Chicken alfredo combines a creamy pasta sauce with tender slices of lean protein. The white meat is butterflied for quick cooking and seasoned for maximum flavor. The heavy cream reduces until a smooth and velvety sauce is able to cling to the fettuccine noodles.
This chicken alfredo recipe has simple ingredients like cream, garlic, parmesan cheese, fettuccine noodles, and tender chicken breast. A classic combination of flavors for a gourmet Italian dinner that your family will love!
Chicken can be tricky to cook the meat evenly throughout. I find that butterflying or cutting the chicken through the center to create two thinner pieces ensures faster and more uniform cooking. The cream simmers until it thickens, driving off moisture so that each noodle is coated in the delicious cheese sauce.
How to make chicken alfredo
- Cut the chicken into four cutlets.
- Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Heat the olive oil and then add the chicken, cook until internal temperature reaches 165ºF (74ºC).
- Slice chicken into ½-inch pieces.
- Cook the fettuccine pasta until al dente, then drain in a colander.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add 2 tablespoon butter, once melted add garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Add heavy cream, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer, stir to prevent curdling and reduce to 1 cup of sauce.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and nutmeg.
- Toss pasta with the alfredo sauce, top with chicken and parsley.
Faster cooking chicken
Cooking the entire chicken breast in a pan can be challenging. Since its thicker on one end and tapers towards the bottom, it can often yield raw or dried out areas. An easy way to fix this issue is to butterfly the chicken.
A quick slice through the center of the meat saves time and provides uniform pieces for even cooking. The chicken can also be pounded to an even thickness with a mallet or rolling pin, just make sure to still cut the breast in two.
Flavoring the chicken
I like to keep the seasonings simple with kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and sweet paprika. A small amount of the red spice creates a gorgeous golden hue on the surface. Cooking over medium heat in a stainless steel pan provides a nice sear and keeps it juicy.
Pasta selection
A long, flat noodle-like Fettuccine provides more surface area for the creamy cheese sauce to stick onto. Although noodles with holes in the center like bucatini or penne can trap the sauce inside for flavorful bites. Cook the noodles until al dente because mushy pasta will absorb too much sauce instead of coat it.
Making a cream sauce
The alfredo sauce is made by reduction, which means simmering the mixture of ingredients until it thickens. The cream, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper are reduced first since most of the moisture is coming from the dairy products. This allows for better monitoring as the consistency of the cream changes.
The parmesan cheese is added at the very end to just melt it in the sauce and prevent clumping. This adds a nice savory and nutty flavor to the dish. Toss immediately then serve with sliced chicken and chopped parsley.
Serve this with
More Pasta recipes
Save some pasta water
The water used to boil the noodles will be salty and starchy. The starches released from the cooked wheat can help thicken the sauce and add a bit more savory seasoning. It can also correct an over-reduced or cooled sauce by making to looser. This better coats the noodles so it doesn’t feel too heavy. Start with 1 tablespoon water, toss with pasta, and add more as needed.
Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, and as needed for seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, as needed for seasoning
- paprika, as needed for seasoning
- 3 quarts water
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, finely shredded
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
Chicken
- Cut each chicken breast in half through the center to create two cutlets, four total.
- Lightly season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, once the pan is hot add the olive oil.
- Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes. Flip over and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 to 165ºF (71 to 74ºC), about 5 to 7 minutes, turn off the heat.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes and then slice into ½-inch thick pieces.
- Wash and dry the pan to use for making the alfredo sauce.
Pasta
- Bring 3 quarts of water and 1 ½ teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot.
- Add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes, or according to manufacturers directions.
- Place noodles in a colander and do not discard water.
- While the noodles are cooking, make the alfredo sauce.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the butter, once melted add the garlic and saute until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Do not brown the butter or garlic.
- Add the cream, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper, stir to combine.
- Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to make sure the cream does not curdle.
- Reduce the sauce to about 1 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thickened, coating the back of a spoon.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and nutmeg. If the sauce is too thick, add in some of the pasta water or more cream, a few tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Add the pasta to the sauce, gently tossing to combine.
- Divide the pasta among bowls, top with sliced chicken and chopped parsley.
Equipment
- Skillet
Notes
- Double the sauce and noodle ingredients to make 4 larger entree portions. Reduce the sauce to 2 cups, the time may take longer to reduce the sauce.
- If the sauce concentrates too much, just add a few tablespoons of hot pasta water or cream.
Want to save this recipe?
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @jessica_gavin on Instagram. I'd love to see how it turns out!
Aman says
Jessica, thank you for this awesome and simple recipe. I made this for my wife and it was an instant hit. The flavors are spot on and its so rich and creamy! Oh and the chicken seasonings are just delish and I love the color you get from the Paprika versus just using salt and pepper. Yum.
Thanks so much!
Ksenia says
Wow this is so yummy I just made it for dinner. My son and husband are obsessed! And for the first time the chicken turned out perfectly. I could never cook chicken on the skillet cause it was always either undercooked or burned lol. This is delicious! Thank you.
CCC says
First time making alfredo and it turned out great! I’m normally not a fan of white sauce, but this hit the spot. The rest of the family loved it, too. Thanks for an easy and quick recipe, Jessica! It’s pinned for the future
Jessica Gavin says
Great job! I’m so thrilled to hear that your family enjoyed the recipe.
Alejandra says
The best Alfredo pasta!! Super creamy and easy to do. Love it
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback!
AC says
Amazing. The best yet. Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback! Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the chicken alfredo.
janet says
Just wondered if I could buy chicken cutlets to use? I’ve noticed them where I shop but have never used them. Or would they be too thin? Thank you
Jessica Gavin says
Thinner chicken cutlets would be perfect! You have to halve the thicker breasts anyways, so it will save you time.
Patsy says
Hello Jessica. I enjoy your recipes and have made many of them successfully.
Did you post a beef appetizer awhile ago? I’d like to try it this week.
Thank you very much.
Jessica Gavin says
I’m thrilled to hear that you are enjoying the recipes, Patsy! I don’t recall a beef appetizer, do you remember the name of the recipe?
Sandra says
I like it but I think it’s a bit minty
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks, Sandra! There’s no mint in the recipe, but you could perhaps use less parsley for garnish.
Lynda says
This was the best fettuccine I ever had! And I know my pasta. Will be making this again. Thank you for sharing
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, that’s amazing Lynda! I appreciate your feedback, especially from a pasta pro.
Sally says
Just made it last night and I thought it was simple and delicious!! Thank you!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the chicken alfredo recipe, Sally!