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Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

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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!

close-up of chicken fettuccine alfredo in a skillet being tossed with cooking tongs

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. 😉 I included easy instructions for how to cook chicken for Fettuccine Alfredo. Just season it with salt & pepper and garlic powder, coat it in flour (this makes it less likely to stick to the pan and gives it a nice golden coating), pan fry it, then slice it up and add it to the pasta when it's done. You could also use rotisserie or cooked chicken if that's easier for you.

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 garlic... obviously.

the BEST chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe... plated in two white bowls

Chicken Alfredo ingredients

  • Fettuccine pasta (or use whatever you have on-hand)
  • Two chicken breasts (slice them in half lengthwise to cook them faster and keep them tender)
  • Flour (it helps give the chicken a delicious crust)
  • Butter (unsalted)
  • Cream cheese (for added texture and tangy taste)
  • Heavy cream (rich, delicious, and much less likely to curdle than other options)
  • Chicken broth (more flavor!)
  • Garlic (I use both fresh cloves and garlic powder in this recipe)
  • Parmesan cheese (it's not Alfredo sauce without it)
  • Olive oil (for pan-frying the chicken)

How to make Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

  1. Prep the chicken: sprinkle it with salt & pepper and garlic powder, then coat it in flour;
  2. Cook the chicken: pan-fry it in the oil & butter for 5 minutes/side or until it's cooked through;
  3. Make the sauce: use the same skillet you cooked the chicken in. Add the remaining butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, chicken broth and garlic. Stir to incorporate the cream cheese then let it thicken for 5 minutes or so. You then stir in the parmesan;
  4. Finish it up: drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Top with the sliced chicken.

The full ingredients list and instructions are in the recipe card below.

close-up of chicken fettuccine alfredo

Can I substitute the cream for something else?

I don't recommend it as 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

Try some garlic bread or a salad.

Recipe notes & tips:

  • If your Alfredo sauce 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.
  • 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 some of 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.
  • 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 for 20-30 seconds or until it's very soft and pliable.

Other creamy recipes you'll love:

chicken fettuccine alfredo in a copper skillet

I hope you will love this Chicken Alfredo as much as I do!

Questions? Made this recipe? Leave me a comment below and tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations.

close-up of chicken fettuccine alfredo in a skillet being tossed with cooking tongs

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

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!
4.82 from 85 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian American
Servings 4

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. 
Keyword Chicken Alfredo Recipe, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Heather Poulson says

    5 stars
    This was so creamy and delicious. Loved the garlic in the sauce and on the chicken. Would definitely be making this again.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      With this recipe, I am not sure if that's a good idea. It's likely to make the sauce quite watery. If you want to try, I'd probably add it in during the last 5 minutes or so of cooking time since it is already parcooked, but I can't say what the results will be. Let me know if you try!

      Reply

  5. Donna says

    5 stars
    I have tried multiple chicken fettuccine recipes and none can compare to this one! Followed recipe exactly, and the results were absolutely DELICIOUS!!

    Reply

  6. Katrice says

    I didn't see the recipe say when to add the heavy cream, but I figured you add it when making the sauce. My son said loved it and said it taste better than Olive Garden lol

    Reply

  7. Wildbrooklyn says

    5 stars
    Made it for my family and extended friends a few weeks ago. It was “DELICIOUS” and a huge HIT!!! Made it again and it’s still as yummy as the first time we had it. Newfound favorite!!! 😋

    Reply

  8. Lory Holly says

    5 stars
    MAKE THIS!!!!
    I added bacon to this- only cause I needed to cook it for future use. And my husbands motto “bacon has never ruined anything” holds true 😆. This is truly the BEST Alfredo sauce!! It’s sooo creamy and delicous! The chicken is beautifully seasoned. 5 stars and better than any restaurant Alfredo I’ve had before!!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I don't for this one at this time. To be honest, I am not a fan of including calorie counts at all, but I do for many recipes. I feel that having a number can trigger many people, and I don't want people feeling food guilt. There is nothing wrong with having a treat every now and then. Most people do not measure accurately and the calories will be way off anyway by the time they actually consume the meal. You could probably plug it into My Fitness Pal if the calories are that important to you, however.

      Reply

  11. Emma says

    I ended up having to sub the heavy cream and it worked just fine. I used half&half and unsalted butter. It worked just fine!! Not saying this recipe is wrong but if you don’t have heavy cream butter and half&half will work!

    Reply

  12. Boop says

    5 stars
    Delicious and easy to make. The only thing i did different is I didn’t bread the chicken. I just grilled it and it came out awesome! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.

    Reply

  15. Calvin says

    This was a big hit for my family. My daughters don't like alfredo sauce from the jar but loves this one so it's at the top of their list now for dinner ideas.

    Reply

  16. Sarisha says

    5 stars
    This was so easy to make and turned out so delicious! Better than most restaurants I would say. Thank you Natasha!

    Reply

  17. KAB says

    I subbed milk and butter for heavy cream because in Spain it’s a bit hard to find certain commodities and ingredients. It was still spectacular. Thank you for the wonderful and scrumptious recipe

    Reply

      • Glady Javorsky says

        5 stars
        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

        Reply

  22. Theresa says

    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?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      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.

      Reply

  23. Cynthia Tucker says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  24. Tina says

    It was great we will make it again. I made homemade pasta to go with it with my KitchenAid pasta extruder it was great.

    Reply

  25. Janita says

    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?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      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. 🙂

      Reply

  26. Sean says

    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.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      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! 🙂

      Reply

  28. Marisa says

    Easy and delicious recipe. I doubled the sauce and it turned out fabulous. I’ll be using this recipe again and again.

    Reply