This chicken fettuccine Alfredo is easy to make with tender fettuccine noodles covered in a creamy sauce then topped with seasoned chicken. An Italian inspired favorite!
Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Skip the fancy Italian restaurant and make your own chicken fettuccini alfredo at home! This easy recipe tastes has authentic taste in only 25 minutes.
The rich and creamy Alfredo sauce coats the tender pasta then it’s tossed with tender pan-fried chicken for the perfect comfort meal! Just like my chicken marsala recipe or chicken alfredo lasagna it is family favorite and easy to make for a weeknight dinner!
Recipe Ingredients
It may seem like a lot of ingredients at first glance, but the majority you will already have on hand and they are used multiple times in this easy chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Chicken: I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for ease of cooking.
- Fettuccine: This is the classic pasta for this dish, and there is a reason why.
- Butter: I like to use salted, but you can use unsalted if you’d prefer.
- Cream cheese: This helps make the sauce so rich and creamy.
- Heavy whipping cream: You can also use half-and-half, if you prefer, but you want something with a bit more fat than milk.
- Garlic: I love to add fresh garlic to really amp up the flavor.
- Parmesan: I prefer freshly grated because it melts better.
- Seasoning: All you need is paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper for this chicken alfredo.
How to Make Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Prep chicken. Slice the chicken into cutlets and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook chicken. In an oiled skillet over medium heat cook chicken for about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate to rest then slice into strips right before adding to the sauce.
- Cook the pasta. Cook fettuccine according to directions, then drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water (reserved pasta water is for thinning down sauce if needed).
- Make alfredo sauce. Simmer the half and half and butter in a large skillet for about 7 to 10 minutes. Make sure to whisk constantly until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Stir in the parmesan until melted, then add in the remaining seasonings.
- Toss. Add the chicken strips and cooked fettuccine into the sauce and toss the chicken alfredo recipe until well coated.
- Serve. Let rest for a few minutes, then serve while hot!
Tips and Variations
- Pasta water. Make sure to salt your pasta water for a boost of extra flavor. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining your noodles to thin down your sauce later if needed.
- Cheese. One of the keys to making delicious homemade chicken fettuccine alfredo is grating your own Parmesan cheese. The store-bought containers of pre-grated parmesan have extra additives that make the cheese harder to melt.
- Extra veggies. Steamed broccoli florets or sliced mushrooms can be added to the sauce or even sundried tomatoes like I do in this marry me chicken recipe.
- Protein. Feel free to use leftover rotisserie chicken or swap out the chicken with shrimp if preferred.
- Noodles. Fettuccine noodles are my favorite because the sauce completely covers every inch of the flat surface. I use penne in my chicken alfredo bake, though and my cheese tortellini in this chicken Alfredo tortellini.
Serving Suggestions
Make this chicken fettuccini alfredo a complete meal by adding a few favorite sides!
Storing
- Store: Store chicken fettuccine alfredo leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
- Reheat: This pasta recipe is best fresh! Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave with a splash of cream.
More creamy chicken recipes to try include creamy chicken pasta, Tuscan chicken pasta and this creamy chicken florentine.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes
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Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Video
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt , to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
Pasta
- 1 pound fettuccine
- 1 Tablespoon salt , for the water
Alfredo sauce
- ½ cup salted butter
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream , or half-and-half
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning , optional
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt , plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese , plus more if desired
For serving: Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Chicken
- Pound one pound chicken breast to even thickness. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, salt and pepper. Rub all over the chicken.
- In a large skillet, heat 1-2 Tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook 5 minutes. Flip and cook and additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on a digital thermometer. Transfer to a plate, cover and let rest while the sauce is cooking. Slice against the grain into 1/4-inch strips when ready to serve.
Pasta
- Boil pasta in water mixed with salt according to package instructions. Drain once cooked and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
Alfredo Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter and 3 ounces cream cheese over low heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic and cook 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and if using, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Increase the heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Stir in 1/4 – 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and simmer until melt. Add more parmesan, if desired. The more cheese you add, the thicker the sauce will be.
- Add chicken to the sauce and toss with fettuccine until coated. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.
- Let rest a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley to garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Chicken, Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Stovetop, Valentine's Day
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Can you use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of the boneless skinless chicken breasts?
That should work fine Cayla. Cooking time may change.
Loved this. I made 1/2 recipe for just me and ended up so happy that I had enough for a large and filling serving for 2 days.
Loved the cream cheese in this that made it very smooth and creamy. The sauce really stuck to the noodles so that each bite was flavorful and I didn’t need to scrape the bottom to get more sauce. lol.
Thanks for sharing this great keeper.
So glad you enjoyed the chicken fettuccini Alfredo!
I was intrigued by this recipe because of the use of cream cheese. It did not work out for me. The cream cheese curdled. Instead I made a basic sauce with 1 3/4 sticks butter, 1 1/2 c heavy cream, 3 large cloves garlic grated, 1 c grated parm, salt to taste.
Sorry to hear it did not work out for you, the butter and cream cheese need to be combined at low heat before whisking in the cream slowly (while still keeping it a low heat). Low heat is the best way to prevent curdling.
This was super easy to make for a week night dinner. Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will definitely be making this again soon.
i love pasta any day
This was delicious. I don’t usually make things with this much fat. But, it was well worth the calories!! The only change I made was that I left out the garlic powder in the sauce because we aren’t fond of LOTS of garlic flavor and the minced garlic was enough for us. The recommendations for the amount of heat while cooking both the chicken and the sauce was perfect. I didn’t burn or scorch anything…and I often do! I will definitely make this again, and for company as well as our family! Thanks so much for this recipe.
Sounds delish. Can’t wait to make it!
This is one of my favorite meals to make and my kids love it! Great recipe!
This was delicious, the pasta was just so creamy and rich.
So creamy and delicious, this is going on our regular menu rotation!
My new favorite dinner. Way better than any restaurant chicken alfredo I’ve ever had!
So easy and delicious!
I hope you enjoy it! :)
This was a delicious and comforting meal. Just what we needed. Thank you for sharing!
This is such a delicious recipe! Can’t wait to try it!