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'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.
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
- Prep the chicken: sprinkle it with salt & pepper and garlic powder, then coat it in flour;
- Cook the chicken: pan-fry it in the oil & butter for 5 minutes/side or until it's cooked through;
- 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;
- 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.
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 Tortellini Alfredo
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Lemon Parmesan Chicken Alfredo Recipe
- Creamy Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini
- 15 Minute Creamy Alfredo Gnocchi
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.

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.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Cyndra says
Very tasty! Not difficult and directions were great!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!
Shayna says
Turned out so so good!! Hubby scarfed it down and went for seconds. Thanks for the recipe! It's a winner. Will definitely make this again
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 😀
Tanya says
I used whipped cream cheese spread and it worked great. Thank you for the recipe.
Natasha says
Excellent! You're welcome, Tanya!
Elizabeth says
It was so good! I served with a side of asparagus and broccolini... and garlic knots. I tripled the garlic and used both fresh and roasted garlic. Delish!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!! 😀
Jenna Marshall says
If I would use a pound of noodles, would I just double the ingredients??
Natasha says
I would yes.
Jennifer Carter says
I want to make this for dinner tonight. Is there a way I can do this in a crockpot and add cooked pasta and cheese at the end?
Natasha says
Hi Jennifer! I really can't comment without testing. I have never made chicken Alfredo in the crockpot - sorry.
Shayla says
What sides do you like to serve with this?
Natasha says
It's quite rich so a lighter side salad is a good idea. Or go all out and do Caesar salad and garlic bread. 😀
Emi says
Hi! I have all ingredients but cream cheese! Would it be ok to leave it out?
Natasha says
Hi! So, I am reluctant to say yes because it really adds an extra something-something to the recipe taste-wise, it helps thicken the sauce (and make more of it), and omitting it could just generally throw the proportions out of whack, so I really don't want the recipe going wrong for you.
Nellbartholomew says
This from 85 year old grandmamaking dinner for grabkids. They cleaned it up asked for the receipe and continue to think I’m the best cook on earth. I followed exactly. Was perfect. Illuse again ofton. Thanks
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That is so wonderful to hear! Your comment made us smile. Thank you! 🙂
Jennifer says
Really good!! I grilled the chicken and made the recipe even easier. I used dairy-free whipping milk (it’s all I had) and it turned out perfectly. I did blend in a little starch water from the noodles (1/4 cup). Using good fresh Parmesan is important! Thank you for sharing this, a keeper being written down for my recipe box.
Natasha says
Awesome!! Love the grilling idea. thanks for your review!
Dave says
Hands down, best alfredo recipe I have come across. Super easy to follow as a result of the guidance given. My wife and I thought it was incredibly good. We both felt this was good enough to serve to dinner guests!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! 😀 Thanks so much for your kind review, Dave!
Jordan says
My husband and I made this for one of our date nights and we both agreed that it was hands down the best fettuccine we had ever eaten!! So easy to make and so freakin delicious! We are already excited to make it again soon.
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear!! 😀 Thanks for coming back to write me a review, Jordan!
Melissa says
I made this recipe tonight.
I really like it. I added some mushrooms browned in butter. And used penne and chicken pieces instead of breasts. But I thought it was a great sauce. I love cream cheese and I think it gave the sauce a great flavor.
I’ll be making this again. It’s definitely made my freeze dry list!
Thanks for the great recipe!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Awesome to hear, Melissa! You're welcome!
Liz says
Soooo good! Used this for my lunches for work will def use again!
Natasha says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Liz! Thanks for your review. 🙂
AnnA says
It was delicious and easy to make. Added to list of favorite meals.
Natasha says
Awesome!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Karrie says
So delicious!! Will be using again! Thank you for the recipe😊
Natasha says
You're very welcome!!
Donna Finton says
I made this for our dinner. It is absolutely delicious!!! Can hardly wait for dinner. Question though: could I add peas to this or would that ruin the flavor??
