friends :).
This Chicken Tetrazzini is one of my most popular pasta dishes, along with my Cajun Chicken Pasta, American Goulash, and Lasagna.
Chicken Tetrazzini Video
If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing, easy meal for dinner tonight, you’ll love this Chicken Tetrazzini! Watch how easily Natasha turns these simple ingredients into an incredibly creamy pasta casserole.
Ingredients for Chicken Tetrazzini
These ingredients for Chicken Tetrazzini are simple fridge and pantry staples that combine in the perfect way.
- Pasta – I’ve made this with linquine and thin spaghetti, but you I used thin spaghetti, but you can use your favorite noodles.
- Shredded chicken – I like using 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to keep it simple, but you can cook the chicken breast (instructions below). Light or dark meat will work here.
- Mushrooms – White mushrooms are nice for their neutral color. Rinse (yes, it’s ok to rinse mushrooms for sauteeing) and dry the mushrooms, then slice thickly.
- Aromatics – onion and garlic add great flavor to the sauce.
- For the Roux – You’ll need butter and flour, which thicken the sauce.
- Chicken Broth – I opt for low-sodium chicken broth for tetrazzini. Regular chicken broth is ok, but go easy on the salt and add more to taste when making the sauce.
- To Build Flavor – salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon juice help brighten up the casserole.
- Half and Half – You can also make your own by substituting equal parts milk and heavy cream.
- Cheese – Mozzarella cheese is my favorite to use here. The cheese seals in the moisture in the casserole.
Pick the Correct Pasta
Skip the value-brand pasta or pasta that is mass-produced like Barilla for this recipe since it can absorb too much water and seem mushy or dry. Choose bronze-cut, higher-quality pasta made with hardier Durum wheat semolina flour that will stand up to baking (these are easily found in your grocery aisle, like De Cecco, Rustichella d’Abruzzo, Garofalo, Liguori, and others).
Variations for Chicken Tetrazzini
- Protein – swap leftover turkey, or even tuna for the baked chicken breast
- Veggies – You can easily substitute the mushrooms and dice up your favorite veggie to add with the onion. Try sauteed red peppers, steamed broccoli florets, artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, or frozen carrot/pea mix.
- Cheese – experiment with other cheeses like Havarti, cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack. Or you could add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini
Traditionally, tetrazzini is made in a 13×9″ casserole dish, but it can also be done entirely using a Dutch oven so it can go from the stove to the oven saving you some dishes.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and then grease your baking dish if using (9×13 baking dish, or two 9″ squares). **If cooking the chicken breasts instead of using rotisserie chicken, see my directions below for prepping the chicken.
- Cook Pasta in salted water until barely al dente. The pasta will continue to cook when in the oven, so don’t overcook it here. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and then drain the rest and set the pasta aside.
Natasha’s Pro Tip:
Salting the pasta water is so important for taste, but also for texture. Well-salted pasta water should taste like the ocean (about 1 Tbsp for 4 quarts of water).
- Saute the veggies – Soften the mushrooms with some olive oil then add the onions and saute until golden (5 minutes). Finally, add garlic and cook another minute then transfer the mixture to a plate.
- Make the sauce in the same skillet as cooking the veggies. Melt the butter and then add the flour, whisking for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the flour taste. It should look golden and smell a bit nutty. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the chicken broth then lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the Casserole – into the pot with the drained pasta, add chicken, veggies, pasta, sauce and stir together. I like to add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water for a creamier sauce. Spread into the buttered casserole and sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake covered in foil or a lid in the oven for 20 minutes, and then remove the foil and cook another 15 minutes. For a crispier topping, broil for a minute or two. Serve!
Helpful Reader Review
“Made this tonight.Yum! Delish! Hubby and I both loved it. Put in 2 8×8 pans. Baked one froze other for another quick easy weekday meal“ – Karen ★★★★★
How to Cook Chicken Breast for Pasta Casseroles
It’s easy to substitute the rotisserie chicken in this chicken tetrazzini recipe for chopped chicken breast. You can use baked chicken breast or sautee 1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast. If the chicken breasts are very large, you can cut them in half crosswise for faster cooking.
- Add 1 Tbsp of oil in a large Dutch oven pot (I can use this same pot to make the veggies and sauce and cook the casserole- Easier cleanup!)
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken breasts and sautee about 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through to 165˚F on a thermometer. Chop into 1″ pieces. Proceed to the recipe!
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
It’s simple to serve Chicken Tetrazzini ahead and also to store leftovers. This is one of my favorites to bring to friends or freeze for another night.
