Easy Weeknight Chicken Alfredo
An easy dinner option, this chicken Alfredo recipe pairs my Alfredo sauce and fettuccini Alfredo with chicken for a complete meal with plenty of protein. It’s indulgent and perfectly creamy, making it perfect for nights when you want a more substantial, hearty dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
100% from-scratch, and so easy too! You won’t reach for a jar of store-bought sauce again after making my recipe. Perfectly creamy, thanks to heavy cream. No, this isn’t authentic, but it works and is so tasty (I know this will ruffle some feathers but Alfredo is just better with cream)! Fast! It takes less than an hour to prepare, so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal. Want to add some greens on the side? Try my roasted brussels sprouts or brussels sprouts salad! Can easily be turned into shrimp Alfredo by swapping the chicken for shrimp. And feel free to toss in some blanched/steamed broccoli too.
What You Need
Let’s discuss the inner workings (ie. ingredients) of this recipe before we dive in.
Garlic. In the past I’ve often reached for a shallot when making Alfredo sauce. You can use that here if you prefer, but something about chicken Alfredo just works really well with the more intense flavor of minced garlic instead. Heavy cream. Cream isn’t a traditional ingredient in authentic Italian Alfredo (I know, I know), but it is in American Alfredo recipes. While traditional Alfredo sauce gets its creaminess from high-quality parmesan, many stores in the US do not carry this same quality of cheese. Using heavy cream is the solution! I’ve found that cream also safeguards the sauce from breaking, which is a great added benefit. Parmesan. Freshly grated parmesan cheese, rather than pre-shredded is key. Pre-shredded varieties (especially that one sold in the plastic green canister — stay away from that!) often include anti-caking agents, which can keep the cheese from melting properly and the sauce won’t be as smooth as it should be. If you’ve made my easy mac and cheese before, you know I am a big advocate for grating your own cheese! Nutmeg. I know this may seem like an odd addition, but just a tiny pinch of nutmeg balances the flavor of chicken Alfredo and keeps it from being too rich. I use this spice in my poultry seasoning and meatballs too!
SAM’S TIP: While I don’t include it here, I do include instructions for adding cream cheese to Alfredo sauce in my standalone Alfredo sauce recipe, and those instructions apply here, too (just cut 2 oz of cream cheese into small cubes and add into the sauce with the parmesan). This isn’t traditional by any stretch, but it does add a lovely richness to the sauce that we enjoy from time to time! Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chicken Alfredo
Sear the Chicken
Saute the Garlic
Add the Cream
Add the Cheese
Toss the Noodles
SAM’S TIP: If you plan to have leftovers, make sure you save some of your pasta water too! This will help the sauce come back together when you reheat it.
Pairing suggestions
Between the pasta and chicken, this is really a complete meal on its own (especially if you toss some broccoli into the dish. However, to round things out even more, add a green side-salad or caprese salad to the side, serve bruschetta or tapenade as an appetizer, and definitely, always serve with a side of bread. Homemade breadsticks or crusty sourdough bread or artisan bread are great for sopping up any leftover sauce on your plate 😋 Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
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