Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Alfredo is a classic Italian-American dish that brings nothing but comfort to the dinner table. Every bite is filled with creamy, cheesy, delicious flavors and so easy to make from scratch in just 30 minutes!

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 because it’s creamy, buttery, cheesy and flavorful.

I like to make chicken for chicken Alfredo the oven and incorporate the flavors or parmesan cheese and oregano to go with Italian flavors. The reason I make baked chicken breast is because it always comes out juicy and because you don’t have to worry about it while cooking pasta and sauce at the same time on the stove.

How to Make Chicken Alfredo

1. 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.
2. Bake at 450°F for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
3. Once chicken is baked, let it rest for about 5 minutes on the cutting board before slicing it. Slice it against the grain.

4. In a medium, 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.
5. 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. Lower heat to medium-low and gently stir until grated cheese melts and incorporates.
6. Keep cooking over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
7. 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.

8. Toss the pasta. Once the sauce is ready, toss the pasta in it to coat and serve with sliced chicken.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken Breasts: use boneless skinless chicken breast meat or if you wish, you can use chicken thigh meat instead.
• Parmesan Cheese: For the very best flavor and consistency, use freshly shredded parmesan. You can also add more flavor by adding cheeses like Asiago, Romano, or Fontina.
• Pasta: This is the most classic pasta to use for chicken alfredo. In a pinch, you can use whatever other pasta you have on hand, like linguine, tagliatelle or spaghetti.
• Vegetables: chopped broccoli, chopped cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, chopped asparagus, carrots, green beans, diced zucchini, and summer squash are all great compliments to chicken fettuccine alfredo. You can roast the vegetables in the same baking sheet as the chicken, just make sure to toss them with oil and seasoning and make sure the baking sheet is large enough.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: 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!

Allergy-Friendly Substitutions

• Gluten Free: to make this recipe gluten free, use 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour in the sauce and your favorite gluten free pasta.
• Lactose Free: If you need to keep this recipe lactose free, use lactose free half and half. Parmesan cheese is aged and aged cheeses are usually naturally lactose free. (As always double check the packaging for sugar content or lactose statement.) Add a little bit more flour (1/2-1 tbsp.) if you plan to use LF half and half.
• Dairy Free: you can use unsweetened cashew creamer and almond milk. You can also try unsweetened oat creamer. (There are also plant based heavy whipping cream option you can get at stores (by Silk or Country Crock) but that is meant for whipping for desserts and I personally don’t like it in sauces but you can try!)

Storing and Reheating

• Storing: 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.
• Reheating: The key to reheating alfredo sauce is low and slow! If you want to try reheating it in the microwave, use a lower power setting and heat it up for 30-40 seconds at a time. Stir each time it stops to evenly distribute the heat.  
• Reheating in sauce pot: The best way to reheat chicken alfredo is in a small sauce pot over medium-low heat. Let it warm slowly while stirring often until warmed through.

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!

More of the Best Pasta Recipes

• Baked Ziti
• Cacio e Pepe
• Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pasta Casserole
• Pesto Alfredo Tortellini
• Seafood Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in July 2019.