Chicken Alfredo
This easy Chicken Alfredo is a classic family dinner! Sliced, juicy chicken, tender fettuccine noodles, and the perfect creamy, cheesy sauce make a great kid-friendly weeknight meal.
Homemade Chicken Alfredo Recipe
A classic Chicken Alfredo is perfect for serving to kids, a large group, or even your at-home romantic date! The recipe is easily doubled and frozen, so you can meal prep a few nights’ worth of dinners at once, too. Simple enough for beginner cooks but flavorful enough for foodies–It’s the perfect go-to meal!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- KID FRIENDLY – This recipe doesn’t call for any unusual or spicy ingredients, so it tends to go over very well with children and picky eaters! It doesn’t call for any vegetables, either, though you could easily add some cooked asparagus or broccoli if you want to offer some veggies, too.
- VERSATILE – You can easily adjust this recipe based on your needs and preferences! Slice chicken from a store-bought rotisserie to save time, or use a blackening spice on the chicken if you prefer some heat. You can swap out the fettuccine for your favorite type of noodles, too!
- MEAL-PREP FRIENDLY – If you like prepping some meals for the week, this is a great option! The sauce and chicken both store for 3 days and can be made whenever it’s convenient, then you can easily reheat later when you’re ready. They can even be frozen, too–Then just thaw, reheat, and cook some pasta to go with it!
Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts – Skinless & boneless. You can use chicken thighs if you prefer. If the breasts are large, butterfly them–They are cooking on the stovetop, so it’s important to than the chicken isn’t super thick. Butterfly thick breasts so that they cook quickly and evenly.
- Oil, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Italian seasoning – This is a great all-purpose mix that complements the alfredo sauce. These pretty basic flavors keep this kid-friendly, but you could add some paprika or cayenne to taste if you prefer a bit of spice.
- Fettuccine noodles – Fettuccine is just thick enough to hold onto the cheesy alfredo sauce, so it’s ideal for this recipe. If you prefer, you can use another pasta like angel hair, spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, or your favorite dry noodle variety! We used a gluten free fettuccine.
- Unsalted butter, Heavy cream, Whole milk, Minced garlic, additional Italian seasoning, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Salt, and Parmesan cheese – These combine together to form the amazing alfredo sauce! Fresh shredded parmesan melts quicker and smoother than the pre-shredded store-bought version.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo
This pasta dish recipe is simple and a great staple for beginners! Here’s a step-by-step guide for this easy recipe kids and adults will love!
Cook Chicken
Pat your skinless chicken breasts dry and place it in a large bowl. Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Toss to coat, then set aside. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat, then add oil. Once shimmering and hot, add the chicken and cook about 6-7 minutes on each side.
Once the chicken is cooked through and has reached 165 degrees F in the center, set aside on a place or cutting board. Allow it to cool, then slice.
Cook Pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot, then drain and set aside. Toss these occasionally while making the sauce to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Make sure to salt your water before you boil them to add flavor.
Make Sauce
In the skillet over medium heat, add the butter, cream, and milk. Once butter has melted, whisk in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
Serve
Serve sauce over noodles, then top with sliced chicken. Top with more fresh parmesan, chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, or oregano would be great), or even crumbled bacon if you want to add a salty, crunchy garnish! A bit of cracked black pepper is a great touch as well. This is particularly great with a side of Air Fryer Broccoli, some Cheddar Garlic Biscuits, and a Rosemary Gin Fizz.
Appetizers to serve with chicken alfredo:
Storage & Reheating
- FRIDGE – The chicken and sauce leftovers can both be left in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days, either together or in separate airtight containers. If you prefer crispier edges on the chicken, store separately. If you’re worried about the chicken drying out, store them together. The pasta is best fresh, but you can store it up to 3 days if you store it mixed with the sauce (this should prevent the pasta from drying or sticking together).
- FREEZER – Both the sauce and chicken can be frozen and are best when eaten within 3 months. Cream sauces can separate if they freeze or reheat too quickly, so it’s important to allow the sauce to cool completely before freezing. Store in a freezer bag, then make sure to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Cooked pasta can be frozen, but try to cook it al dente if you plan to freeze. Fully cooked pasta can become overcooked and mushy when frozen and reheated.
- REHEATING – The easiest method to reheat is using the microwave; simply microwave at 50% power in 1-minute bursts, stirring the sauce and flipping the chicken between blasts. If sauce was frozen, make sure to heat sauce slowly or it may begin to separate. You could also heat covered in a skillet on low or covered in a baking dish in the oven.
Chicken Alfredo FAQ
Chicken Alfredo is made with a creamy parmesan sauce with any type of noodle, but fettuccine noodles are most frequently used. Chicken fettuccine is a chicken pasta recipe that uses fettuccine noodles, but it can use ANY sauce, not exclusively alfredo.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can stir in an additional 1/2 cup of parmesan. This is super cheesy, but it’s easier and tastes more authentic than using other thickeners like a cornstarch slurry or a roux.
Fettuccine alfredo is so versatile and can be bulked up with chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, shrimp, steak, even tofu! For buffets, you could offer several options and allow guests to build the best creamy pasta of their dreams!
No, pasta is most often made with grains and are high in carbs. Also, the alfredo sauce is made with dairy milk, and this leads to the sauce and chicken having 8.6 net carbs total. If you prefer a lower sugar/lower carb option, try this version from Keto Shrimp Alfredo–It’s just 2 net carbs per serving! For a filling, healthy version, you could put the chicken alfredo into zucchini boats instead of serving with pasta.
There are some low-carb pastas that you can buy from the store–It’s up to personal preferences if you’d like to use those. You could also serve with veggie noodle options like spiralized zucchini (zoodles) or shredded roasted spaghetti squash. The chicken and sauce together come to 8.6 net carbs per serving, so it’s possible to work this into a keto or low-carb diet.
If you love this Chicken Alfredo, you’ll love these delicious pasta recipes!
- Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls – This is an easy recipe to meal prep for lunches or quick dinners! You could stretch this further by adding a bag or two of frozen veggies, too.
- Chicken and Spinach Pasta – This is super similar to this alfredo, but the added spinach is a great option when you want to add a great source of iron and fiber!
- 10+ One Pan Pasta Recipes
Get the Recipe: Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts butterflied if large
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
Pasta
- 8 oz dry fettuccine noodles (spaghetti squash or zoodles for low carb), choose a gluten free option if on a GF diet
Sauce:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 ¼ cups fresh shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken in garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning and set aside.
- Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, and cook for 6-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Set aside on a plate and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, slice the chicken. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
- Make the sauce. Add the butter, cream, and milk to a large skillet and heat over medium heat until the butter has melted.
- Whisk in the garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add the fresh parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Serve over pasta and with the sliced chicken!
Notes
- Sprinkle with fresh parmesan and herbs to garnish if desired!
- Freshly shredded parmesan is preferred for this recipe, as it melts better than pre-shredded parmesan.
- Best served with fettuccine noodles, although you can use angel hair, spaghetti noodles, penne, rigatoni, or any other dry noodle you’d like! If you want to keep things low-carb, skip the pasta and serve with spaghetti squash or zoodles instead of pasta. Nutrition values with ONLY sauce and chicken (no pasta):
- Calories: 684, Protein: 39.6, Total Fat: 54.7
- Total Carbs: 9.6 g (Net Carbs: 8.6), Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 3.2
- Cholesterol: 192.6 mg, Sodium: 975.4 mg
