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This Chicken Broccoli Alfredo is an easy all-in-one pasta dinner made with tender chicken, broccoli florets, and fettuccine tossed in a creamy, garlicky Alfredo sauce. Ready in just 40 minutes, it’s a family-friendly weeknight recipe that brings together protein, pasta, and vegetables in one easy meal.
For the past several months, I have been making this chicken broccoli Alfredo on repeat. My son loves broccoli and pasta, so this easy all-in-one recipe has quickly become one of our regular weeknight favorites. Made with bite-sized chicken, tender broccoli, fettuccine, and a lighter version of my homemade Alfredo sauce, it’s a simple way to turn creamy pasta into a more complete meal.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
This chicken broccoli Alfredo checks all the boxes for a quick, easy, and delicious pasta dinner!
- Side dishes optional – Filled with chicken, broccoli, pasta, and sauce, this recipe already has everything you need for a complete and satisfying meal.
- Bite-sized chicken cooks fast – Unlike my classic Chicken Alfredo recipe, which serves sliced pan-seared chicken breasts over the pasta, this version is made with bite-sized pieces of chicken that cook faster and mix easily into every bite.
- The broccoli cooks with the pasta – Adding the broccoli right to the pasta water helps keep the recipe simple and cuts down on extra dishes.
- A lighter sauce than classic Chicken Alfredo – Made without flour and with less heavy cream, the sauce is creamy and flavorful without feeling quite as heavy.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
This chicken and broccoli Alfredo uses simple ingredients that can be found at any major grocery store:
- Pasta – Fettuccine is my favorite pasta for this recipe because its long, flat noodles hold onto the creamy sauce nicely. If needed, you can swap it for another long pasta such as linguine or tagliatelle.
- Broccoli – Cut the broccoli into small florets so they cook quickly and mix easily into the pasta. You want them small enough to fit comfortably on a fork with the chicken and noodles, but not so tiny that they turn mushy.
- Chicken – You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Cut the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces so it cooks quickly and mixes evenly throughout the pasta. This helps make the dish feel more like a complete all-in-one meal rather than pasta topped with sliced chicken.
- Seasoning – A simple mix of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper adds flavor to the chicken without overpowering the sauce.
- Olive oil – A little olive oil helps sauté the chicken and gives it a lightly golden, flavorful finish.
- Butter – I usually use salted butter, but unsalted butter works just as well.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic adds savory flavor and gives the sauce more depth.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream makes the sauce creamy and smooth. This version uses less cream than classic Chicken Alfredo, which helps keep the finished dish a little lighter.
- Parmesan cheese – Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor and the smoothest sauce. Pre-shredded cheese does not melt as well and can make the sauce grainy.
- Reserved pasta water – Remember to reserve some of the salted, starchy pasta water before draining the pasta. It helps loosen the sauce, brings everything together, and keeps it silky enough to coat the noodles.
You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the hot, salted pasta water.
- Blanch the broccoli. Add the broccoli florets to the pot with the pasta and let sit for 2 minutes, or until bright green and just tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to a plate, then drain the pasta.
- Season the chicken. Toss the chicken with half of the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and fully cooked, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
- Start the sauce. In the same skillet, melt the butter and cook the garlic for about 30 seconds. Pour in the reserved pasta water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the pasta and cream. Add the drained pasta and heavy cream. Toss and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Do not boil.
- Stir in the Parmesan. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and toss until melted and smooth.
- Add the chicken and broccoli. Return the chicken and blanched broccoli florets to the skillet and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken and broccoli Alfredo is a pretty complete meal on its own, as it already includes pasta, chicken, broccoli, and sauce. Most of the time, I serve it exactly as is and call dinner done.
To round it out a little more, I recommend keeping the sides simple. A fresh fruit salad, Caesar salad, or simple arugula salad with garlic bread or warm breadsticks are all fantastic options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. To reduce the sodium, use unsalted butter, cut back on the added salt, and season to taste at the end. You can also use a lower-sodium Parmesan too, but keep in mind that Parmesan naturally adds a lot of the flavor to cream-based sauces, so reducing it will change the taste slightly. If you are closely monitoring sodium, be especially mindful of how much salt you add to the pasta water and the chicken.
Yes. Frozen broccoli works, but I recommend thawing it first and patting away excess moisture so the sauce does not get watered down. Because frozen broccoli is usually softer than fresh, do not add it to the pot with the boiling pasta. Instead, stir it into the sauce near the end and cook just long enough to heat through.
This recipe is best served right away while the sauce is creamy and smooth. You can prep the broccoli, grate the cheese, and cut the chicken ahead of time to make dinner come together faster.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftover chicken broccoli Alfredo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Because the sauce is made with cream and Parmesan, freezing is not recommended. Cream-based sauces tend to separate after thawing and reheating, which can leave the sauce grainy or watery.
To reheat, warm leftovers gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between. Add a splash of milk, cream, or water as needed to loosen the sauce and bring it back to a smoother, creamier consistency.
More Alfredo Recipes
If you try making this chicken broccoli Alfredo recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and a star rating below, your feedback helps other readers discover (and enjoy) this recipe too. Thank you so much! 💛
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1½ cups of pasta water before draining.
- Blanch the broccoli: Add the broccoli florets to the hot pasta water and let them sit for about 2 minutes, or until bright green and crisp-tender. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon, then drain the pasta.
- Season the chicken: In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 1½ tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
- Cook the chicken: Heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and fully cooked, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Build the sauce base: In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Pour in the reserved pasta water and scrape up any browned bits from the pan.
- Add the pasta and cream: Add the drained pasta and heavy cream to the skillet. Toss gently and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. Keep the heat low enough that the sauce does not boil.
- Melt in the cheese: Add the Parmesan cheese and toss until fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Finish the dish: Return the chicken and broccoli to the skillet and toss until everything is evenly coated in the sauce. Serve warm.
Notes
- Sauce consistency: If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of reserved pasta water or chicken broth until it loosens to your liking.
- Do not boil: Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer after adding the cream to help prevent it from separating.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of milk, cream, or water to loosen the sauce.
- Freezing: Freezing is not recommended, as the cream-based sauce may separate once thawed and reheated.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
