Olive Garden Side of Crispy Chicken Fritta

About This Dish

Olive Garden Side of Crispy Chicken Fritta is a $4.29 add-on of lightly breaded, fried chicken from the Sides, Sauces & Extras menu, with 240 calories, 12 grams of fat and 730 milligrams of sodium. It is the crispy chicken used on the Chicken Parmigiana and as a Create Your Own Pasta protein, served as a side portion without sauce. Guests order it to top Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti with Marinara or a Lighter Portion pasta, and it is the cheapest way to get chicken on a plate that does not come with it: adding it to Fettuccine Alfredo ($16.99) costs less than ordering the Chicken Alfredo ($20.79), although that dish uses grilled chicken rather than fried.

Compared with the other new protein sides, it sits between the Side of Crispy Shrimp Fritta ($4.49, 200 calories) and the Side of Italian Sausage ($4.29, 510 calories). The breading contains wheat, so it is not an option for the gluten-sensitive menu; the Side of Grilled Chicken ($4.49) is the unbreaded alternative. Like the shrimp fritta, the chicken is best eaten soon after it is cooked, and for takeout it keeps its crunch longest if the container lid is left open a crack. It is available for dine-in, takeout and delivery, and kids meals can swap it in for the standard chicken fingers on request.