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This easy chicken fettuccine Alfredo recipe has the most dreamy parmesan garlic cream sauce that perfectly coats the pasta. Golden pan-fried garlic chicken takes this dish to the next level!
You may also like my Creamy Garlic Chicken and this Super Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta.
Why you’ll love it
You’ve been loving my Shrimp Alfredo, so I figured it was time to make a chicken version! The recipe is very similar because why fix what ain’t broken. 😉 Here I include easy instructions for how to cook chicken for fettuccine Alfredo. Tender, juicy sliced chicken. Oh yeah.
Alfredo sauce is simply a mix of cream, butter, and parmesan cheese, but I also add cream cheese to it, and it’s a game changer. It helps thicken the sauce and adds a delicious bit of tanginess to it. I also add plenty of garlic… obviously. This will be your go-to version!
What you’ll need
- Chicken breasts – slice them in half lengthwise to cook them faster and keep them tender
- Garlic powder – seasoning the chicken with salt & pepper and garlic powder infuses flavor
- Flour – coating the chicken in flour makes it less likely to stick to the pan and gives it a nice golden coating and delicious crust
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying
- Fettuccine – the classic pasta choice
- Cream cheese – for added texture and tangy taste. Some would say it doesn’t belong in Alfredo sauce, but I respectfully disagree!
- Heavy cream – it’s rich, delicious, and much less likely to curdle than other options
- Chicken broth – more savory flavor!
- Garlic – for even more garlicky taste
- Parmesan – it’s not Alfredo sauce without it
Pro tip
The cream cheese really needs to be soft to make this recipe go much smoother, so I recommend taking it out of the fridge 30+ minutes prior to starting the recipe or microwaving it in 20-30 second intervals until it’s very soft and pliable.
How to make chicken fettuccine Alfredo
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the fettuccine until al dente. Prep the chicken, sprinkle the cutlets with salt & pepper and garlic powder, then coat in flour. Pan-fry it in the oil and some of the butter until it’s cooked through. Transfer it to a plate. Add the remaining butter, the cream cheese, cream, chicken broth, and garlic to the pan.
Stir until the sauce is smooth, and let the sauce thicken up. Meanwhile, slice the chicken into strips. Stir the parmesan into the sauce, and let it bubble for a minute. If it isn’t thick enough, cook it for a few more minutes. If it ends up too thick, add a splash of the hot pasta water to it. Season with salt & pepper, toss with the drained fettuccine, and top with the chicken.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Chicken can easily go from underdone to overdone in recipes like this. I recommend using an instant read thermometer to take the guesswork out of it. Chicken is safe to eat at 165F (keep in mind its temperature will keep rising a few degrees after you stop cooking it).
- I always like to suggest grating your own parmesan cheese. It tastes much better, and the pre-grated stuff doesn’t melt into the sauce as well. I love this cheese grater. I always keep a wedge of parm in my fridge.
- Use a splatter guard to minimize cleanup.
Substitutions and variations
- You could also use rotisserie or Cooked Chicken if that’s easier for you.
- If you don’t have fettuccine, use what you have on hand. I prefer a longer pasta.
- I don’t recommend substituting the cream for something else. The sauce may not thicken properly and may curdle. Alfredo sauce is notorious for curdling if you use milk, so use any substitutions at your own risk. This is definitely a treat meal, and a delicious one at that! This tastes like something you’d get at the Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory.
What to serve with chicken Alfredo
- Serve this pasta with a slice of fresh crusty bread, or go all out with my Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- A salad is a great pairing. I recommend my Homemade Olive Garden Dressing, or try my popular 10-Minute Caesar Dressing (no blender needed) and Garlic Croutons for a Caesar salad. For something lighter, try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in a covered container.
- This pasta is definitely best fresh. It’s not ideal for reheating, but reheat slowly in a saucepan over a low heat so that it doesn’t separate. Add a splash more cream if desired.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftover fettuccine Alfredo since the texture will change.
I hope you will love this chicken Alfredo as much as I do! If you made it, leave a star rating and review below, or tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations.
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
- 4 ounces cream cheese (I used 1/2 block of Philly) softened
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge to soften up at least 30 minutes (or longer) prior to starting the recipe, or microwave it for 20-30 seconds. Grate the parmesan cheese. I prep other ingredients while I'm going along.
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the fettuccine. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Sprinkle them with the garlic powder and salt & pepper on both sides. Coat them in flour.
- In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the pan is hot, cook the chicken for 5 minutes/side or until golden and cooked through. Take the pan off the heat, and remove the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Wipe out the skillet/give it a quick rinse if there's a lot of extra grease (no need to wash it unless you really want to). Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the cream cheese, cream, chicken broth, and garlic. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the pan has heated up, use your spoon to help the cream cheese melt into the sauce. This will take a couple of minutes.