- Make-Ahead: Mix the casserole and place it in a freezer-safe, oven-safe dish, but don’t top it with cheese. Store in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 6 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight, top with cheese and cook. You may have to add a few minutes to the bake time.
- To Refrigerate: Allow leftovers to cool completely, then cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Cover and freeze cooled leftovers for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To Reheat: Place casserole covered in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until warmed through.
What to Serve with Chicken Tetrazzini
The best part about making casseroles is that they hit all the major food groups for a complete meal. Whip up this chicken tetrazzini recipe and include one of these quick side dishes for a filling and nutritious meal.
- Sourdough Bread
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Caesar Salad
- Maroulosalata – Greek Lettuce Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- Roasted Broccoli
- Tomato Cucumber Mozarella Salad
My Chicken Tetrazzini recipe will quickly become your favorite! It’s satisfying, easy to make, crowd-pleasing, and most importantly, creamy and cheesy. The pasta casserole is the perfect dish for family dinner, but travels well in a casserole dish to share with friends. Make this classic dish today!
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tetrazzini:
- 12 oz linguine, or spaghetti*
- 4 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced, or cook 1.5 lbs of chicken breast*
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb button mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
For the Creamy Sauce:
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups half & half, or sub with equal parts milk & heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350˚F and butter a 9×13 Casserole dish.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water (it should taste like ocean water) and cook until barely al dente according to package instructions – do not overcook. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, partially cover, and set aside.
- Saute the Veggies: Place a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add oil then add sliced mushrooms and sauté 3 min or until softened. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft and golden, 5-7 min. Add minced garlic and sauté another 1 min until fragrant. Transfer to the cutting board with chicken.
- Make the Sauce: In the same pot, melt butter and whisk in flour until lightly golden (1 1/2 min). Slowly whisk in chicken broth, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and whisk until smooth. Add half and half and bring to a simmer. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the Casserole: Into the pasta pot, add the chicken, mushrooms mixture, parsley, and all of your sauce. Stir to combine. You can add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to make it saucier then spread it evenly into your prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the top generously with mozzarella.
- To Bake: Cover with foil and bake at 350˚F for 20 min, then remove the lid and continue baking for 15 min. You can broil for the last 1-2 minutes to get some golden spots on top.
Notes
*To cook your own chicken: in your dutch oven or pot, add 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season 1.5 lbs chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). If chicken breasts are very large, cut them in half lengthwise for even cooking. Remove to cutting board to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead – assemble the casserole, but cover and store in the fridge for 5 days or the freezer for up to 6 months before baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then add cheese and cook as directed.
- Leftovers – allow leftovers to cool completely, then cover and store in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then warm in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Casserole Recipes
Casserole dishes like Chicken Tetrazzini are fantastic dishes to feed a family. You’ll love these great recipes:
- Stuffed Shells
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Baked Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole
- Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
- Green Bean Casserole
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Baked Ziti Recipe
- Meatballs Parmesan Casserole
- Chicken Orzo Bake
Hi Natasha,
Did you cook your chicken completely through, or just browned the sides and it cooks more in the oven? I was trying to zoom in on your pic cause I thought I saw the chicken raw on the inside after the chopping. I don’t know why my chicken is so rubbery and chewy after I cook it through (which takes a long time).
Hi Vicky, it should be fully cooked through at 4 minutes per side. These chicken breasts were medium sized (not the Jumbo Costco size). If you get the larger ones, I would suggest cutting them in half lengthwise to shorten their cooking time. I have found that trying to sauté overly large chicken breast definitely results in half of the chicken breast being overcooked by the time it’s cooked through the center. I hope that helps!
Best tetrazzini recipe I have ever used! I love the one pot method! I cooked fresh chicken tenders and they were great. The only thing I did differently is that I out about one cup of shredded Parmesan cheese in the sauce instead of on top of the casserole. I then served Parmesan at the table too. This was sooo good….thank you. I am excited to try other recipes of yours.
You’re welcome Ellen! Thank you for sharing your review 😀
Hi, Natasha,
I made this with zucchini noodles – yikes! I know they will release some liquid so I halved the broth & half & half.
It is in the oven – wish me luck!
Thank you !
Let me know how you liked it!
This looks AMAZING! I’m super short on time and my chicken always seems to come out tough. Can I short cut with Costco rotisserie chicken?
