Chicken Alfredo with Garlicky Spinach (2024)

Comforting, creamy, and perfectly rich, chicken alfredo looks and tastes fancy but actually only takes 30 minutes and a few simple ingredients to make! Cook chicken until golden brown and juicy and place it over a bed of pasta tossed with a garlicky, cheesy cream sauce. You will be adding this easy chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe to your regular rotation!

Quick tip: To make the thick, delicious alfredo sauce, heavy cream is a must. Also called heavy whipping cream, it has enough fat to withstand higher heat and will thicken up beautifully. Homemade chicken alfredo is divine with a side of garlic bread, breadsticks, or homemade garlic knots if you want something to soak up any leftover sauce in your bowl.

Ingredients

Pasta — fettuccine pasta is sturdy enough to hold the creamy sauce, so it’s my go-to for this recipe. You can also use linguine, penne, pappardelle, or large shells. Level it up by making making your own noodles with my homemade pasta dough recipe!

Chicken — boneless skinless chicken breasts are perfect for this recipe. If they are very thick, cut them in half crosswise.

Cream — heavy cream is a must for the most luscious, velvety pasta sauce. Whipping cream, half and half, and whole milk all have less fat and are more likely to break when heated; plus they also don’t thicken up very well.

Butter — I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the saltiness of the dish.

Garlic — minced garlic adds a mouthwatering nutty flavor to the alfredo sauce. Substitute each garlic clove with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder if desired.

Cheese — use freshly grated parmesan cheese, which melts much better than pre-shredded cheese.

Parsley — chopped fresh parsley adds a bright pop of color and a fresh, peppery bite.

How to Make Chicken Alfredo

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and ground black pepper and cook until browned on both sides. It should have an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the chicken breast. Remove from the skillet and cover to keep warm. Wipe the skillet clean.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Keep the pasta warm.

3. While the pasta cooks, combine the heavy cream, butter, and minced garlic in the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in.

4. Cook over medium heat, whisking often until the butter is melted. Then whisk in the salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a low simmer. Whisk constantly until the sauce is slightly thickened.

5. Add the grated parmesan cheese.

6. Whisk until the creamy sauce is smooth, and the cheese has melted.

7. Remove the alfredo sauce from the heat and add the cooked pasta. Toss to coat, adding a bit of reserved pasta cooking water as needed to thin out the sauce.

8. Slice the chicken breasts into ½-inch-thick strips. Divide the pasta equally among 6 bowls, top with the sliced chicken, and garnish with fresh Italian parsley.

What Is The Difference Between Chicken Alfredo And Chicken Fettuccine?

Chicken alfredo refers to chicken served with pasta that is tossed in a creamy parmesan sauce (or alfredo sauce). Chicken fettuccine simply means chicken is served with fettuccine pasta. The sauce does not necessarily need to be creamy.

What To Serve With Chicken Alfredo

Since chicken fettuccine alfredo is quite a rich dish, I like serving it with a side of light, crisp-tender French green beans or air fryer asparagus.

How To Store Leftovers

Chicken alfredo pasta is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

What Is The Best Way To Reheat Chicken Alfredo?

To reheat leftovers, add them to a skillet over low heat. The sauce will have thickened up significantly in the fridge, so add a splash of heavy cream or chicken broth to thin it out again. Reheat until both the chicken and the sauce are hot. To save a few minutes, you can also microwave the dish in 30-second increments. Be sure to toss it intermittently.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

• Avoid overcooking the chicken. Once the thickest part of the chicken breast reaches 165°F, it is safe to eat. A kitchen thermometer is a useful tool to accurately measure the internal temperature of chicken so you don’t overcook it and dry it out.
• For added flavor: Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning before searing.
• Save pasta cooking water. It’s always a good idea to save a little pasta water when making pasta dishes. Pasta water thins out and emulsifies sauces and can also fix a broken cream sauce.
• Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Freshly grated cheese will melt a lot better than the pre-grated kind. Grate your own parmesan cheese using a microplane or the small holes of a box grater.
• For a little heat: Add a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes to the sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve tried this chicken alfredo recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!