Skillet Chicken Alfredo (Printable)

Single-skillet chicken and pasta in creamy Alfredo sauce. Tender, restaurant-quality comfort food made easy at home in under 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), sliced into strips

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz fettuccine or penne pasta

→ Dairy & Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

→ Seasonings

10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - Extra Parmesan cheese (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken strips with salt and pepper. Add chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, lower heat to medium and add the remaining butter and olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add heavy cream and nutmeg. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.
05 - Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is smooth.
06 - Add cooked pasta and chicken back to the skillet. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce reaches desired consistency.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
08 - Garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, so cleanup is as easy as the cooking itself.
  • The sauce clings to every piece of pasta and chicken without any complicated techniques.
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen when you really spent half that time.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of cream or broth to bring the sauce back to life.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water, it's the difference between a sauce that slides off the pasta and one that clings like it belongs there.
  • Let the chicken rest on a plate after searing so it stays juicy instead of drying out while you finish the sauce.
  • Add the Parmesan off the heat or on very low heat to avoid a grainy, separated mess.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so everything has room to toss together without spilling over the sides.
  • Grate your own Parmesan from a block, the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking agents that make the sauce grainy.
  • Don't rinse the pasta after draining, the starch on the surface helps the sauce stick.
  • If the sauce gets too thick, keep adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you love.
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