Are looking for any easy Chicken Alfredo recipe? This creamy chicken pasta is simple enough for a weekday meal but fancy enough for date night. Once you make this rich and creamy Alfredo sauce you will want to serve it with everything!
You will also love my Pork Tenderloin in Creamy Sauce!
In partnership with Amarula.
Confession time… The recipe currently topping the charts at chez Supergolden Bakes is extremely simple and VERY rich. My kids cannot get enough of it… Have you guessed what it is?
Chicken Afredo of course! We don’t call it that in our house, my daughter just asks for ‘pasta with cream sauce’ or ‘chicken pasta’. But if I am feeling fancy I will tell her she is having restaurant style Fettuccine Alfredo!
The truth is that this cream pasta sauce is so darned tasty that you could serve it at a dinner party and be hailed a culinary genius! Look at this and tell me your mouth isn’t already watering 😉
So what is Alfredo Sauce?
Alfredo is a very simple cream pasta sauce made with butter, cream, and grated Parmesan cheese. That’s right, three ingredients! It has the same magic properties as Carbonara which is equally simple and just as addictive.
I like to add a healthy amount of minced garlic to my cream sauce and a secret ingredient if I am serving a special dinner… a splash of Amarula cream liqueur!
If you are not familiar with Amarula then you are in for a treat! The silky smooth creamy liqueur adds a slight sweetness and hint of the exotic to this cream-based sauce.
What does Alfredo sauce taste like?
Heaven… or my idea of heaven! It is rich, delicious and goes with pretty much everything. You can serve it plain, add chicken, salmon, meatballs, mushrooms or shrimp… I swear it would make cardboard taste good.
This is THE recipe I make whenever I am craving carbs… I just try to limit myself to a small portion. But that is so hard, I won’t lie to you.
Is Alfredo sauce actually Italian?
Some origin stories link this sauce with an Italian chef in Rome who named a butter and cheese linquine recipe after himself.
The sauce is very popular in North America and the world over, although not perhaps by that same name.
I have my doubts as to how authentically Italian this sauce is… but it really doesn’t matter. The indisputable fact is that it is extremely delicious and quite versatile.
What are the ingredients in Chicken Alfredo?
Here’s what you will need…
- Cream – you can use single (pouring) cream or double (heavy) cream in this recipe. The sauce will be rich no matter what – this is not a recipe for the calorie conscious but as an occasional treat you can’t beat it!
- Parmesan cheese – do yourselves a favour and buy a wedge of good quality cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan will make this recipe irresistible!
- Chicken – You can use mini chicken breasts or large chicken breasts. If you prefer dark meat you can use skinless chicken thighs.
- Garlic – I like freshly minced garlic PLUS a little dried garlic granules. If garlic has you running for the hills just leave it out. Not a deal breaker!
- Pasta – fettuccine and Alfredo sauce are linked but you can use any type of pasta you like. Always cook your pasta in SALTED water. This is non negotiable – if you skip the salt the pasta will be bland!
- Plenty of chopped flat leaf parsley if you love fresh herbs.
- A splash of Amarula, a unique liqueur from South Africa made with the fruit of the Marula tree and cream. This is optional but highly recommended 🙂
How to make Chicken Alfredo
This recipe cooks in about 15 minutes but you will need to do a little multi tasking! Start preparing your pasta as soon as the chicken is ready to cook. You want the pasta to be ready at the same time as your cream sauce as you will be combining them straight away!
This recipe is best served straight after it is prepared – after all you can make it in about 20 minutes. If you make ahead and need to reheat it, place in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
You might need to add some water to loosen the sauce. If you have any of the reserved pasta water use it now other wise add a little warm water.
STEP 1. If you are using large chicken breasts you need to open them up or ‘butterfly them’. This just means they cook faster and more evenly. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board (use a separate cutting board for handling raw meat). Slice the side of your chicken breast but don’t cut all the way to the other side.
STEP 2. Open the breasts up. Cover the chicken with greaseproof paper and use a rolling pin to pound (gently) to flatten it.
STEP 3. Season the chicken well with freshly ground salt and pepper.
STEP 4. Heat a large skillet or frying pan and add a little olive oil. Pan fry the chicken breasts over medium-high heat, until golden brown and cooked through. This can take 8-10 minutes or longer if they are thick. Use a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 75C / 165F. Set the chicken aside for a couple of minutes then slice on the diagonal.
STEP 5. While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and cook your pasta until al dente. Set a timer to cook the pasta for one minute less than pack instructions.
STEP 6. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add a tablespoon of butter to your skillet and let it melt.
STEP 7. Add the garlic once the butter is foaming and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Use a wooden spoon to stir any browned bits from the chicken at the bottom of the pan into the butter.
STEP 8. Pour in the cream and Amarula liqueur if using. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat and stir in the salt and garlic granules.
STEP 9. Add the chicken back into the sauce and stir in the Parmesan cheese and a handful of chopped parsley.
STEP 10. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing everything to combine. If you need to loosen the sauce at all then add a little of the reserved pasta water.
STEP 11. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with more parsley and serve immediately!
DID YOU MAKE MY CHICKEN ALFREDO? I’D LOVE TO SEE IT!
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Chicken Alfredo - Creamy Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 500 g | 1lb large chicken breasts (or skinless boneless thighs)
- Salt and pepper , to season
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil , to fry the chicken
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 500 ml | 2 cups double / heavy cream (or you can use single cream)
- 2 tbsp Amarula cream liqueur (optional)
- 50 g | ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic granules optional
- 3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley , to garnish
- Salt and pepper to season , if needed
For the pasta
- 300 g | 10 ½ oz fettuccine , or tagliatelle pasta (dried)
- 1 tsp salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board (use a separate cutting board for handling raw meat). Slice the side of your chicken breast but don’t cut all the way to the other side.
- Open the breasts up. Cover the chicken with greaseproof paper and use a rolling pin to gently flatten it.
- Season well with freshly ground salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet or frying pan and add the olive oil. Pan fry the chicken breasts over medium-high heat, until golden brown and cooked through. This can take 8-10 minutes or longer if they are thick. Use a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 75C / 165. Set the chicken aside for a couple of minutes then slice on the diagonal.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and cook your pasta until al dente. Set a timer to cook the pasta for one minute less than pack instructions.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Add a tablespoon of butter to your skillet and let it melt.
- Add the garlic once the butter is foaming and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the cream and Amarula liqueur if using. Bring to a simmer and add the salt and garlic granules.
- Add the chicken back into the sauce and stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley.
- Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing everything to combine. If you need to loosen the sauce at all then add a little of the reserved pasta water.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
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Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Nutritional Info
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