Chicken Bolognese

Chicken Bolognese is a delicious twist on a classic Italian dish, blending the rich flavors of traditional bolognese with the lighter flavor of chicken. It's an easy dinner that your whole family will love!

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🍝 How to make chicken bolognese
• Why Add Parmesan Rind to Sauce?
• ⏲️ Storing leftovers
• Try it With Turkey!
• 🎉 Variations on recipe
• 🍽️ How to serve
• 👩‍🍳 More easy pasta dishes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

When you think bolognese, you likely think of the traditional ground beef. But there are so many ways you can make bolognese sauce depending on your own personal preferences and what you have on hand. I make pork bolognese all the time!

But I recently had a package of ground chicken in my fridge and bolognese on my mind, so I decided to go for it with a new version of the classic pasta entree. And this chicken bolognese is a dish I'll now be making over and over again.

Perfect for anyone who doesn't eat beef or who simply prefers chicken, this easy dinner is likely to become a favorite for your whole family!

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

There are so many reasons to love bolognese and for many people, it's the epitome of comfort food.

This easy chicken bolognese is rich, hearty, and packed with flavor like a traditional bolognese should be, but because it's made with chicken, it's also a little bit lighter.

Apart from requiring some time to simmer, it's a really easy dish to prepare and can be enjoyed any day of the week. Though there really is something extra special about having the delicious aroma of bolognese spreading throughout your home on a Sunday afternoon.

🗒 Ingredients

One of the great things about homemade bolognese is that it requires simple ingredients, but you really can make it however you want! You use any kind of meat and add in any vegetables you have on hand.

Here's everything needed to make my chicken bolognese, but feel free to add your own personal touches (and be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Carrots
• Celery stalks
• Diced pancetta: this is an optional ingredient for a little flavor boost
• Garlic
• Ground chicken
• Dry white wine: If you don't have white wine, you can substitute with red wine or chicken broth or vegetable broth
• Tomato paste
• Whole peeled tomatoes: I recommend San Marzano tomatoes, but you can use any variety
• Thyme sprigs
• Dried basil
• Salt & black pepper
• Parmesan cheese rind: this is an optional ingredient for a flavor boost
• Tagliatelle: or the thick pasta of your choice
• Whole milk
• Grated parmesan: for serving
• Chopped fresh basil: for serving

🍝 How to make chicken bolognese

When making bolognese, first comes the preparing the soffritto, which is the mix of finely chopped vegetables that are sautéed until softened.

Add the olive oil to a dutch oven or deep saucepan over medium heat and when hot, add chopped onions, carrot, and celery (and pancetta if using) and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

If I have it on hand, I like adding a little pancetta to my chicken bolognese as it adds a nice depth of flavor. But of course, it's not necessary and if you want to keep your meal totally chicken-based, leave it out.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

Now, add the ground chicken to skillet and cook while breaking up with a wooden spoon for about 5-10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and browning.

Pour the wine into the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for one minute.

And add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you do.

Stir in the thyme, dried basil, salt, pepper, and parmesan rind, if using. Bring mixture to a simmer and then reduce heat to low.

Cover the saucepan and let simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until sauce is nice and thick.

When sauce is almost done cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook tagliatelle (or pasta shape of your choice) according to package directions until just al dente. Drain.

Remove parmesan rind and thyme sprigs.

Stir the milk in and and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

Taste sauce and add salt and pepper according to your tastes.

Look at that deliciously luxurious tomato sauce... Yum!

Serve the chicken bolognese over the cooked pasta.

Top with grated parmesan and chopped basil, if desired. And yes, it's always desired!

I am so in love with this chicken bolognese recipe. It's perfectly rich and aromatic and packed with flavor, while being balanced by leaner chicken.

This is a dish that could most definitely be added to the weekly meal rotation. But it can also make a special occasion dinner for guests, especially for anyone who doesn't eat red meat.

⏲️ Storing leftovers

Keep any leftover chicken bolognese in an airtight container in the fridge. When stored properly, it should keep for 3-4 days.

Chicken bolognese makes the BEST leftovers! They're great for packing up and bringing to work for lunch or for enjoying a second night dinner.

🎉 Variations on recipe

This chicken bolognese is a sort of twist on the traditional Italian dish, but other than the meat swap, it sticks fairly close to the classic recipe.

However, there's SO much you can do to add your own fun spin to this entree. Here are some ideas:

• Make it spicy: If you like a little heat to your food, add jalapeño peppers, red pepper flakes and/or a little hot sauce to the dish.

• Mix up the herbs: You can add whatever fresh herbs you have on hand, including a basic Italian seasoning. Bay leaf makes a great addition, too.

• Add mushrooms: A mushroom-heavy chicken bolognese would be delicious.

• Add the vegetables of your choice: So many veggies would be great in this dish, including zucchini, bell peppers, spinach, spinach, and kale. Add whatever you have on hand or whatever you love!

• Give the dish a Mediterranean spin: Make the chicken bolognese with kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta, and capers.

• Make it summery: To make this a more summer-ready entree, add artichokes along with a lot of lemon juice and lemon zest.

• Leave out the tomatoes: If you love the idea of chicken bolognese, but can't eat tomatoes, you can make this recipe with just vegetables instead. Let the veggies and herbs simmer in chicken broth to thicken a bit and so the flavors can meld together.

• Make it leaner: I use regular ground chicken for this ground chicken bolognese, but you can use ground chicken breast if you want an even leaner dish.

• Use the dairy or non-dairy alternative of your choice: I love adding a little milk or cream into my classic bolognese sauce before serving. But if you don't eat dairy, you can you any milk or alternative you want. Almond milk would be my top choice, but soy milk or oat milk can work, too!

• Make it vegetarian: Love the idea of bolognese, but don't eat meat at all? You can make it with all vegetables instead! Here's a great recipe for lentil bolognese.

🍽️ How to serve

While I almost always serve my bolognese over pasta (traditionally tagliatelle, but you can use your favorite pasta), you certainly don't have to!

If you're trying to cut down on carbs, you can eat the meat sauce as your meal. Or you can serve it over spaghetti squash or spiralized zucchini or other vegetable.

You can also substitute the pasta with brown rice, quinoa, or any grain you want.

If you're looking for a leaner alternative to classic bolognese sauce, but are still craving that hearty red sauce, this easy dinner is for you. It has all the best parts of bolognese with a leaner protein.

I hope your family loves this chicken bolognese as much as we do and that it enters into your regular meal planning!

Tell me what kind of spin you put on it!

📖 Recipe