This Chicken Alfredo Recipe includes tender, seasoned pan-fried chicken breasts and tender noodles in a smooth and creamy homemade Alfredo sauce. It’s irresistibly buttery, creamy, and so easy to make – ready in 30 minutes or less!
My top tips: Use a digital meat thermometer to prevent dry, overcooked chicken by cooking it just to 160°F and then letting it rest before serving. Read on for more!
About This Recipe
Chicken Alfredo pasta is my ride-or-die comfort food. It is filling, flavorful, and a guaranteed pleasure to eat. This recipe combines my rich and creamy homemade Alfredo sauce with perfectly cooked fettuccine pasta and is topped with golden pan-fried chicken breasts. In this post, you’ll find suggested substitutions, optional additions, and my top tips for making the most delicious and flawless chicken Alfredo recipe from the comfort of your kitchen!
- Serving Suggestions: I enjoy balancing the creamy richness of this chicken Alfredo with a side of greens. Popular options include this Italian Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, or my Cherry Tomato Salad. Breadsticks are also welcome, always!
- Freezer-Friendly: I do not recommend freezing the creamy Alfredo sauce and cooked pasta. Cream-based sauces can separate, and pasta can become mushy. If possible, freeze just the chicken.
- Related Recipes: If you love this classic chicken Alfredo, you’ll love this Cajun Chicken Alfredo, Shrimp Alfredo, or my quick and easy Alfredo Sauce Recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Below are notes and possible substitutions for the ingredients in this Chicken Alfredo Recipe. You can find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Chicken: This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you prefer dark meat, you can swap breast meat for boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Herbs & Seasoning: The chicken is seasoned with Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and paprika. You can add additional dried spices, like onion or garlic powder (about a 1/2 teaspoon of each). For bold and spicy flavors, try adding my Homemade Cajun Seasoning (about 1-2 teaspoons).
All-Purpose Flour: The flour cooks together with butter to make a Roux, a flavorful thickening agent. If you prefer a thinner sauce, omit the flour. The sauce will thicken naturally after the pasta is added. This is because cooked pasta is super starchy and acts as a natural thickener.
Heavy Whipping Cream: For a lighter sauce, swap the heavy cream for half-and-half or use a 1:1 ratio of heavy whipping cream with whole milk to make a homemade half-and-half. I do not recommend making this dish with anything lower in fat, as the sauce is more likely to separate.
Parmigiano Reggiano: Use Pecorino Romano instead of Parmigiano Reggiano for a strong, salty kick.
Fettuccine Pasta: Although fettuccine is the traditional choice, this recipe can be made with any type of pasta. Tube-shaped pasta like bucatini and penne are especially good at trapping extra sauce in their hollow tubes.
Optional Additions
- Add crispy bacon or pancetta for a smoky, salty flavor, Italian sausage for a bold, savory flavor, or Blackened Chicken for a delicious, smoky contrast to the creamy sauce.
- Frozen, thawed peas are my favorite veggie addition, with blanched broccoli coming in a close second.
- Add a little goat cheese or feta just before serving for a fun, tangy finish.
Top Tips for Perfect Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Here’s a rundown of my top tips for the best chicken Alfredo recipe:
- Use a digital meat thermometer to avoid dry, overcooked chicken. Cook it to 160°F and then let it rest before serving (it will continue to cook about 5°F as it rests).
- Save a cup or two of the pasta cooking water. The reserved pasta water contains salt, starch, and flavor, making it perfect for a sauce that needs a little thinning. The starch also helps stabilize the sauce and prevent it from curdling.
- Use freshly shredded Parmigiano Reggiano for superior melting and blending. Pre-shredded stuff is more likely to result in a grainy sauce.
- Simmer the sauce gently, never boiling. Boiling cream-based sauces and soups may cause them to break (separate or curdle) because high heat causes fat and water to separate. Low-fat dairy (such as 2% milk or lower) separates more quickly than heavy cream due to its lower fat content.
- Time-saving tip: Bake the chicken (as the pasta water boils and the pasta cooks). By baking the chicken in the oven, there’s no need to pound them to equal thickness. Cook the seasoned chicken breasts in an oven preheated to 425 ℉. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 160-165 degrees F with a digital thermometer.
Have any questions? Drop me a message in the comment section below! I’m happy to help. And, if you enjoy this recipe, please rate it with some STAR LOVIN’ so other readers know to try it too! Tag me at #theforkedspoon. I’ll be sure to share! Thank you!