Natasha says
Hi Donna!! I'm so glad it was a hit! 🙂 I think if you're a fan of peas, it should be just fine. I'd add them in towards the end of cooking time, just to warm through.
Donna Finton says
Omgosh. Thank u for replying so quickly. Ok....I will only add a few peas as I DON'T want to change the flavor. Your sauce is scrumptius. It will be my "go to" alfredo sauce from now on. Thanx again!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Donna! 🙂 Enjoy!
Jodi says
Delicious! Thank you for sharing! Will definitely use this recipe again!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Jodi! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Chelly says
Thank you for posting this recipe! It is so gooood!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! Glad you liked it!
Pam says
Tried this as written, my personal preference is an alfredo sauce without the cream cheese.
Heather says
This is so good! We enjoyed it and I’m serving it again this weekend for company coming to celebrate my husband’s birthday.
Natasha says
Love that!! 🙂 Thanks for your comment, Heather!
Laur Jones says
This recipe is amazing !! always us This recipe for my chicken pasta . Made for my friend daughter she said this the best pasta I ever had taste like 5 star restaurant ....
Natasha says
Aww that's so nice to hear!! 😀 Thanks for taking the time to write me a review! Appreciate it.
Misty Overton says
This recipe is perfection!! Thank you for sharing! This is be a regular on our menu
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! So glad you enjoyed it, Misty! 😀
J H says
Oh my so good 👍😍
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Excellent to hear 🙂
Deb Kruk says
Made this last night for dinner and it was fabulous! Even my husband that is not a big Alfredo fan loved how creamy and garlicky it was. We could not stop eating it. I did add some broccoli which I steamed for a few minutes at the end and incorporated and a tablespoon of sun dried tomatoes. Such a versatile sauce. Thanks so much , this is a keeper and easy to make.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That's great to hear! 🙂 Appreciate your review, and we love the broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes idea.
Trisha says
Is this easy to double?
Natasha says
I'd say yes... I would double all ingredients. Cook the chicken in batches.
Ece (‘AJ’) says
Hi! Would I be able to make this recipe ahead and reheat or is it best to make it right before dinner time? Thank you!
Natasha says
Hi! So, for this recipe it's definitely better fresh. Hope you enjoy it!
joe poole says
heyyyy this was amazing it tasted like cherry chopsticks ii will be sure to check this out again dude i wanna eat it all to myself its amazing. i can see youuu
Valerie Marie says
Thank You this was Absolutely delicious! I Upped the servings to 11 because I was cooking for 4 adults and 3 teenagers LoL needless to say we only had about a serving and a half by the end of the night 😂 I guess everybody loved it as much as I did! 💙
Natasha says
Haha that's great!! I'm so happy it was enjoyed by all! 🙂
Walter Kallenback says
Great recipe. I used chicken tenders instead of breasts Came out delish
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for your review, Walter!
Jessica says
My family loves this dish! They request it a few times each month. A couple weeks ago I tried a different recipe and my family was not happy (me either). We threw the leftovers away. This one is the best and so simple!
Natasha says
That makes me so happy!!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know, Jessica!
Taylor says
Love it so much! Do you have the nutrition info for this dish?
Natasha says
Hi Taylor! I decided to not include it on this recipe at this time. It's meant to be a treat, and I don't want to make anyone feel bad for making it. You can easily plug it into a calculator like My Fitness Pal, though, if you really need to know (or weigh out the actual ingredients you're using for serious calorie tracking purposes).
JP says
Best alfredo I had in my life!!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂
Sha says
Have you tried using Ricotta instead of cream cheese?
Natasha says
Hello! Nope... I've only made the recipe as written. Ricotta often gets a bit of a grainy texture when melted, so I don't think it would work quite the same. Mascarpone could possibly work if you wanted to sub the cream cheese, but I am only guessing.
Marian T says
Made this for the family last night & they loved it!! They said the sauce smelled amazing. I doubled the recipe so I had leftovers today and it was still amazing heated up. Thank you. -MT
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂 You're very welcome!
