Chicken Alfredo is a classic Italian-American dish that brings nothing but comfort to the dinner table. Every bite is filled with creamy homemade alfredo sauce, parmesan baked chicken and fettuccine pasta. So easy to make from scratch in just 30 minutes!
Anything smothered in a classic Homemade Alfredo Sauce is just heavenly and once you’ve had enough chicken, try Shrimp Alfredo next.
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Alfredo Sauce originated in Rome and it’s one of the most famous dishes around the world. This sauce goes perfectly with pasta and so many proteins and vegetables. It’s our favorite sauce among so many… it even beats out classic Marinara Sauce! There’s so much comfort in this creamy, buttery, cheesy sauce.
Chicken alfredo combines delicious baked chicken that’s flavored with parmesan cheese with the comfort of pasta and homemade alfredo sauce. This dish still takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and it’s perfect for a family dinner and special occasions alike.
The beauty of chicken alfredo is that it’s picky eater approved! I’ve yet to meet someone who didn’t love my homemade chicken alfredo recipe, no matter how selective their palate is. There’s just something so classic and satisfying about perfectly cooked chicken breasts with creamy pasta!
Ingredient Notes
Chicken Breasts – use boneless skinless chicken breast meat or if you wish, you can use chicken thigh meat instead.
Alfredo Sauce – I highly recommend making your own instead of buying a jar. It takes just a few minutes, a few simple ingredients to make your own, and tastes superior to any store-bought sauce!
Parmesan Cheese – For the very best flavor and consistency, use freshly shredded parmesan.
Fettuccine – This is the most classic pasta to use for chicken alfredo. In a pinch, you can use whatever other pasta you have on hand.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo
Prepare the chicken:
Trim the fat off the chicken breasts. Season with salt, pepper and oregano on both sides. Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan on both sides of the chicken. Place it on a prepared baking sheet (1).
Bake. Bake at 450°F for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Let it rest. Once chicken is baked, let it rest for about 5 minutes on the cutting board before slicing it (2). Slice it against the grain.
To Make an Easy Alfredo Sauce
In a medium to medium-low, heavy bottom sauce pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add pressed garlic. Cook garlic until it’s fragrant and sprinkle flour over it. Stir until flour is mixed with butter and slowly pour in heavy whipping cream while constantly stirring (3).
Gently stir the mixture together and let it heat through. Don’t let it boil! Once heavy cream is hot, whisk in sour cream, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper (4). Lower heat to medium-low and gently stir until grated cheese melts and incorporates.
Keep cooking over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often (5).
PRO TIP: Remember, do NOT let the cream boil! If your stove runs too hot on medium, start to cook the sauce over lower than medium heat.
Toss the pasta. Once the sauce is ready, toss the pasta in it to coat (6) and serve with sliced chicken.
Recipe FAQs
You can serve vegetables on a side or mix it right into the chicken and pasta. It’s easy to roast vegetables with the chicken or sauté them separately. The best vegetables to compliment this dish are:
Broccoli
Zucchini
Asparagus
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Absolutely! If you cook the chicken in the skillet on your stovetop, you can even use the same pan to make the sauce and incorporate those flavors into the dish.
To cook the chicken using your stovetop, preheat the pan first over medium to medium-low heat and add the seasoned chicken. Cook for about 4-7 minutes on each side. The exact cook time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to use a meat thermometer and make sure the chicken is cooked to 165°F internal temperature.
Heavy whipping cream is the best option for a rich and creamy alfredo sauce. If you’re in a bind, you can use half and half but it will be slightly thinner and not as rich. To make the sauce thicker when using half and half, add another 1/2 tbsp of flour and use a little more parmesan cheese. Don’t use anything less rich than half and half!
How to Make It Gluten Free
I’ve gotten a few comments from people wishing that they could have fettuccine alfredo but they’re on a gluten free diet. I am happy to tell you that you can absolutely make this dish gluten free! That is the way I have to make it for myself and I promise, the difference is not very noticeable.
Alfredo Sauce – To make gluten free alfredo sauce, you simply swap out all-purpose flour for a gluten free all-purpose flour.
Pasta – Here is where it can get a little tricky because most gluten free pasta, to put nicely, isn’t great. I’ve tried many, many different brands of gluten free pasta to find one that is somewhat close to the real pasta… and I’ve succeeded! There’s a brand of pasta that actually tastes and feels close to the real deal and that is Tinkyada. Use Tinkyada gluten free fettuccine and you will come very close to the regular fettuccine alfredo.
Storing and Reheating
Store alfredo sauce in a glass jar with an airtight lid in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days.
When possible, store the pasta, chicken, and sauce separately or the pasta will soak up the sauce. Pasta continuously soaks up the liquids it’s in when stored.
I don’t recommend reheating the sauce in the microwave because it separates if it’s overheated. The key to reheating alfredo sauce is low and slow! If you do want to try reheating it in the microwave, use a lower power setting and heat it up for 30 seconds at a time. Stir each time it stops to evenly distribute the heat.
The best way to reheat alfredo sauce is in a small sauce pot over medium-low heat. Let it warm slowly while stirring often until warmed through.