Hi Renee, I do think that would work just fine and I love a good shortcut! Thanks for the idea 😉
This was fantastic. Followed recipe exactly. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing your awesome review! 🙂
I made this tonight for out of state visitors and it was a complete hit! I had to send the leftovers back with my friends so they could have it in their hotel suite! I encourage others to try this recipe. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Mad this today and it was amazing! I used bellpeppers instead of mushrooms and it came so good! Will be making this recipe soon again 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I added spinach to the mushrooms, and used only skim milk but more flour in the rue. turned out amazing! this is a keeper!
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
What can I substitute the mushrooms with? My husband wouldn’t eat anything mushrooms. He’s crazy, I know!
Hi Alisa, one of my readers reported great results adding frozen peas and another reader reported adding cooked bell peppers and said it turned out very good. I hope that helps!
Would this recipe work well in crock pot to take to work so I can keep it hot, after mixing all together?
Hi Sharon, I think that would work fine, but it might dry the noodles and chicken out if you are planning to keep it warm/hot for too long. I would keep it on the warm setting so it doesn’t continue to cook and bring a little milk with you so you can stir it in if the noodles get a little dry.
Can I give this SIX stars? What an incredible dish! It is comfort food at its best. I added a handful of grated asiago cheese and some peas at the end. Fantastic!!! I will make this again and again.
Yes, I’ll definitely take six stars! 😉 thank you so much for your amazing review!
how did you make the pasta pyramid on the plate as shown in one of your picture??
beautiful presentation
have made this for years
I am going to try your version looks super yummy.
thanks a lot
Thank you for the compliment! 🙂 I just twisted it onto my serving spoon and then scooted it down a little to make it look like it was twirled up 🙂
This is the best thing I have ever put in my mouth! I made it as written but using a rotisserie chicken. Someone said it freezes well. Any advice on how to bake post-freezing? Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe. My whole family loved it. I did use Bucatini, which is hollow spaghetti, and I would totally recommend it to anyone for the texture with this sauce. Yum!
I thin you could freeze it before baking the recipe and then thaw in the fridge and bake or bake longer out of the freezer. I haven’t tested this so I can’t give you exact baking times. Let me know how it works out 🙂
I made this the other night and it was excellent. I also added a splash of white wine along with some peas and onions. My man loved it, and it freezes well.
Thank you for a great recipe.
Thank you for the nice review, I’m glad you liked it 😀.
Hey Natasha ,
Stupid question but how do I get the baked effect of cheese when my oven and microwave aren’t working ? I’ve just made it and would appreciate if you could respond asap , thanks
Fatima, I would put the cheese over pasta while its hot and cover the pot with the lid so the cheese would melt. To brown the cheese, the only thing I can think of is using a blow torch if you have one. Hope this helps 😁.
Can I are this a day ahead? Would it turn out dry?
Hi Laura, you can make it a day ahead since it reheats well, but as with any creamy pasta, I’d recommend reheating over low heat so it doesn’t scorch and so the fats do not separate from the cream.
This was wonderful!! I added a little white wine with the veggies and also added some zucchini, which was perfect with this. The one thing I will change next time is adding some extra mozzarella and Parmesan in the sauce. Thanks for the great recipe, this will absolutely be my base alfredo sauce in the future. Love the heart you pour into your cooking, it’s inspiring.
Carla, I’m glad you liked it and you are welcome 😀.
Hi Natasha!! I dont have an Oven with Digital reading for Fahrenheit. How do I know if I am baking on the right heat…can this be made widout baking???
Hi Shabbi, how do you normally gauge the temperature in your oven? You might consider investing in an oven thermometer – they make them where you can put the probe in the oven and then have the display screen on the outside of the oven. I don’t own one so I can’t recommend a specific one but it may be a good idea if you enjoy baking. To be honest, this pasta is totally edible and delicious even without baking but I do think it’s even better after its baked and the cheese has melted.
Hey natasha will it be okay if i put in in microwave oven and let the cheese melt? I will surely look into buying thermometer for oven !
I think that would be ok.
Your obviously a celcius cooker like me 350° farenheit is 180°celcius im in australia and i cook by celcius theres heaps of online converters thats what i use happy cooking
My husband and I made this last night. So good! We really enjoyed it! The only thing we added was a splash of white wine after mushrooms and onions are cooked to de-glaze the pan and add a little flavor. I’ll definitely make this again!!
Katie, I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Are there any substitutions I can do for the flour to make the sauce? I will have to use a gluten free pasta for my daughter. Thanks!
I think it would work with a gluten free baking flour. The all purpose ones for baking seem to thicken like regular flour would and of course gluten free noodles would work fine.
Try corn starch, it is gluten free.