My homemade chicken alfredo recipe is so easy to make, and the sauce has the best creamy consistency! Made with tender fettuccine pasta, white meat chicken breasts, and my delightfully-rich homemade Alfredo sauce shortcut, this classic Italian dinner only takes 35 minutes. With over 300 five-star reviews, it’s no surprise that this is one of my favorite dinner recipes of all time!
Top Reader Reviews
This was so good and very tasty! At first I thought my sauce was too runny but I kept stirring and cooking until it thickened up perfectly. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you!!
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This was my first time making this recipe, and I CRUSHED it!! I followed your recipe-the key to the extra liquid add more parmesan, and lower the heat it thickens up!! Delicious and the kids loved it❤..
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Homemade Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
I love how quickly this fettuccine and chicken alfredo recipe comes together! I used to rely on jarred sauces, but I’ve found that it’s actually really easy to make a creamy, cheesy Alfredo sauce completely from scratch. Cooking it directly in the pan along with the pasta and chicken breast ensures everything melds together beautifully, and it’s so much easier this way. Even I can’t believe it only takes 7 simple ingredients to create this restaurant-worthy pasta dish!
The key ingredients for my alfredo sauce are chicken broth, heavy cream, and plenty of Parmesan cheese. Using broth instead of butter adds a rich umami flavor while keeping it a little lighter. But the cream makes the sauce silky smooth. Plus garlic, cheese, and a splash of lemon juice make it irresistible!
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Thicken the Sauce!
To further thicken the alfredo sauce, just add a slurry. Whisk together equal amounts of cornstarch and water (1 tablespoon of each works well), then slowly add it into the sauce as it simmers, until it reaches your desired consistency. But keep in mind, the sauce does thicken as it simmers and then cools.
Watch one of our trusted recipe testers make this!
Kristina shows us how quick and easy it is to make chicken alfredo in one pot!
Homemade Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Equipment
- Non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (*)
- 1 pound dry fettuccine noodles (1 box**)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1½ cups heavy cream (room temperature***)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast into thin strips or bite-sized pieces.1 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Boil the fettuccine noodles according to the box instructions; drain and set aside.1 pound dry fettuccine noodles
- Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat, then add the chicken. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side until golden brown Then remove chicken and set aside.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, add the fresh lemon juice, and bring to a boil for just a minute. Quickly reduce heat back to a low simmer.1 clove garlic, 1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Add room temperature heavy cream, then add the cooked pasta and chicken.1½ cups heavy cream
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir until everything is well combined.1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and enjoy!¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- Cooking the sauce along with the other ingredients may make it seem a bit runny at first–but it will thicken! As it simmers and cools, the alfredo will meld together with the pasta, soaking up those starches in the process.
- To prevent the cream from curdling or separating, be sure to lower the heat before adding it. You may even want to remove the pan from the heat entirely while stirring it in.
- To further thicken the sauce: make a slurry with 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and water, then stir it into the alfredo.
- To use leftover chicken: simply warm it for 2-3 minutes per side in Step 3, then continue the recipe.
- I like to mix in steamed or sautéed broccoli, or a handful of spinach, for more greens.
- Add some red pepper flakes–either in the sauce or as a finishing touch– for just a tiny bit of heat.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
🙈 Learn from my mistake!
When I was first testing this recipe, I left the heat up too high after deglazing. So when I added cold cream, the sauce completely separated into a grainy mess.
💡Lesson Learned: Turn down the heat and warm up the cream! The extreme temperature difference is what causes curdling and graininess. Bring the cream to room temp ahead of time, and remove the pan from the heat when adding it.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo from Scratch Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this fettuccine alfredo recipe. Mince the garlic and squeeze fresh lemon juice. Bring the chicken and heavy cream to room temperature about 30 minutes before beginning. If the cream is fridge-cold when added to the pan, it will likely curdle.
Boil the Fettuccine: Begin by boiling 1 pound of dry fettuccine noodles according to package instructions. Then drain and set aside. I recommend cooking them al dente, so you may want to lower the cook time by 1-2 minutes. I find it easiest to let the pasta boil while I cook the chicken.
Prep the Chicken: Cut 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast into bite-sized cubes or thin strips. Feel free to use 2 chicken breasts for more protein per serving.
Cook the Chicken: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once warmed, add the chicken to the pan, and cook for 6-7 minutes per side, until golden brown. Then remove it from the pan and set aside. If using leftover chicken, it will only need 2-3 minutes to warm up.
Deglaze the Pan: Next, add 1 minced clove of garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Then add 1¼ cups of chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of chicken or garlic stuck to the pan. We want these bits to mix into the sauce to add maximum flavor! Then add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and bring to a boil.
Add the Cream: Mix in 1½ cups of room temperature heavy cream. Then add the cooked pasta and chicken back to the pan, and let everything heat up together. Stir to fully coat everything in the alfredo sauce.
Add the Cheese: Add 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and stir until everything is well combined.
Toss, Garnish, and Serve: Sprinkle the fettuccine chicken alfredo with ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley and enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat
Let homemade chicken alfredo cool before storing in an airtight container.
- Fridge: Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of cream or chicken broth to rehydrate the Alfredo sauce. Or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring regularly, until reheated all the way through.
- Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this dish, because the sauce usually turns out clumpy once thawed, and the pasta gets grainy.
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