RECIPE CARD
Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts - (approx. 3 chicken breasts)
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt - divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper - divided
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 6 tablespoon butter - salted or unsalted, divided
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1-2 tablespoon all-purpose flour - see notes
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano - freshly grated
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta - cooked to al dente; see notes
Instructions
- Pound the chicken breasts to equal thickness. Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Pound the thick side of each chicken breast with a meat mallet until it is about as thick as the thin side. Note: Skip this step if you're baking the chicken in the oven.
- Season. Remove the chicken from the plastic and pat it dry with paper towels—season with Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and paprika.
- Heat the oil and butter and add the chicken. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. After the butter has melted, swirl the pan to redistribute the oil. Add the chicken and let it cook for 5-6 minutes, undisturbed, until the bottom is golden brown.
- Cook the chicken to 160℉. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 160-165℉ as measured by a digital thermometer. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove to a clean cutting board, cover with foil, and let it rest until serving.
- Cook the pasta, reserve the cooking water, and drain. In the meantime, bring a large pot of (generously salted) water to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- Melt the remaining butter and add the garlic. In the same skillet, melt the rest of the butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.Optional: For a little extra flavor, deglaze the skillet with a splash of dry white wine before adding the garlic.
- Make a roux (optional). If you prefer a thicker Alfredo sauce, whisk 1-2 tablespoons of flour (max!), ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, into the butter. Whisk continuously until it turns a light golden color.
- Add the heavy cream. Stirring continuously, slowly add the heavy cream. Simmer gently over low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the freshly grated parmesan cheese. Whisk continuously until the cheese has melted into the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water, a few tablespoons at a time.
- Add the drained pasta. Add the drained fettuccine pasta and toss to coat in the sauce. Season with additional salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Slice the chicken, garnish, and serve. Slice the chicken into thin strips and serve it directly over the pasta or divided among serving bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, additional Parmesan, a splash of lemon juice, and black pepper, if dresired.
Jessica’s Notes
- Chicken: This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you prefer dark meat, you can swap breast meat for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Optional additions include, crispy bacon or pancetta, Italian sausage, or salmon.
- Herbs & Seasoning: For a different flavor profile, try seasoning the chicken with onion or garlic powder (about a 1/2 teaspoon of each), Homemade Cajun Seasoning (about 1-2 teaspoons), or homemade ranch seasoning (about 1-2 teaspoons).
- All-Purpose Flour: The flour cooks together with butter to make a Roux, a flavorful thickening agent. If you prefer a thinner sauce, omit the flour. The sauce will thicken naturally after the pasta is added. This is because cooked pasta is super starchy and acts as a natural thickener.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: For a lighter sauce, swap the heavy cream for half-and-half or use a 1:1 ratio of heavy whipping cream with whole milk to make a homemade half-and-half. I do not recommend making this dish with anything lower in fat, as the sauce is more likely to separate.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Use Pecorino Romano for a strong, salty kick. Add a little goat cheese or feta just before serving for a fun, tangy finish.
- Veggies: Frozen, thawed peas are my favorite veggie addition, with blanched broccoli coming in a close second.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to avoid dry, overcooked chicken. Cook it to 160°F and then let it rest before serving (it will continue to cook about 5°F as it rests).
- Save a cup or two of the pasta cooking water. The reserved pasta water contains salt, starch, and flavor, making it perfect for a sauce that needs a little thinning. The starch also helps stabilize the sauce and prevent it from curdling.
- Use freshly shredded Parmesan for superior melting and blending. Pre-shredded stuff is more likely to result in a grainy sauce.
- Simmer the sauce gently, never boiling. Boiling cream-based sauces and soups may cause them to break (separate or curdle) because high heat causes fat and water to separate. Low-fat dairy (such as 2% milk or lower) separates more quickly than heavy cream due to its lower fat content.
- Bake the chicken (as the pasta water boils and the pasta cooks). By baking the chicken in the oven, there’s no need to pound them to equal thickness. Season and cook them in an oven preheated to 425 ℉ for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 160-165 degrees F with a digital thermometer.
- Alfredo sauce is best prepared and served fresh, however the chicken can be made up to 2 days in advance (keeping in mind that it will dry out slightly when stored in the refrigerator).
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers in a large skillet set over medium-low heat. The sauce will have likely thickened and separated. Stir in a little additional broth or cream to loosen.
- Freezing is not recommended.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
So creamy and tasty! My only regret is I didn’t double the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the Chicken Alfredo and found it creamy and delicious! Next time, doubling the recipe sounds like a perfect plan to ensure there’s plenty to go around. Happy cooking!