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This Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is so creamy, luscious, and full of flavor. Loaded with chicken breast and the perfect pasta dinner recipe the whole family will enjoy.
This is a light version of the traditional fettuccine alfredo normally made at restaurants. Made without any butter and heavy cream and I used cream cheese and milk instead. Simple, filling, full of flavor, and perfect for everyone including kids. This alfredo is topped with sliced chicken breast and topped with more parmesan cheese. You can use a healthier pasta option like chickpea or lentil pasta for an even healthier option.
Why you will love it
- Perfect for the whole family: This is a meal we guarantee everyone will love. Young, old, and in between.
- Healthier than restaurant Alfredo pasta: No heavy cream and butter to leave you feeling so heavy. Made healthier with cream cheese and milk.
- So good: There’s so much flavor in this creamy fettuccine pasta. You will love how delicious it is.
Ingredients you will need
These are just a list of ingredients you will need to make this chicken Alfredo recipe. The full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Fettuccine pasta: GF if needed
- Chicken breast: you can use chicken thighs or another protein option like shrimp.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil: or you can use avocado oil
- Milk of choice: I like using 2% because it’s what I mostly have on hand.
- Gluten-free flour or cornstarch: Cornstarch will yield a thicker sauce but flour works fine.
- Garlic cloves: use fresh garlic if possible. Makes a huge difference.
- Cream cheese: you may use lite cream cheese
- Chicken broth: or vegetable broth
- Parmesan cheese: store-bought shredded would be fine
- Fresh parsley to garnish
How to make chicken fettuccine alfredo
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente.
- Season and cook the chicken: Next, season the chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides. Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. Cook chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through and internal temp reaches 165F.
- Set aside and allow the chicken to rest until you make the sauce, then slice it.
- Make the Alfredo sauce: In a small bowl whisk the milk and flour until no visible lumps. To the same skillet over medium heat, add garlic and cook for no more than 1 minute. Stir in the milk mixture together with cream cheese and broth. Whisk continuously until the sauce is smooth and bubbly, 2-3 minutes. Toss the parmesan cheese and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Combine everything and serve: Once the sauce has thickened stir in the sliced chicken, cooked pasta, parmesan, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe tips, notes, and substitutes
- Pasta: I use fettuccine pasta, but you may use any pasta you have handy. Want to make an even healthier chicken Alfredo? Use lentil pasta or zoodles.
- Chicken: chicken breasts are leaner and preferred in this recipe. You may substitute it with boneless chicken thighs use a completely different protein or try shrimp.
- Milk: I used 2 % milk. You may use any milk on hand or even dairy-free milk.
- Garlic: using fresh garlic is ideal, but you may substitute it with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder if that’s what you have on hand.
- Cream cheese: use light cream cheese if possible.
- Broth: you may use vegetable broth or if you don’t have any broth, use water.
- Do not overcook the pasta and make sure they are al-dente. Do not rinse the pasta either. It will help with how thick and creamy the Alfredo come out.
- For a thicker consistency, you may reserve some of the pasta water and add it in once you add the noodles.
- Garnish with some fresh basil, oregano, or any other fresh herbs, for a flavor boost to this alfresco dish.
- To add more veggies to this chicken alfredo, consider adding some fresh broccoli or mushrooms.
frequently asked questions
Chicken Alfredo is a complete meal on its own. But if you would like to pair it up with a side dish, it would be best to serve it with some added veggies. Try it with this roasted parmesan asparagus or these honey-glazed carrots. You may also serve it with some soup like this Middle Eastern red lentil soup or this Roasted tomato soup.
For this chicken Alfredo, we kept the seasoning simple. Just salt and pepper. You may take it a step further and add some oregano and basil, Italian seasoning, or some paprika.
Alfredo sauce is typically made with heavy cream. It’s been adapted from the original version using milk for a lighter Alfredo option. Using milk to make the sauce will be just as good but just lighter and with fewer calories.
Place the leftover chicken Alfredo in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds when ready to serve.
More pasta recipes
- Chicken Scampi with Zoodles
- Chicken Spinach Pasta
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta salad
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
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- Southwest chicken alfredo
- Baked Chicken Alfredo
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Marry me chicken pasta
- Kung Pao Shrimp
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Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta, GF if needed
- 2 chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise (6 oz each)
- Kosher salt & ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1/2 tablespoon GF flour or cornstarch
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened or at room temp
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- Fresh parsley, chopped – to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and cook the 8 ounces fettuccine pasta according to package directions to al-dente.