- When the cream cheese has been incorporated into the sauce, let it gently bubble for 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced somewhat. You can give it the occasional stir. Slice the chicken into bite-size strips while it's cooking.
- Stir the parmesan into the sauce. Let it cook for about a minute. The sauce should be thick enough by now, but if you want to reduce it further, let it cook for a little longer. If at any point the sauce gets too thick, simply add a splash of the hot pasta water to it. Give it a taste and season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Drain the fettuccine and add it to the skillet and toss with the sauce. Dish it up with the chicken on top (or mix it in) and grate on more parmesan cheese as desired.
Notes
- I do not recommend subbing the heavy cream for anything. Alfredo sauce can easily separate if you’re making it with milk or something with a lower fat content. This is definitely a treat meal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So yummy. I doubled the recipe to eat on more. We love pasta here and the kids ate this one so fast!!
I’m so glad!!
This was absolutely amazing. Didn’t change a thing. Will be making this regularly.
Fantastic!! 🙂 Thanks for your 5-star review, Julie!
My son only eats chicken basically chicken teriyaki w coconut rice every night , when so sick of chicken I have tried other kinds like orange chicken nope doc w what I had in fridge I thought ok Alfredo I’ll look on pin , saw this read the first one about husband likes better then restaurant, scrolled down and thought yummm simple easy w everyday ingredients pretty much I’ll make crème brûlée w heavy cream leftover , so I made a quick trip store for cream . Ok so this recipe is killer I mean yummers!! So easy and soooo creamy definitely better then most restaurants fosho !!!! I added the chicken before the pasta as I slightly left it a wee bit underdone, didn’t read that one through, didn’t matter the lightly floured crust didn’t come off was spectacular, I used garlic ,cream cheese & parm to top French bread & threw in air fryer 🙂 what a meal , thinking next time I’ll add some peas to mine maybe a sprinkle fresh parsley but honestly just they way it was made a happy home & full bellies . Thank you this one’s goes under killer chicken and will definitely be a staple in my home 😉 looking forward to leftovers for lunch already lol yay
Awesome!! You’re welcome, Glady! 😀
I’m doubling the recipe! Hoping it turns out good 😊
Hope you love it! 🙂
I would like to take this to a dinner tonight, but I would need to prepare it ahead. Do you think it would taste as good if I made it at home and transferred it to a warming part of some kind?
I would say this isn’t the best type of recipe to make ahead, unfortunately. The sauce can dry out quite quickly, as can the chicken, and you need to be very careful reheating as cream sauces can separate quite easily (especially warmed on too high of a heat). With that said, I’d probably double the sauce if making it ahead.
This has been a go to meal for my family since it’s been published. Also your shrimp Alfredo. I keep trying to convince my grown step daughters it’s as easy as faking it from a jar. They love to eat it and deprive their husbands of their portions but won’t make it themselves 🙃 This is off the meter in stars but I gave it five.
I’m so happy to hear that, Cynthia!! 🙂 Hahahha your comment made me smile.
It was great we will make it again. I made homemade pasta to go with it with my KitchenAid pasta extruder it was great.
Fantastic!! Homemade pasta is the best!
I’ve never been a great cook but this recipe made me feel like one! Directions were easy to follow and ingredients were simple. This was yummy! I made it for friends and they asked for your recipe. I’ll definitely be making this again! Thank you for this recipe!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it and found the recipe easy to follow, Debbie! That’s always my goal so that makes me so happy! 😀
My daughter does not handle dairy well so I usually exchange HWC for full-fat coconut cream. Do you think this would work in this recipe?
Hi Janita! I really can’t say for sure. It will taste a bit coconutty, and I can’t say what the texture will be, unfortunately. It’s really hard to guess on recipes like this without actually testing. If you’re adding a splash to soup, that’s usually quite predictable, but a sauce like this that’s been tested to produce the right texture can be more tricky. If you do try, let me know how it goes… I am sure other readers are curious too. 🙂
This is has become my go-to pasta recipe. I have made it several times in the last year. Sautee a few diced onions and then brown a little fresh garlic in the butter before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients and it is just incredible.
So pleased you enjoyed it, Sean!
Plan to make this tonight. Can I add jar of artichokes?
You could… I mean that’ll definitely change the flavor, though, but if you’re a big artichoke fan then I don’t see why not. I’d be sure to drain them thoroughly. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Easy and delicious recipe. I doubled the sauce and it turned out fabulous. I’ll be using this recipe again and again.
Thank you!! Glad it was a hit! 😀