Copycat Johnny Carino’s Chicken Milano is fettuccine Alfredo served with sauteed chicken breast topped with toasted mushrooms, ham, basil, and provolone.

Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurant will always have a special place in my heart because it reminds me of my mom. The first time my mom and I went there was on one of our annual trips to Yellowstone National Park.

For a little background, my mom does not like tomato-based sauces. However, she loves Italian food. So, she will ask for the breaded cutlet from the Chicken Parmesan. But then, she’ll ask for the marinara sauce to be substituted with Alfredo sauce.

On our first visit to Johnny Carino’s, the Chicken Milano immediately stood out because that’s basically what my mom orders at Italian restaurants. We both ordered it, and we both fell in love. It’s the perfect dish if you’re like my mom and love Italian but don’t love marinara sauce.

Johnny Carinos Chicken Milano Ingredients

Chicken Milano begins with sauteing a seasoned chicken breast. Then, top it with sauteed mushrooms, ham, basil and provolone cheese. Next, the broil the chicken to melt and brown the cheese. Finally, serve this loaded chicken breast over a plate of fettuccine Alfredo. It’s so yummy!

This recipe is adapted from the Carino’s at Home blog. If I’m ever looking for a list of ingredients, I like to start there!

Copycat Johnny Carino's Chicken Milano on Fork

Fettuccine Alfredo Ingredients

For this recipe, I keep it simple and use a box of dried Fettuccine noodles. Cook them according to the package directions being sure to salt the water!

Whenever a recipe calls for Alfredo sauce, 95% of the time, I make my own. Making Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe is quick and easy, and tastes way better than anything you can buy at the store. However, if you don’t have your own version of Alfredo sauce that you love, go ahead and buy a jar of Alfredo sauce from the store.

One of the great things about this recipe is the fettuccine Alfredo cooks at the same time as the chicken.

Chicken Ingredients

For this copycat recipe, you’ll need about three, 6 oz chicken breasts. By slicing the chicken breast in half, each person will get 1/2 of the chicken breast.

To be true to the original, you’ll want to use cremini mushrooms. My local Wal-Mart actually has them already pre-sliced. If you can’t find cremini mushrooms, you could also substitute baby Bella mushrooms or white mushrooms.

Next, you’ll need several leaves of basil. If you can’t find fresh basil, another option is basil puree. You can find it in the refrigerated part of the produce section. In a pinch, you could probably also substitute pesto sauce. However, that will change the final flavor of the dish. It will be delicious just not as true to the original.

Finally, you’ll need Black Forest Ham and Provolone Cheese. I usually go to the deli, and pick out a good quality brand that has no hormones or preservatives.

Johnny Carino’s Chicken Milano Preparation Tips

If you order Chicken Milano at the Carino’s, the portion is enormous! As soon as we receive our food, my mom and I ask for a to-go container. Then, we’ll portion half of our food into it. Who doesn’t love delicious lunch for the next day?

Consequently, I’ve paired down the fettuccine Alfredo in this recipe. Since it’s already a rich dish, I really want the chicken to shine.

Copycat Johnny Carino's Chicken Milano Process Shot

My first tip for this recipe is to take your time to brown the mushrooms. Sauteing the mushrooms adds a lot of flavor. It takes about 8-10 minutes to get good browning. Although, it will take less time if you slice the mushrooms thinly. Next time, I may try dicing the mushrooms even smaller. This will help the mushrooms cook faster. Plus, the mushrooms can be more evenly spread over the chicken.

Cooking time on your chicken will depend on how thin you pound the cutlets. On average, a thin 1/4″ cutlet will cook through on 2-3 minutes per side. But don’t be afraid to cook the chicken longer if it’s not fully cooked through after 6 minutes. The chicken doesn’t cook much more in the oven, so you’ll want to make sure it’s 95-98% cooked through.

When layering your ingredients on top of the chicken, be sure to place the cheese on the top. When the cheese melts, it will help keep all the ingredients together. Plus, it will brown much more easily.

Want More Copycat Johnny Carino Recipes?

Do you love copycat recipes? Me too! It’s one of the things that inspires me to cook at home! I love being able to make my favorite dishes at home.

If you love this recipe for Copycat Johnny Carino’s Chicken Milano, you should check out these copycat recipes:

Or to find all my other copycat recipes, click here!

I hope you love trying this yummy Italian dish! Let me know in the comments how it went for you!

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