Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo has been one of my personal favorite dishes since I was a child, so naturally, I had to perfect my own recipe. The entire dish is rich, savory, and just so good. The Alfredo sauce is thick, creamy, and really sticks to the pasta. The secret? Cream cheese. A lot of recipes and even restaurants use a flour based white sauce to thicken it, but it leaves it tasting thin and even grainy. There is no flour in the sauce, just cream, cheese, and cream cheese. The chicken is simply but deliciously battered perfectly compliments the dish. It shines without overpowering. Give this one a try, you are sure to love it!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Servings: 4
Active Time: 30 min Total Time: 45 minutes
For this Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo recipe you will need:
- 2 chicken breasts
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- 1 cup of flour
- 8 ounces of fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of butter – Divided
- 4 ounces of cream cheese – Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before to soften.
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 chicken bullion cube
- 1/4 cup pasta water – Save this before you drain your pasta
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup of shredded parmesan + more for serving – Repeat after me: Shredded, not grated.
- 1 tablespoon of parsley – Honestly, this is mostly to make the dish prettier, but does add a hint of sophistication to the flavor as well.
How to Make Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo:
Step 1. To a large pot, add water and a sprinkle of salt on high heat until boiling. Then add 8 ounces of fettuccine and cook until your preferred softness is reached. Set aside 1/4 cup of the pasta water and then drain the noodles and cover them until ready to use. You may work on the next steps while the pasta is cooking.
Step 2. Cut each chicken breast in half and then cut and/or use a meat mallet to make then about 1/2 inch thin. Sprinkle both sides of each piece with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Step 3. Add 1 cup of flour to a bowl and coat each chicken piece in the flour.
Step 4. Place a large pan on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Once it is hot, mix the olive oil and butter and then add the chicken. Allow it to cook until gold on the bottom, and then flip it and cook until golden on both sides and fully cooked. Once finished, set the chicken aside and cover it until ready to use in later steps. The medium high heat is hot enough to create the golden outside and lock in the chicken juices to create crispy but tender chicken pieces.
Step 5. Reduce the stove heat to medium, and to the same pan you used to cook the chicken, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 4 ounces of cream cheese, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Use the back of a spatula to smash the cream cheese.
Step 6. Next, add in the chicken bullion cube, 1/4 cup of pasta water, and 1 clove of minced garlic. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, then reduce add the 1 cup of shredded parmesan and let it simmer for about 5 more minutes, stirring periodically until the parmesan is melted.
Step 7. Once the sauce is fully melted and the right consistency, mix in 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, and then the cooked fettuccine. Mix it in until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce. If at any point the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a bit of milk.
Step 8. Cut your chicken into strips, plate the pasta, add the chicken on top, and sprinkle with parmesan,
Enjoy!
Pairs Well With:
This pairs SO well with a Caesar salad and my go-to Garlic Bread recipe. Try it Here!
Substitutions:
Make It Healthier:
If you would like to reduce the fat in this dish, you may substitue the heavy cream for half n half and use light cream cheese.
Pro Tips:
- Be aware that the sauce can easily become thicker than you may like. You can always stir in a little bit of milk to make it creamier if it dries out to much.
What To Do With The Leftovers:
Storing:
This may store well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Reheating:
Reheat this in a pan on medium heat on the stove. You will want to add some additional milk or water to make the sauce saucy again. Cover and stir every few minutes until the sauce has melted and it is heated throughout.
Video:
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- 1 cup flour
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter – Divided
- 4 ounces cream cheese – Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before to soften
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 chicken bullion cube
- 1/4 cup pasta water – Save this before you drain your pasta
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup shredded parmesan + additional for serving
- 1 tablespoon parsley
Instructions
- To a large pot, add water and a sprinkle of salt on high heat until boiling. Then add 8 ounces of fettuccine and cook until your preferred softness is reached. Set aside 1/4 cup of the pasta water and then drain the noodles and cover them until ready to use.
- Cut each chicken breast in half and then cut and/or use a meat mallet to make then about 1/2 inch thin. Sprinkle both sides of each piece with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add 1 cup of flour to a bowl and coat each chicken piece in the flour.
- Place a large pan on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Once it is hot, mix the olive oil and butter and then add the chicken. Allow it to cook until gold on the bottom, and then flip it and cook until golden on both sides and fully cooked. Once finished, set the chicken aside and cover it until ready to use.
- Reduce the stove heat to medium, and to the same pan you used to cook the chicken, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 4 ounces of cream cheese, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Use the back of a spatula to smash the cream cheese.
- Next, add in the chicken bullion cube, 1/4 cup of pasta water, and 1 clove of minced garlic. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, then reduce add the 1 cup of shredded parmesan and let it simmer for about 5 more minutes, stirring periodically until the parmesan is melted.
- Once the sauce is fully melted and the right consistency, mix in 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, and then the cooked fettuccine. Mix it in until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce. If at any point the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a bit of milk.
- Cut your chicken into strips, plate the pasta, add the chicken on top, and sprinkle with parmesan. Enjoy!
Cream cheese instead of typical flour based white sauce is brilliant!
Shredded, not grated, parmesan cheese 🤩 Made that mistake before!🫣 Getting this right is one of the main keys to the yum factor in this cream, cheese, and cream cheese pasta creation. It is sooo good! Thank you for this recipe.