How to Make Chicken Alfredo
This dish comes together quickly, so prepare all the ingredients beforehand. Here’s a synopsis: *Be sure to check out the full printable recipe and video tutorial down below.
- Bring the noodles to a boil: Prepare the Fettuccine al dente per the directions on the package.
- Prepare the chicken by seasoning it and pan-frying it in butter and oil for six minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. After transferring to a cutting board and resting for a short while, cut into slices that are 1/2 inch thick. Tent with foil, while you prepare the sauce.
- To make the Alfredo sauce, use the same pan that you used to cook the chicken. Add the cream, butter, and seasonings. Simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. Finally, add the Parmesan and stir until it melts and blends smoothly.
- To assemble, drain the pasta and set aside a small amount of liquid to thin out the sauce (if needed). ) Toss immediately with the Alfredo sauce. Spoon pasta into each serving bowl, then add a few cooked chicken slices on top. Garnish with parsley, more Parmesan, and black pepper if desired.
- Avoid pre-shredded cheese. For best results, use real Parmigiano-Reggiano right off the block. Pre-grated cheeses don’t melt properly, making your sauce grainy. And they simply don’t taste nearly as good.
- Don’t over-cook the chicken. When determining when the chicken is done cooking, use an instant-read thermometer to eliminate any uncertainty. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it is safe to eat; however, it will continue to cook slightly while it is resting. ).
- Make sure you have everything ready before you begin. Although the ingredient list is lengthy, it comes together quickly, much like a stir fry. Thus, prepare everything ahead of time and begin cooking.
- Though we believe the sauce’s consistency is just right, if you find it to be excessively thin, don’t worry. Before tossing with the pasta, you can simmer it for a few more minutes or turn off the heat and let it sit for a minute or two. It will thicken up. Alternatively, you can stir in a small amount of the pasta water that was set aside to thin it out if you find it to be too thick.
- Let’s not fool ourselves—this is a rich, creamy, high-calorie meal—if you want to make it lighter. However, you can reduce the amount by substituting whole or half-and-half milk for the heavy whipping cream. Just remember that the sauce gets thinner the lower the fat content.
Prepare Ahead: Although it’s best to make and serve chicken Alfredo immediately away, it can be prepared up to one day ahead of time. I don’t recommend making the sauce ahead of time. Remaining food: It is recommended to keep any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container. It will keep up to 3 days. Reheat the chicken Alfredo on the stovetop, stirring gently over low heat until it’s combined once more. Note that the sauce will likely separate during this process.
What you need to make the recipe:
- Chicken breasts: After seasoning with a light rub, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are seared in a skillet. They cook quickly to juicy perfection.
- Seasonings: Combine garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to make a savory rub. Season the chicken breasts right before cooking or up to eight hours in advance.
- Any long pasta shape, fresh or dried, will work in this recipe for fettuccine Alfredo, but the traditional shape is a long, thick noodle. Instead of fettuccine noodles, try linguine, spaghetti, or pappardelle.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream is the main component of the most delicious Alfredo sauce. Its high fat content coats the pasta so deliciously that additional thickeners (like flour or cream cheese) are not necessary. Milk or half-and-half won’t work in this recipe because of this. Choose containers labeled 20%E2%80%9Cheavy%20whipping%20cream%E2%80%9D%20or simply 20%E2%80%9Cheavy%20cream%E2%80%9D%20which%20has%20a%20fat%20content%20of up to %2038% when you go shopping for cream to make Alfredo sauce. Plain 20%E2%80%9Cwhipping cream 20%E2%80%9D is primarily about 335 percent fat, but it can also be used
- Parmesan cheese: Buy a chunk of cheese and grate it by hand with a rasp or box grater, in a food processor, or use the best freshly grated Parmesan you can afford.
- Butter: Use your choice of salted or unsalted butter. Good Irish or European-style butter is amazing in this recipe.
- Garlic: Add a teaspoon or so of finely grated fresh garlic to the cream to give it flavor.
- Parsley: As a garnish, I adore the vibrant color and flavor that fresh parsley brings. Simply leave it out if you don’t have any with you.
To give the chicken lots of flavor, make a simple seasoning rub before cooking it and adding it to the Alfredo sauce:
- 1. Put the chicken on a plate. In a small bowl, mix the onion and garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- 2. Evenly coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the rub. The chicken can be prepared right away or chilled for up to eight hours.
Cooking instructions (visual guide)
After the chicken breasts are seasoned and cooked until they are soft and golden brown, prepare the sauce in the same pan:
- 3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and the chicken.
- 4. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Cook the chicken for a further five minutes or until it’s done, covered, over medium heat.
- 5. While preparing the sauce, leave the chicken to rest on a board and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- 6. In the skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter cubes to melt.
- 7. The butter will bubble as it melts and then stop.
- 8. Pour in the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cream reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes.
- 9. Once the sauce is smooth, remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook fettuccine or your preferred pasta while the chicken and sauce are cooking.
- 10. To the sauce in the skillet, add the hot, drained noodles.
- 11. Top with the sliced chicken, grated cheese and parsley. Toss together and serve.
