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Grilled Chicken Margherita

Olive Garden Grilled Chicken Margherita

$20.29 650 cal Classic Entrées

Grilled chicken breasts topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil pesto and a lemon garlic sauce. Served with parmesan garlic broccoli.
Olive Garden Menu View on OliveGarden.com

About This Dish

Grilled Chicken Margherita at Olive Garden is one of the lightest plates in the Classic Entrées lineup, priced at $20.29 and delivering just 650 calories per serving. Two grilled chicken breasts are topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil pesto, and a lemon garlic sauce, then served alongside Parmesan garlic broccoli. The dish draws from the classic Margherita combination — tomato, mozzarella, and basil — and applies it to grilled chicken rather than pizza, resulting in a plate that is lean, fresh, and well-suited for guests managing calorie intake.

At 39 grams of fat and 2,120 milligrams of sodium, the Grilled Chicken Margherita is the most nutritionally restrained full entrée in the Classic Entrées section excluding the salmon. The basil pesto applied on top provides healthy fats from olive oil and nuts rather than cream or butter, and the lemon garlic sauce adds brightness without richness. This makes the dish stand out on an otherwise cream-heavy pasta menu as the go-to option for guests wanting a genuinely light restaurant meal.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving

650 Calories
39g Total Fat
2120mg Sodium

* Nutritional values are approximate and may vary. Last updated March 2026.

How to Copycat Olive Garden Grilled Chicken Margherita at Home?

Prep: 15 min Cook: 20 min Total: 35 min Easy

Grilled Chicken Margherita at Olive Garden is one of the easiest dishes to recreate at home because it requires no complex sauce-making or baking. The whole dish is built on properly grilled chicken — a point that home cooks underestimate. Chicken grilled without adequate preparation and temperature control produces a dried-out, grey result that makes even beautiful toppings taste mediocre.

The key steps are brining the chicken for 30 minutes before grilling (even a quick 15-minute saltwater brine dramatically improves moisture retention), grilling over high direct heat for char marks, and resting for 5 minutes before topping. The toppings — fresh mozzarella, tomato, pesto, and lemon garlic — are all added cold or room temperature to the hot chicken, which allows the mozzarella to soften slightly without fully melting into a pool.

Ingredients

4 servings

Chicken

Margherita Topping

Lemon Garlic Sauce

Side

Instructions

0 / 5

  1. Pound chicken breasts to even 3/4-inch thickness. Coat with olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

    5 min

  2. Grill over high heat for 6 to 7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165F. Rest 5 minutes.

    15 min

    Do not press the chicken with a spatula during grilling. This squeezes out the juices and causes the dry result that makes home-grilled chicken disappointing.

  3. Toss broccoli with olive oil and Parmesan. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes in the oven while chicken grills.

    20 min

  4. Make lemon garlic sauce: melt butter in a small pan, add garlic for 60 seconds, stir in lemon juice and salt.

    3 min

  5. Top rested chicken with fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, and a spoonful of pesto. Drizzle lemon garlic sauce over everything. Serve immediately with roasted broccoli.

    3 min

Pro Tips

  • Buy fresh mozzarella packed in water, not shredded mozzarella. Shredded melts completely; fresh mozzarella softens and holds its shape.
  • Use store-bought basil pesto if in a hurry. Quality jarred pesto works well here; making it from scratch is a bonus, not a requirement.
  • The lemon garlic sauce needs to go on right before serving. It separates and loses its glossy appearance if applied too far ahead.

Variations

Salmon Margherita

Replace chicken with a grilled salmon fillet. Top with the same pesto, tomato, and lemon garlic sauce. Particularly well-suited to the fresh, bright topping combination.

Pasta Base

Serve over Angel hair pasta tossed with olive oil and garlic instead of the broccoli side for a carb-forward version of the same dish.

Serving Ideas

  • Plate chicken first, then layer toppings visually for a restaurant-style presentation
  • Fresh basil leaves on top right before serving add color and aroma
  • A glass of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc is the ideal pairing with the fresh pesto and lemon garlic
  • Extra lemon wedges at the table for guests who want more acidity

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Find Grilled Chicken Margherita Near You

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Frequently Asked Questions

Grilled Chicken Margherita is priced at $20.29 per plate. It includes grilled chicken with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil pesto, and lemon garlic sauce, served with Parmesan garlic broccoli.
The dish contains 650 calories with 39 grams of fat and 2,120 milligrams of sodium — one of the lowest-calorie full entrées on the Olive Garden menu. It is a natural choice for guests keeping their meal under 700 calories.
It is among the lighter options at the restaurant. At 650 calories with 39 grams of fat, it is significantly less calorie-dense than the cream pasta entrées. The protein comes from grilled chicken and mozzarella rather than cream, and the vegetables are the listed side rather than pasta.
Grill seasoned chicken breasts to 165F internal temperature. Immediately top with sliced fresh mozzarella and cover briefly to melt slightly. Add sliced fresh tomatoes, a spoonful of basil pesto, and a drizzle of lemon garlic sauce made from butter, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Serve with roasted Parmesan broccoli on the side.
The lemon garlic sauce is a light butter-based sauce made with melted butter, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. It is not a cream sauce — it is a simple pan sauce that adds brightness and richness without the calorie content of cream-based alternatives.