This chicken tortellini Alfredo recipe is a hearty, cheesy, and comforting weeknight meal! It's easy to make and ready in about 25 minutes.
This is another tasty recipe to add to your "how do I use up leftover chicken?" arsenal. Don't have leftover chicken? Buy a rotisserie chicken. They're so useful for making quick meals, and we buy them fairly often.
Alfredo sauce is simply a mix of butter, cream, and parmesan cheese. I always like to liven it up a bit so I add in a bit of garlic and some lemon juice just to prevent it from being too rich or one-dimensional.
Love Alfredo sauce? Try these:
- Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce
- Easy Shrimp Alfredo
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Alfredo Tortellini Bake
- 15 Minute Creamy Alfredo Gnocchi
How to make Alfredo tortellini with chicken
- Cook the tortellini and drain them once they're done.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce in a skillet. Make a quick roux with the butter and flour. Whisk in the chicken broth, lemon juice, cream, and garlic. Let the sauce thicken up.
- Stir in the parmesan and season with salt & pepper.
- Toss the chicken and tortellini with the sauce. (Full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below)
A few recipe notes:
- I chose garlic powder instead of a garlic clove (or two) since it dissolves nicely and I didn't want the garlic taste to be too overpowering. With that said, feel free to use fresh garlic if you want to!
- Just a note on the serving size: this dish is fairly rich, so it does make four reasonable portions, but then I would serve them with a side salad or garlic bread or something else. If you've got super hungry people who eat a lot, it's more like two portions.
- I don't recommend subbing the cream for something else e.g. milk or half-and-half unless you're confident in your abilities to thicken up the sauce/make adjustments as needed. Also, it will taste a bit different if you don't use heavy cream.
You may also like my Cheese Tortellini with Butter, Mushrooms, and Crispy Sage.
Let me know if you've made this chicken tortellini Alfredo recipe! Tag me on Instagram if you're on there. Questions? Leave me a comment below.
Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
This chicken tortellini Alfredo recipe is a hearty, cheesy, and comforting weeknight meal! It's easy to make and ready in about 25 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1.5 cups cooked chicken (I used rotisserie) shredded
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook tortellini according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, when the tortellini is not too far away from being cooked, start the sauce. Add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, sprinkle in the flour and let it cook for about a minute (stir it).
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the pan and start whisking it to dissolve the flour (do this for about 30 seconds or so).
- Pour the cream in and add the garlic powder. Continue whisking until you've got a smooth sauce. Let it reduce for a minute or two or until desired thickness is reached. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a bit more cream or chicken broth.
- Stir in the parmesan. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Add in the chicken and drained pasta. Toss to let it heat through, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Feeds 4 if you serve it with other things (e.g. salad or garlic bread) or it makes 2 rather large portions.
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 553kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 29gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 682mgPotassium: 193mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 961IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 3mg
TAMMY NULL says
So deliciousl!! We all loved it!! It was as good as any restaurant!! My first time making homemade alfredo and it was so yummy!! Thank you so very much!! I will be making this dinner all the time!!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled to hear that, Tammy!! 😀
Barb Freund says
Another great recipe. Elevates tortellini to a restaurant quality dinner. Made exactly as she instructed and it was great. Served it with bread and salad for our family of four. Had a portion leftover and my husband claimed it for lunch. Tomorrow night is her pork tenderloin, I can’t wait to serve it!
Natasha says
Thank you!! I'm so glad it was a hit! 😀
Gina says
Delicious! I added a handful of frozen peas in before it was done and it was great. Would definitely make again.
Natasha says
Glad to hear it, Gina! 🙂
Alyssa says
Have you ever made this a few days before and refrigerating it then reheating ? I want to make this for a family function but wondering if it would keep.
Natasha says
Hello! I haven't, and I think this recipe may not be a good one to make ahead, unfortunately. The pasta will soak up the sauce, and creamy sauces tend to go a bit dry in the fridge, I find. Also, upon reheating they can separate. If you're open to suggestions, something like my baked ziti is much better to make ahead: https://bit.ly/3zOzd1r
Pat Fox says
I too would like to make this ahead of time and bring it to a cabin. If I had the sauce, chicken and cooked pasta in separate containers, can I throw it all together before serving?
Natasha says
I think that should be ok. Reheat slowly over a low heat. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Mary says
I made this tonight and it was very good. I did saute some onion and mushrooms and I added fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. Delicious!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it, Mary!! 🙂
Shawnie says
I have made this dish at least 3 times now and it gets better and better each time!!! A true staple in my household!!!
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear!! 😀 Thanks for your 5-star review!
Jen says
So easy but really good! I didn’t have heavy cream so subbed half n half which worked fine🥰
Natasha says
Excellent!! Glad it worked out. 😀
Chloe says
First time writing a recipe review, however I just HAD to write one for this recipe!! The hubby asks for this ALL the time, it’s now been a frequent menu item in our rotation!! I will say however, this makes 4 very small servings - I usually double the recipe & it works great!! Enough for leftovers - which are also delicious!! Definitely recommend to everyone!!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you like it!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Jerilyn says
I have made this several times and my family loves it. I add sautéed mushrooms and fresh spinach it is so good. Thank you!
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂 Love adding the mushrooms and spinach.
Sue Stockman says
I started by sauteing onion, red bell pepper and garlic............then follow the recipe... but then I used chicken and mozzarella ravioli.......... awesome!!
Awesome!
Natasha says
Sounds great to me, Sue!
Colleen says
I made this tonight as I was looking for some recipes to use up my leftover turkey. Loved the addition of the lemon juice, I might have added more than the recipe called for! I sent the recipe to my college daughter. I know she’ll love it. Love all the recipes on this blog.
Natasha says
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Colleen!! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Megan says
Making now! Can I sub butter with olive oil? Have everything else and hope I don't need to run to the store ?!
Natasha says
Hi Megan, I got your message on IG, but I will approve this one so others can see. Yes, olive oil will work in a pinch. 🙂
Megan says
Thank you for responding! Olive oil worked really well and this was so delicious. Honestly my fiance said this is one of his new favorite meals. I used the sauce with linguine + peppers, spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes with a side of grilled chicken. Will be making this more for now on! Thank you for sharing. Excited to try some more of your recipes.
Natasha says
You're very welcome! 🙂
Matt - Total Feasts says
I love recipes that help me use up leftovers. I could easily see my family picking up a roast chicken from Costco and using the leftovers for this dish! Great idea!
Natasha says
Thanks so much!