Easy Chicken Alfredo
on Dec 10, 2023, Updated Jul 30, 2025
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This Easy Chicken Alfredo is creamy, garlicky, and loaded with tender chicken — everything you want in a comforting weeknight dinner. It’s a fast, foolproof recipe that comes together in just 30 minutes, and it’s a full-on crowd pleaser. Classic, satisfying, and surprisingly simple.
When creamy, cozy, quick dinners are the name of the game, this Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta recipe checks all the boxes. Tender pasta is tossed with golden, juicy chicken and swirled into a rich, garlicky Parmesan Alfredo sauce that tastes like it came from your favorite Italian restaurant — but you make it at home in half an hour. It’s a fast and family-friendly dinner that’s pure comfort in a bowl.
One of the reasons I like to cook mostly healthy food is so I can justify the occasional dish like this one. Plus, any one-skillet meal where the pasta cooks right in the sauce is a gift with purchase, in my book (and this recipe is, in fact, from my first cookbook, The Mom 100 Cookbook!).
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Serve this with a simple vegetable like Lemon Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sautéed Broccoli, or Roasted Asparagus. Or go for a classic Italian meal with Garlic Bread and a crisp green salad with Italian Dressing.
Also, try Easy Creamy Pasta Alfredo, Fettuccine Alfredo with Green Beans and Tapenade, and Shrimp Alfredo.
What's In This Post?
Cooking Tips
- Don’t let the cream boil – it can separate.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts better and gives the best flavor.
- Save a bit of pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- After you saute the chicken, do not clean the pan! Those brown bits on the bottom of the pan are going to add flavor to the sauce.
- As soon as you put the pasta water on to boil, start sauteing the chicken, and then make the sauce. The pasta should be done when the sauce is ready.
Easy Chicken Alfredo: Creamy but not too heavy, this recipe is like a warm hug on a cold evening.
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs – Sliced thin so they cook quickly and evenly
- Olive oil and butter – For searing the chicken and building flavor.
- Garlic – A key player in Alfredo sauce.
- Heavy cream – For that lush, silky texture.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – Use freshly grated if you can!
- Pasta – Fettucine is a classic, but penne, linguine, or rotini work, too.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper – Simple seasoning goes a long way.
- Flat-leaf parsley – Optional, but pretty and fresh on top.
Add-Ins and Variations
You can serve up portions of Chicken Alfredo Pasta for those who like it plain and simple, then add proportionate amounts of any of the add-ins to the pot.
- Add veggies – Try broccoli, peas, spinach or sautéed sliced mushrooms.
- Use rotisserie chicken for an even faster meal.
- Make it spicy – Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or 1 tablespoon pureed chipotles in adobo sauce.
- Go gluten-free – Use GF pasta and check labels on the dairy products.
- Herb it up – At the end, add 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, or parsley
How to Make Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta
- Cook the pasta: Follow the package instructions, drain, and keep the pasta in the colander. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Cook the chicken: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the chicken (in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan). Season with salt and pepper, and sauté until mostly white on the outside, about 2 minutes. Set the chicken aside.
- Make the sauce: In the same skillet, add a bit more butter if needed. Sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the cream and let it simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Once the sauce is reduced, add the chicken, Parmesan, and red pepper. Stir frequently until the chicken is cooked through.
- Mix and serve: Return the pasta to its original pot, then add the chicken and sauce along with parsley. Toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with parsley, then serve extra Parmesan and red pepper on the side.
Things to Ponder While Making Chicken Alfredo Pasta
The main classic ingredients in an Alfredo sauce are butter, Parmesan (or sometimes another hard, grating cheese), and black pepper.
The cream is an ingredient often added to American Alfredo sauces, but the classic Italian version gets its creaminess from just the cheese and butter. But we love cream in Alfredo at my place! I also like to lighten up the sauce with some chicken broth. This results in plenty of sauce, but one that’s not unnervingly rich.
You may not have seasoned the sauce with enough garlic, salt, black pepper, or red pepper flakes. This recipe also involves scallions for color and flavor. Use a generous hand!
It’s best served fresh, but you can reheat it gently with a splash of cream or milk to loosen the sauce.
Fettuccine is traditional, but any pasta you love will work.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
What to Serve With Chicken Alfredo
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Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta (Creamy, Fast & Comforting)
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried linguine (or fettuccine or spaghetti)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup sliced scallions (white and green parts)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth (preferably low-sodium)
- 1 ½ cups heavy (whipping) or light cream or half-and-half (warmed)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (plus more to serve)
- ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (divided)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (plus more to serve)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions while you make the chicken and sauce. Drain and keep in the colander.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in batches if necessary (you don’t want to crowd the pan), season with salt and pepper, and sauté until mostly white on the outside but not cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Do not clean the pan! Those brown bits on the bottom of the pan are going to add flavor to the sauce. Add the scallions to the pan and sauté over medium heat for just 1 minute, then add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Turn the heat to high, immediately add the chicken broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up all of those delicious, caramelized bits. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened up a bit.
- When the sauce has reduced a bit, stir in the partially cooked chicken, 1 cup Parmesan, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste). Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through and everything is nicely blended. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in and pour in the sauce and chicken. Add half of the parsley and toss until the pasta is nicely coated with the sauce and everything is well blended. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Pass extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes at the table.
Notes
- While it’s certainly reasonable to thrill over a meal of reheated leftover Alfredo pasta, either warmed on the stovetop or in the microwave, this dish is best when it’s made just before serving. However, you can keep leftovers for up to 3 days and reheat them in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. You can also reheat it in the microwave until just heated through.
- As soon as you put the pasta water on to boil, start sautéing the chicken, and then make the sauce. The pasta should be done when the sauce is ready.
- After you sauté the chicken, do not clean the pan! Those brown bits on the bottom of the pan are going to add flavor to the sauce.
- 1 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes or 1/4 cup store-bought or homemade sun-dried tomato pesto
- 1 tablespoon pureed chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 to 2 cups sautéed sliced mushrooms (any kind)
- 3 cups lightly cooked tiny broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, or parsley
- Or, you can serve up portions of Chicken Alfredo Pasta for those who like it plain and simple, then add proportionate amounts of any of the add-ins to the pot.