- Season the 2 chicken breasts with Kosher salt & ground pepper on both sides.
- Preheat a large frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through and internal temp reaches 165F.
- Set aside and allow the chicken to rest until you make the sauce, then slice it.
- In a small bowl whisk the 1 cup milk of choice and 1/2 tablespoon GF flour or cornstarch until no visible lumps.
- To the same skillet over medium heat, add 2 large cloves garlic (minced) and cook for no more than 1 minute. Stir in the milk mixture together with 4 ounces cream cheese and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Whisk continuously until the sauce is smooth and bubbly, 2-3 minutes. Add the 1 cup Parmesan cheese and allow it to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Once the sauce has thickened stir in the cooked pasta. Toss to combine with the sauce.
- Add the sliced chicken over the creamy pasta. Top with more parmesan cheese if needed, and Fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Video
Notes
- Pasta: we use fettuccine pasta, but you may use any pasta you have handy. Want to make an even healthier chicken Alfredo? Use lentil pasta or zoodles.
- Chicken: chicken breasts are leaner and preferred in this recipe. You may substitute it with boneless chicken thighs use a completely different protein or try shrimp.
- Milk: we used 2 % milk. You may use any milk on hand or even dairy-free milk.
- Garlic: using fresh garlic is ideal, but you may substitute it with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder if that’s what you have on hand.
- Cream cheese: use light cream cheese if possible.
- Broth: you may use vegetable broth or if you don’t have any broth, use water.
- Do not overcook the pasta and make sure they are al-dente. Do not rinse the pasta either. It will help with how thick and creamy the Alfredo comes out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This turned out amazing. Great alternative from using all the butter, heavy cream with it. I used Gluten free fettuccini. Next time I will add mushrooms to it!
Thanks! so happy you loved it
Delicious! I didn’t have time to cook some broccoli so I just added fresh baby spinich to if! Still so good!
That sounds amazing actually. Yummy
I cooked a handful of mushrooms in a small amount of white wine, maybe a 1/3 of a cup. Then removed those. I Cooked the chicken per directions, but added a handful of torn spinach and fresh basil. This recipe was a huge success for my husband, adult son and myself. We had a enough for a left over chicken breast and at least 1 large serving of noodles. It was so good that we all ate too much. T
Thanks for the feedback!
Family loved it. Still pretty high in calories but nowhere near the full fat version and you can’t tell the difference.
So glad they loved it. Thanks for the feedback
Wasn’t sure how the cream cheese was going to go, but it went great! This is absolutely delicious and super easy. Also makes enough for extra lunches! 10/10
Delicious! Quick and easy to make, with most ingredients already on hand.
Excellent (healthier) recipe for my italian pasta loving family! Delish
Loved this so much, I kept licking the spoon. Thank you, this is a keeper!
Can you freeze leftovers?
yes you can
SO good and much better than the buttery ones I used to make. I added cream instead of the milk, and used cooked chicken from the store.
my sauce wasn’t thick,… i’m wondering what i did wrong?
Not sure. Did you make any changes to the recipe?
Do you taste cream cheese in the sauce?
Because I don’t enjoy the taste of cream cheese.
The ingredients list 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, but the instructions don’t list include when to add it. My sauce was thin too until I realized it was missing the cup of cheese. I added it in after step 6.
You are right. It goes in on step 6. I just fixed it.
Hi I just made this recipe for dinner tonight, and Wow was it delicious!! I definitely will make this again, and add it to my favourites!! The only change I made was that I baked the chicken breast first in the oven and sliced it over the dish at the end. Thankyou for sharing this recipe!!
Yay. Perfect
I found that the amount of sauce to pasta ratio was slacking it was very dry and gluey. Absolutely amazing flavor for sure. Just not as wet as I’d normally like.
What is the serving size of pasta and chicken that reflect the numbers listed
I made this Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine on yesterday 5/23/21. It was really easy to make. And it was absolutely delicious! Very tasty! I will definitely be serving this dish again. My family loved it! Thank you so much!
Thank you LaToya. Glad you and the family loved this recipe