Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Alfredo is all cooked in ONE POT! Ready and on the table in less than 20 minutes!
Crispy golden seared chicken is mixed through a super creamy garlic parmesan Alfredo sauce! My favorite chicken alfredo recipe with the pasta cooked right in is good comfort food at its finest.
Chicken Alfredo
Move over store-bought Alfredo sauces and even restaurant Alfredo. This chicken alfredo recipe has a reliable homemade Alfredo sauce! SO MUCH FLAVOR!
This recipe is for those emergency dinner moments, a throw-it-all-in-a-pot recipe you can do in minutes! Just a simple pot and humble stovetop needed.
On the stove
Sear chicken thighs (or skinless chicken breasts) first to enjoy the crispy golden texture through the creamy pasta, then remove them to ensure juicy chicken pieces.
You're more than welcome to dice the chicken first, sear it, then leave it right in the pot to continue cooking as you add in the rest of your ingredients.
Alfredo Sauce
The sauce in this recipe naturally thickens as the starch from the penne pasta is released into the sauce while cooking. If the sauce for your chicken Alfredo pasta is too thick for your liking, add extra cream (or evaporated milk) in 1/4 cup increments until smooth and silky. While we use penne for this one-pot method, you can easily swap it out for long noodles if you prefer a classic chicken fettuccine alfredo.
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Kitchen tip
There are three main steps to this recipe. CHICKEN → ALFREDO SAUCE → PASTA.
- The sauce we use includes wine. We love wine in this, but you can leave it out altogether if you wish.
- If using wine, please use a good quality dry white wine. We use a $20 bottle of Pinot Grigio in most of our recipes on this site, but a good Sauv Blanc or Chardonnay will suit the flavors in this creamy sauce.
- You can substitute the heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) with half and half, light cream, or a reduced-fat cooking cream to lower the overall fat content and reduce the calories. My secret for a smooth texture is sticking to the full-fat options, but you can also use evaporated milk depending on your dietary requirements.
- Using freshly grated parmesan cheese enhances the flavor and ensures the cheese melts through your chicken alfredo sauce. Please don't use powdered parmesan.
- The sauce in this recipe naturally thickens as the starch from the penne pasta is released while cooking. If the sauce for your chicken alfredo pasta is too thick, add hot water, extra cream, or evaporated milk in 1/4 cup increments until smooth and silky.
- Remove the pot off the stove while there's still a bit of sauce in the bottom of the pot and the pasta is cooked al dente (firm to the bite). The sauce begins to evaporate quite quickly while it sits waiting to be served, and as you mix it through adjusting salt and pepper.
Chicken alfredo has never been easier!
More Pasta Recipes
Pasta is so versatile that you can create tons of recipes with it. We love to have it with a piece of garlic butter bread to soak up the sauce. There are so many ways to switch it up, from a simple dinner dish to a lighter version with bacon.
You can also take pasta in a different direction with pan-seared chicken breasts with Tuscan mac and cheese.
If you have extra skinless chicken thighs on hand, they're also great for making chicken with champagne sauce.
What you need
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 pinch salt to season
- 1 pinch cracked pepper to season
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced, or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup dry white wine optional
- 8 oz brown mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream divided, thickened cream, light cream, evaporated milk can also be used
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
- 8 oz dry pasta penne or fettuccini
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 pinch fresh parsley chopped, to garnish
Method
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Heat half of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and sear on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil in the pot. Fry onion until transparent, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes). Sauté the garlic until fragrant (30 seconds), then add in the white wine and allow to reduce to half (about 4-5 minutes). Add the mushrooms and cook for about a minute, while stirring occasionally.
- Pour in broth and 1 cup of cream (or evaporated milk); season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer then add the pasta. Mix well, reduce the heat to a slow simmer while stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente (about 15 minutes).
- Stir in the parmesan cheese until it melts through the sauce. Remove from heat immediately and slowly add in 1/4-1/2 cup remaining cream if sauce it too thick for your liking. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
- Slice the chicken into strips and stir through the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and extra parmesan, if desired
