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
Can’t wait to try this. I made your rice and chicken dish the other day and my family loved it!
Can you please tell me where you get your wooden spatula that has a flat end? Looks like it would be great for scraping the bottom of a pan!
Hi Mary, we posted our favorite tools in our shop here or on our Amazon shop. I hope that helps.
I am trying this tonight. we shall see (how good I am at following directions). It’s marvelous!
Sounds good, Randy. Hope you love it!
Made this for dinner tonight. Got a thumbs up from the entire family, 6 Adults and 4 children, which is rare. The directions were very easy to follow, I used a casserole pan instead of a dutch oven. We will be adding this dish to our dinner menu, it was delicious! Love your recipes Natasha!
What an awesome review. Thank you, Tammie I am so happy to know that your entire family loved this recipe yay!
I would really love to make this, but where I live in Mexico there is no half and half or heavy cream. Could I use all whole milk for the sauce? Also, they have a Mexican crema would that work?
Hi Rebekah, milk alone would not work since it is not rich enough (fat content) to turn creamy. I’ve made this sauce many times with the cream and milk combo and it’s the same thing as adding half and hal.
yes, use half crema and half milk
Where can I get the pot you cooked your pasta in?
Thx
Here’s the cast iron that I use Doreen.
My hubby is on salt restricted diet. I boiled the chicken breast and made my own stock. No salt added to anything. However I did sprinkle the top with mozzarella ball crumbles. It was very very good. I also added salt free seasoning to chicken and pasta water.
Sounds great! Thank you so much for sharing some tips.
Can we make this in the instant pot?! (Im making on the stove tonight though)
Hi Lauren, a few of our readers reported great results trying this in an instant pot. I have not tried that to advise.
Could I use macaroni instead?
Hi Anahita, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I cooked this dish for the gr. Kids. Except I sauted chicken thighs instead They loved it. Wanted to take left overs home. Round it off with a side salad, great tasting, easy making. I’m definitely cooking this again. I didn’t have time to take a picture. Kids were to fast.
Kids LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing that amazing review with me.
I’ve made this for dinner a couple of times, and it’s amazing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This looks so delicious I am going to make it for dinner this weekend.
I hope you love this recipe, Stephanie! We look forward to your feedback!
Hi, this is very close to the recipe that my family has used for 30 years. Except the lemon juice is added to the mushroom, onion mixture when sauted. We also add 1/4 tsp of nutmeg to the flour and light sprinkling of parm cheese and paprika on top before baking.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Luann!
What is the servings in your chicken tetrazzini??
Hi Cynthia, this recipe makes 8 servings. So 1/8th of the recipe. Normally that would be 1-1.5 cups but I did not measure it that way.
I made this recipe for the first time last night after coming back to it several times over the last few weeks. It was delicious! My minor changes, since I’m cooking for someone on a low- to- no sodium diet:
– chicken, poached ahead of time in low sodium chicken stock with a bay leaf, 1t of peppercorns, 1 clove of garlic (slightly crushed), and a few sprigs of fresh thyme (or any fresh herb).
– sautéed the mushrooms and onions with 5 cloves of minced garlic and extra pepper
– used 3T of lemon juice (about 1/2 of a lemon
– 1/3 c parsley
– extra mozzarella on top
We were very pleased. Very flavorful and we didn’t miss the salt.
Keep those hits coming, Natasha!
My only regret was not pulling out the cornichons that I had in the refrigerator, which you suggested paired well (also a big pickle fan)…next time!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
can I do this in a crock pot?
Hi Cecilia, this might work in a slow cooker but I just haven’t tested it to provide specific instructions or advise.
Do I sautee the broccoli and the onions and garlic together?
Hi, Danielle, we add them in several steps, I recommend reading through the recipe & step 3 will explain how to cook the onion, garlic, & broccoli.
Broccoli? There is no broccoli in the recipe…
Hi Patricia, correct, there is no broccoli in this recipe but the original question in this thread asked about broccoli. The details are listed for onion and garlic but due to the original question that would be the best time to add it broccoli if you wanted to use that. I hope that helps.
I didn’t see anything referring to broccoli.
I was curious about what to do if you don’t like mushrooms? I made this the first time and used mushrooms despite the fact that I loathe them because the recipe called for so many?! Any replacement ideas or suggestions or greatly appreciated. I love this dish. If I have to, I’ll just cook it and pick them out lol
I also read the reply suggesting adding frozen peas… if I do that, would you add them at the same point as the mushrooms and sauté them with the onions and garlic?!
Yes! That is correct! I hope that helps.
Hi Jessica, I think the mushrooms add great flavor but one of my readers reported great results with adding frozen peas instead of the mushrooms. I hope you love it!
Do you think I could freeze this recipe?
Hello Tori, One of our readers did report great results freezing this in individual serving containers, so it is a freezer-friendly dinner recipe!
I made the recipe tonight and it turned out fantastic. I cooked the chicken in my instant pot and then diced. I didn’t have half and half so I subbed 1/2 whipping cream and 1/2 milk. I’ll definitely will me making this again. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Patricia. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I love everything about this recipe except mushrooms. Do you think if i left them out it would ruin the recipe?
Hi Jennifer, I think the mushrooms add great flavor but one of my readers reported great results with adding frozen peas instead of the mushrooms. I hope you love it!
Hi!
I’m kind of disappointed with the way my tetrazzine turned out because I felt that it was bland. I’m not sure why because I followed the recipe as written, except that I made extra sauce to freeze for later use (I doubled the sauce portion of the recipe including the veggies and chicken). I included the chicken drippings without the fat when making the sauce. I tasted the sauce with the chicken, mushrooms ,onions, etc. included before adding the spaghetti and mozzarella, and thought it was good. However, after baking in the dutch oven, it wasn’t as flavorful. Not bad, but lots of work and not what I expected. I don’t intend this review to be critical. Maybe it’s just me. I think mine needs something, but am not a good enough cook to figure out what it is. I think this recipe could work for me with a little tweaking. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Maybe I can enhance the batch I have before serving the leftover. Thanks for sharing this recipe and for any thoughts from you or other cooks!
Hi Su, thank you for sharing your detailed review. I wonder if maybe there was too much pasta? make sure to use the specified amount and not more since the noodles will absorb some of the sauce. Also, make sure to salt the water when cooking pasta which will make a big difference in the overall flavor. Lastly, it could just be that the sauce needed a little more salt. I hope that helps for next time! You can enhance it by adding a splash of cream and salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Also, a sprinkle of extra cheese is always nice when reheating.
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I’d bet that sprinkling a little white pepper into the mix would enhance the flavor nicely
I have read ll the comments on this recipe and will try it soon. I noticed one person asking for Paprika Chicken (Hungarian) recipe, I have an excellent recipe if you would like me to share it please advise by email. Have a great evening….
Thank you for that amazing feedback, Ivy! We’d love to hear your suggestions.
Would love this recipe
Hi Natasha. I would like to make this recipe but gluten-free. I can use the gluten-free pasta but what can I use instead of wheat flour? Any ideas would be helpful. Thank you in advance and love your recipes.
Hi Corinne, 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.