This Chicken Alfredo recipe is comfort food at its best. Made with fettuccine pasta blanketed with a creamy alfredo sauce and tender pieces of juicy chicken, you’ll be making this recipe weekly!

Chicken Alfredo.

If you’re craving a hearty comforting meal that’s also quick enough to make on a weeknight, this is the recipe for you. It’s also a great meal to serve when when you have guests.

Chicken Alfredo is one of those recipes that’s rather on the heavy side in more ways than one. Ha! Therefore, you might consider serving it with a light salad on the side. It’s also great with breadsticks, or garlic bread, but you have to decide how many calories you want to consume at one time.

Ingredients needed for this recipe

Pasta: I used fettuccine pasta in this recipe, but don’t worry if you don’t have any in your pantry. You can also use linguine, pappardelle, or any pasta that will hold up well under the thick heavy sauce.

Chicken: Use skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. If they’re really thick, slice them crosswise in half. They get seared in olive oil and butter with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. They’re a great complement to the pasta.

Butter: Use unsalted butter if you have it. If all you have is salted, decrease the amount of salt called for in the recipe. The butter adds flavor to this recipe.

Heavy Cream: Make sure to use heavy whipping cream. This recipe has no limits to carbs or calories. It’s all about the rich and satisfying flavor.

Parmesan Cheese: Use a bar of good quality parmesan cheese and grate or shred it yourself. Don’t buy the pre-grated or pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t melt as smoothly and usually has a wax coating on it.

Minced Garlic: I used minced garlic from a jar. By all means use fresh if you have it. I used pantry staples that I already had.

Fresh Parsley: This is optional, but I like using it to garnish the pasta. It also adds a mild clean peppery taste.

How to make Chicken Alfredo

The chicken and pasta

  1. Brown the chicken breast in a large skillet. Set it aside to slightly cool, then cut it into 1/2-inch strips. Wipe the skillet clean and place it back on the stove.
  2. Meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the pasta. Cook the past until it’s al dente and drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. You can use it if you need to thin down the alfredo sauce later.

The alfredo sauce

While the pasta is cooking make the alfredo sauce.

  1. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the whipping cream, minced garlic, salt & pepper. Whisk constantly, and heat until the mixture has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the parmesan cheese, and continue whisking until the cheese has melted and blended into the sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat. If the sauce seems to be too thick, mix in some of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat all of the pasta.
  3. Serve the pasta in pasta bowls, topped with pieces of the chicken and chopped parsley on top.
Chicken Alfredo.

Pro tips for this recipe

  • Make sure to use a large skillet for this recipe. You’ll be using it twice, once for the chicken and twice for the alfredo sauce and cooked pasta. I used a 12-inch skillet for this recipe.
  • Try to serve the pasta before it starts to cool down. Once it cools, the pasta will start to stick together in clumps. If this does happen, place in the microwave for a few seconds.
  • When serving leftovers the following day, the pasta will be cold and clumped together. Simply reheat it in separate servings for about 40 seconds in a microwave. You can add a tiny bit of milk or cream if needed, but it usually separates after heating. The cream and cheese might be separated, but it will blend back together too.
  • Make sure to save at least 1/4 cup of your pasta water when you drain the pasta. You can use it to thin down your alfredo sauce if it seems a little too thick.
  • If for some reason your alfredo sauce is too thin, sprinkle more parmesan over it when you serve it. The cheese will start to melt and help thicken the sauce.

Frequently asked questions

Can I freeze chicken alfredo?

I don’t recommend. Sauces that contain lots of fat, (and this one certainly does), don’t freeze well. The butter, whipping cream and cheese will separate and look curdled when thawed.

Can I make a lighter version of alfredo sauce?

Yes. You can substitute half & half for heavy whipping cream. It won’t be as rich, but it also won’t be as thick unless you add in more parmesan, but then again, that defeats the purpose.

Chicken Alfredo.

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Chicken Alfredo.

Chicken Alfredo

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  • Author: Cindy @mycountrytable
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This is such a filling and comforting dish, and quick and easy enough to make on a weeknight. It’s also enough to feed the whole family!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Pasta:

  • 1 (16-ounce) package fettuccine pasta
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Chicken:

  • 1 to 1/1/4 pounds chicken breast
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic from a jar, or fresh
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan
  • Fresh chopped parsley for garnish, (optional)

Instructions

Pasta:

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Follow times on your package.
  2. Drain well, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water in case you need to thin your sauce a later. Meantime cook the chicken.

Chicken:

  1. Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with half of the salt and pepper. Place the chicken with the salt and pepper side down in the skillet. Sear the chicken until brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and salt and pepper the other side. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. The temperature should read 165 degrees when checked with a thermometer.
  2. Allow the chicken to cool for a couple of minutes, then cut it into 1/2-inch strips. Cover it and set it aside.
  3. Wipe the skillet clean and use it for the sauce.

Sauce:

  1. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the whipping cream, minced garlic, salt & pepper. Whisk constantly, and heat until the mixture has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the parmesan cheese, and continue whisking until the cheese has melted and blended into the sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat. If the sauce seems to be too thick, mix in some of the pasta water.Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat all of the pasta.
  3. Serve the pasta in pasta bowls, topped with pieces of the chicken and chopped parsley on top.
  4. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 2911
  • Sugar: 12.1 g
  • Sodium: 11336.1 mg
  • Fat: 252 g
  • Saturated Fat: 150.5 g
  • Trans Fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 88.9 g
  • Fiber: 5.7 g
  • Protein: 81.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 704.1 mg