This chicken tetrazzini is comforting and supremely creamy; a cheesy pasta bake loaded with juicy chicken and plump mushrooms. It’s based on one of the MOST POPULAR recipes on my blog.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

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When you bake this 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. Ridiculously good, easy to prepare, kid friendly, reheats well and freezer safe. P.S. you can further simplify this by using rotisserie chicken – You’re welcome ‘ma friends :).

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

This recipe can be done entirely using a dutch oven so it can go from the stove to the oven saving you some dishes. You can also bake it in a 13×9″ casserole dish, but whichever path you choose, the result will be a cheesy, creamy chicken pasta bake that will have your family refilling their bowls.

P.S. We have included Amazon Affiliate links to our favorite tools to make this recipe.

Chicken Tetrazzini pasta served right out of the pot

Ingredients for Chicken Tetrazzini:

  • We used thin spaghetti, but you can substitute with any kind of noodles you have on hand such as linguine or fettuccini pasta for your chicken tetrazzini casserole.
  • SHORTCUT: (what you will see in the video), you can use a rotisserie chicken and cut away enough chicken meat to get 4 cups of shredded chicken. Light or dark meat will work.
  • This recipe calls for low sodium chicken broth. Regular chicken broth is ok, but go easy on the salt and add more to taste when making the sauce.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini (Watch the Video below):

1. Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions then rinse to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

2. Shred 4 cups of rotisserie Chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

OR: If cooking your own chicken, In a large dutch oven pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Once oil is hot, saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). Remove to a cutting board to cool then dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

3. In your large dutch oven pot, add 2 Tbsp oil then sliced mushrooms and sauté 3 min or until soft. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft (5-7 min). Add minced garlic and sauté another 1-2 min. Transfer to a separate dish.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

4. In the same pot, melt 4 Tbsp butter and add 1/3 cup flour whisking until lightly golden (1 1/2 min). Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and whisk until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups half and half and bring to a simmer then season sauce to taste.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

5. Return chicken, mushrooms and pasta to the pot then season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded mozzarella, cover and bake at 350˚F for 30 min then remove lid and continue baking 15 min. (See notes below for 13×9 casserole dish baking tips).

Four photos of the process to make Chicken Tetrazzini

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

Watch Natasha Make this Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole:

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Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

4.97 from 389 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
This chicken tetrazzini is comforting and supremely creamy; a cheesy pasta bake loaded with juicy chicken and plump mushrooms.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 as a main course

For the Chicken Tetrazzini:

  • 12 oz thin spaghetti or linguine
  • 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, *or cook 2 lbs chicken breast
  • 1 lb button mushrooms, thickly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

For the Creamy Sauce:

  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half, or sub with equal parts milk & heavy cream
  • 1 tsp sea salt, or 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. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until aldente according to package instructions then rinse to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.
  • Cut 4 cups of chicken meat from a rotisserie chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces and set aside. 
  • Place a large dutch oven or pot over medium/high heat. Add 2 Tbsp 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 1-2 min until fragrant. Remove to the cutting board with chicken.
  • In the same pot, melt 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in 1/3 cup flour until lightly golden (1 1/2 min). Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and whisk until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups half and half and bring to a simmer. Season sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Return chicken, mushrooms, onions and pasta to the pot then sprinkle in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded mozzarella, cover and bake at 350˚F for 30 min then remove lid and continue baking 15 min.**

Notes

*To cook your own chicken: in your dutch oven or pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season 2 lbs chicken breasts with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Once oil is hot, saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). Remove to cutting board to cool then cut into bite-sized pieces.
**If baking in a 13x9 casserole dish, cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes then bake uncovered an additional 10-15 min (it bakes 5-10 min faster in a casserole dish)

Nutrition Per Serving

413kcal Calories43g Carbs16g Protein21g Fat10g Saturated Fat49mg Cholesterol471mg Sodium454mg Potassium2g Fiber3g Sugar638IU Vitamin A6mg Vitamin C177mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
413
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
10
g
63
%
Cholesterol
 
49
mg
16
%
Sodium
 
471
mg
20
%
Potassium
 
454
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
 
43
g
14
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
16
g
32
%
Vitamin A
 
638
IU
13
%
Vitamin C
 
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
 
177
mg
18
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken tetrazzini, chicken tetrazzini casserole
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 413

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole pasta bake in pot

Serve right away to the line that has formed behind you :). I can’t help but pair this with crunchy baby dill pickles (mildly obsessed pickle fan over here). I hope your family LOVES this!

 

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Vicky
    April 1, 2017

    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).

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 1, 2017

      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!

      Reply

  • Ellen
    March 11, 2017

    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.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 13, 2017

      You’re welcome Ellen! Thank you for sharing your review 😀

      Reply

  • Belynda Figueriedo
    January 29, 2017

    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 !

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 29, 2017

      Let me know how you liked it!

      Reply

  • Renee
    January 25, 2017

    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?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 25, 2017

      Hi Renee, I do think that would work just fine and I love a good shortcut! Thanks for the idea 😉

      Reply

  • Alexa
    December 31, 2016

    This was fantastic. Followed recipe exactly. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 1, 2017

      I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing your awesome review! 🙂

      Reply

  • Cathie
    December 5, 2016

    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!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 6, 2016

      Thank you so much for the wonderful review! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply

  • Alina
    October 4, 2016

    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 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 4, 2016

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply

  • rebecca
    October 2, 2016

    I added spinach to the mushrooms, and used only skim milk but more flour in the rue. turned out amazing! this is a keeper!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 3, 2016

      I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂

      Reply

  • Alisa
    September 26, 2016

    What can I substitute the mushrooms with? My husband wouldn’t eat anything mushrooms. He’s crazy, I know!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 27, 2016

      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!

      Reply

  • Sharon Smith
    September 17, 2016

    Would this recipe work well in crock pot to take to work so I can keep it hot, after mixing all together?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 17, 2016

      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.

      Reply

  • Rob
    September 5, 2016

    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.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 5, 2016

      Yes, I’ll definitely take six stars! 😉 thank you so much for your amazing review!

      Reply

  • suzanne hartin
    August 15, 2016

    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

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 15, 2016

      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 🙂

      Reply

  • Annie
    August 13, 2016

    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!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 13, 2016

      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 🙂

      Reply

  • CT
    July 28, 2016

    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.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 28, 2016

      Thank you for the nice review, I’m glad you liked it 😀.

      Reply

  • Fatima
    July 21, 2016

    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

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 21, 2016

      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 😁.

      Reply

  • Laura
    June 12, 2016

    Can I are this a day ahead? Would it turn out dry?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 13, 2016

      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.

      Reply

  • Carla Zamiska
    June 9, 2016

    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.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 9, 2016

      Carla, I’m glad you liked it and you are welcome 😀.

      Reply

  • Shabbi
    May 26, 2016

    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???

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 26, 2016

      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.

      Reply

      • Shabbi
        May 26, 2016

        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 !

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          May 27, 2016

          I think that would be ok.

          Reply

    • Viktoriah Hastings
      January 27, 2017

      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

      Reply

  • Katie
    May 23, 2016

    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!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 23, 2016

      Katie, I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Rosanna Edison
    April 22, 2016

    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!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 22, 2016

      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.

      Reply

    • mary
      September 3, 2016

      Try corn starch, it is gluten free.

      Reply

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