One more way to reheat it is to mix cold sauce with hot, freshly cooked pasta. As soon as you drain the boiling water off pasta, add it back to the empty pot and add cold sauce. Mix it together and let the hot pasta heat up the sauce.
More of the Best Pasta Recipes
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Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz fettuccine
Chicken:
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast or thighs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2.5 tsp oregano
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Alfredo Sauce:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup dry Parmesan cheese
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cook fettuccine according to the package instructions. Make sure not to overcook it so it’s not too mushy. Drain it and set aside.
Baked Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 450° and grease a rimmed baking sheet. Trim excess fat off the chicken and season with salt, pepper, oregano on both sides. Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan cheese generously on both sides of the chicken and place it on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
- Once chicken is baked, let it rest for about 5 minutes on the cutting board before slicing it. Slice it against the grain.
Alfredo Sauce:
- While chicken and pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Measure all ingredients before starting to cook.
- In a medium, heavy bottom sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add pressed garlic. Cook garlic until it’s fragrant and sprinkle flour over it. Stir until flour is all mixed with butter and slowly pour in heavy whipping cream while constantly stirring.
- Gently stir the mixture together and let it heat through. (Don’t let it boil!) Once heavy cream is hot, whisk in sour cream, Parmesan cheeses, salt, and pepper. Lower heat to medium-low and gently stir until grated cheese melts and incorporates.
- Keep cooking over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Once sauce is ready mix it with cooked pasta and sliced chicken. You can top it off with some fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Gluten Free Notes: Alfredo Sauce – To make gluten free alfredo sauce, you simply swap out all-purpose flour for a gluten free all-purpose flour. Pasta – Use your favorite gluten free pasta! My favorite is a brand of pasta that actually tastes and feels close to the real deal and that is Tinkyada. Use Tinkyada gluten free fettuccine and you will come very close to the regular fettuccine alfredo.
- Storing: Store alfredo sauce in a glass jar with an airtight lid in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat alfredo sauce is in a small sauce pot over medium-low heat. Let it warm slowly while stirring often until warmed through.
One more way to reheat it is to mix cold sauce with hot, freshly cooked pasta. As soon as you drain the boiling water off pasta, add it back to the empty pot and add cold sauce. Mix it together and let the hot pasta heat up the sauce.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in July 2019.
Bobbi Smith says
My granddaughters came to the house today and the youngest (10) requested chicken alfredo. I used this recipe, my first time to make chicken alfredo. This was super easy and a huge hit with all. Thank you!
Mary says
I think this might be my favorite meal ever!!! It’s so good!
LyubaB says
Wow! Thank you, Mary! It’s one of my favorites as well!
Dobie says
Could this sauce be more AWESOME⁉️
My stepdaughter has tested positive for Coronavirus a d isn’t feeling well. I madd the sauce and chi ken and packaged the separatelyand put them in a box along with uncooked fettuccine noodles on her doorstep.
I did, however, taste the sauce.
WOW‼️ Love the sour cream in it.
Now I have to make some for us.
LyubaB says
I am so sorry to hear about your daughter, I hope she is okay! Thank you for your kind comment, I am so glad you liked it! Stay safe!
Sharon says
This was excellent, love the lil bite the sour cream gives it. The only thing different I will do for myself is only add a little salt to pasta water I forgot that fresh parm tends to be a little salty. I didn’t add any salt to it after, just a lots of pepper because I love fresh grown pepper. This is now my go to alfredo. The chicken was great also. One question though, I usually never have leftovers for it, but hubbie wasn’t in the mood for pasta. What your thought on how to reheat it. Thank you
LyubaB says
Hi Sharon,
So glad you liked it! I love fresh ground pepper in mine as well! 🙂
Shannon Ecker says
I’m a great cook and my husband is a chef for over 30 years. My friends expect the best when they come over and this did not disappoint! I added chili peppers to the mix, but otherwise it is exceptional and you should definitely make this. Hats off!
LyubaB says
Wow! What a sweet compliment, thank you so much! I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Kevin says
So good! Thanks!
LyubaB says
Thank you, Kevin!
Beth Gabbard says
Is it freezable
LyubaB says
Hi Beth, I wouldn’t recommend freezing this because the sauce is cream based it will separate when you heat it back up.
Jess says
How much does this make? I am planning for just my husband and myself, don’t know if I should half up the recipe. But am also thinking of leftovers for work tomorrow. I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
LyubaB says
Hi, Jess! Sorry for the late response my some of my questions got put into spam and I am just now discovering them. 16 oz of pasta is about 8 servings but it is very good so I would say 4 servings 😉
Patti says
My boy’s absolutely smiled down on this dish! Great recipe, and easy to follow.
LyubaB says
Glad you liked it 🙂
Christine Stidham says
I made this and it was good.
LyubaB says
Thanks, Christine! I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
denayc says
I am going to have to try this!!Thanks for stopping by my blog! :)Im returning the follow! :)Ill be checking back for more yummy recipes! 🙂
Jen says
Yum! This looks delicious! Thanks for visiting and following, I’m following you back!