5 Ingredient Chicken Alfredo Recipe Easy Creamy Dinner in 30 Minutes
A quick and creamy chicken Alfredo recipe using only five ingredients, ready in about 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners with simple pantry staples.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound / 450g)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240ml)
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (100g)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (55g)
- 12 ounces fettuccine or linguine pasta (340g)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook chicken about 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp 165°F / 74°C). Remove from pan, let rest, then slice thinly.
- Lower heat to medium-low and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Pour in heavy cream and warm gently, stirring occasionally. After 3-4 minutes, remove skillet from heat and gradually add Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until sauce is smooth and thickened.
- Add drained pasta and sliced chicken to the skillet with sauce. Toss gently to coat. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
Save reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency. Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese and add it off heat to avoid grainy sauce. Do not overcrowd pan when cooking chicken to keep it juicy. Cook pasta slightly less than package instructions to avoid mushiness. For dairy-free version, substitute heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk and Parmesan with nutritional yeast. Leftovers keep well in fridge up to 4 days; reheat gently with splash of cream or milk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approxima
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 38
Keywords: chicken alfredo, creamy chicken pasta, easy dinner, 5 ingredient recipe, weeknight dinner, fettuccine alfredo