Easy Chicken Alfredo
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This Chicken Alfredo is creamy and flavorful comfort food, just like at Olive Garden. This simple and elegant dish is a family favorite that you can make in just 20 minutes!
Chicken Alfredo is a copycat of the classic Olive Garden chicken alfredo we all love. It’s so easy to make as a delicious meal at home, and it’s a budget-friendly option too.
Fettuccine Alfredo was invented in the early 1900s in Rome by restauranteur and has since become an Italian classic. This recipe is thickened naturally with cream and grated parmesan cheese instead of flour or egg yolks for a silkier, creamier sauce.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo
You’ll find this dish comes together easily in about 20 minutes. While you prepare a pot of boiling water and cook the pasta, you can make the alfredo sauce.
Start by sauteeing the chicken slices in a large skillet over medium heat until they’re starting to brown. It’s fine if they’re not fully done, as they’ll be cooked through in the following step.
Now you can add the minced garlic and season with salt and pepper before pouring in the cream.
Once the alfredo sauce starts to bubble, stir in the parmesan before reducing the heat to a simmer to allow it to thicken. This is when the magic happens!
Now you’re ready to toss this sauce with your cooked and drained fettuccine pasta.
It’s best to serve it hot on pasta plates with a sprinkling of additional parmesan and minced parsley on top for color.
Tips for Making Chicken Alfredo
- To save time, get your sauce ingredients ready while your pot of water is coming to a boil. Then you can make the sauce at the same time the pasta is cooking.
- After adding the cream, keep the heat on a medium-to-low simmer to allow it the alfredo sauce to thicken gradually. Higher heat may cause it to brown or burn.
- While you can use pre-cooked chicken strips for this recipe, you’ll get the best flavor by cooking the chicken yourself.
- For a lighter variation, substitute half and half milk instead of heavy cream and reduce butter to 1 tbsp instead of 2 tbsp.
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Creamy Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 12 oz fettuccine pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 chicken breasts, or 2 cans of canned chicken (You don't need to cook the canned chicken, just drain and rinse it thouroughly)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
Serving - optional
- fresh parsley, chopped
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and toss with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter followed by sliced chicken breasts.
- Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink and starting to turn golden brown.
- Add the minced garlic and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 30 seconds more until fragrant.
- Add cream to the pan and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Cook several minutes until the sauce is bubbling and thickening, stirring from time to time.
- Once thickened, add 1/2 cup parmesan to the pan and stir until combined. Remove from heat.
- Add cooked pasta to the chicken mixture, tossing several times to combine.
- Place pasta on serving plates. Sprinkle remaining parmesan on top and garnish with optional parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: You can make the alfredo sauce ahead of time excluding the parmesan cheese. Store for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. When the pasta is nearly ready, reheat the sauce for 2-3 minutes in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese before combining with the pasta.
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