Easy Chicken Alfredo
on Dec 10, 2023, Updated Mar 31, 2024
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Slightly decadent, more than a little comforting, and with some great add-in options to elevate it above the usual.
A mixture of chicken broth, cream, and Parmesan creates a creamy but not overly heavy version of Alfredo sauce that doesn’t leave you feeling like you need to sleep this meal off. And this one is quick and easy enough for a weeknight dinner. I like to add a generous amount of chicken to my Alfredo and cut it into cubes so it’s easy to spear and swirl onto a fork.
One of the reasons I like to cook mostly healthy food is so I can justify the occasional dish like this one. In between an evening featuring Kale and Quinoa Salad and another dinner starring Lemon Garlic Tilapia, I can rationalize this warm hug of a meal. 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!).
Serve this with a simple vegetable like Lemon Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sautéed Broccoli, or Roasted Asparagus. Also, try Easy Creamy Pasta Alfredo, Fettucine Alfredo with Green Beans and Tapenade, and Shrimp Alfredo.
Table of Contents
Easy Chicken Alfredo: Creamy but not too heavy, this recipe is like a warm hug on a cold evening.
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Easy Chicken Alfredo Ingredients
- Dried linguine – Or sub in fettucine or spaghetti.
- Unsalted butter
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Sliced scallions – Use both the white and green parts for flavor and color.
- Minced garlic
- Chicken broth – Preferably low-sodium.
- Cream – Choose from heavy (whipping) or light cream, or half-and-half
- Grated Parmesan – Freshly grated is best, and make sure to have extra to serve.
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley – Some goes into the sauce, and some is sprinkled over at the end for a bit of color and herbal freshness.
- Red pepper flakes – To taste, plus more to serve if some people like it hot.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo
- Cook the pasta: Follow the package instructions, drain, and keep the pasta in the colander.
- 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 pan (the brown bits help flavor the sauce!), sauté the scallions for about 1 minute, then add the garlic. Add the broth, then add the cream and simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens a bit.
- 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.
Make Ahead and Storage
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.
FAQs
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!
Pro Cooking Tips
- 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.
Variations
When you add the Parmesan, you can add any of the following to the pot, alone or in combination, and stir over medium heat for another minute or two.
- 1 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes or ¼ 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.
What to Serve With Chicken Alfredo
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
- Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Chicken Marsala Pasta
- Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
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Easy Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried linguine (or fettucine 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.