Donnie S. says
Question, can you double this recipe if needed?
Natasha says
Absolutely. You will likely need to work in batches (especially to cook the chicken), but it's definitely doable by straight doubling every ingredient.
Natalija Stamenkovic says
Hey can someone please send me this reciepe in grams it would really help. Thanks in advanced 😘
Kelly Jo says
Another delicious recipe! So freaking creamy and awesome!!!
Natasha says
Aww thanks so much, Kelly!! Appreciate your review. XO
Sonya says
How many does this typically feed?
Natasha says
Hi! All my recipes list the number of servings in the recipe card. 🙂 This feeds 4, but of course it depends on how hungry people are and what else it's served with etc.
Alysonne Hatfield says
This was super yummy and easy. I added some lemon zest and chives as a garnish to zip it up a little bit. Enjoying leftovers now!
Natasha says
Yay!! So pleased you liked it and the leftovers too! 🙂
Anna says
Delish truly a winner!
Natasha says
Thanks so much!!
Eileen says
Not terrible but The cream cheese flavor is too dominant. Makes you wonder “where’a the bagel”. A Traditional recipe with butter, cream and parmesan is delicious and creamy. No need to add cream cheese
Natasha says
Well, I explain in the blog post why the cream cheese is added and that this isn't meant to be like a traditional Alfredo sauce. Sorry you didn't enjoy it!
Leanna says
It mentions in the recipe steps that if it gets too thick or prefer it thinner to add some pasta water. Did you try that step?
Emily says
I’ve made this dish many times and each one was super good!! Follow the instructions as is and super yummy! Making it again tonight and I can’t wait to eat it 🙂 also making homemade garlic bread with a baguette, and salad and wow is it ever good all together! Thank you so much for this recipe! P.s. LOVE the cream cheese in it 😍
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm so glad that you enjoy it! 🙂 Thank you!!
Maricela T says
Made it today 6/22/21 for lunch. It was super easy and delicious made some adjustments since I didn’t have chicken broth, I added 2.5 cups heavy cream and since I’m Mexican I also added a small chunk of greated Cotija cheese. I had left over gilled chicken from last night dinner, I used this too. Super easy and delicious my family loved it.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you all liked it!! 🙂
Jenni Brayton says
I absolutely love your recipes, but this one was way too creamy and rich for us. Definitely a winner for anyone who LOVES extra thick, creamy sauce though!
Natasha says
No worries... can't win 'em all I guess! I'm glad you tried it and have enjoyed my other recipes... sorry this one wasn't a hit for you. 🙁
Rebecca Crakow says
I’m planning on making this dish soon and thought I’d make it with 8 breasts.( feeding 8 people) 1 breast per person just in case. Naturally I have to increase the oil and butter to fry the chicken- and the pasta / sauce! Is there anything else I should do?
Natasha says
Hi! I think that will probably cover it. If the oil/butter gets a bit too dark, you may want to drain it after frying or wipe out the pan as needed. The sauce may take a bit longer to thicken since there will be more of everything in there, so I'd just play timing by ear. Hope everyone enjoys it! 🙂
Lynn says
This a absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it which is saying a lot! The directions were easy to follow and detailed. I plan on making it again and again.
Natasha says
That's great to hear!! 🙂 Thank you, Lynn!
Taylor Cichoski says
Amazing!! The whole family loved it.
Natasha says
Great to hear!! Thank you!
Lynette B says
Your photos show little green bits in there, but there are no ingredients that are green.....what is this mysterious ingredient?
Natasha says
Haha it's just chopped parsley! I add it to give the photos a little pop of color. I don't add it to the ingredients list since it's not integral to the recipe, but feel free to add some. It's a nice little burst of freshness. 🙂
M says
I don’t see where you add cream
Natasha says
Step 5.
Janelle Casey says
What is the nutrition information for this?
Natasha says
Hi Janelle! This is definitely a treat meal. If you really want to know, I recommend plugging it into My Fitness Pal.