This rich and creamy Chicken Alfredo recipe features homemade alfredo sauce tossed with tender and juicy chicken. An incredibly delicious single serving meal that can be ready in just 30 minutes!
A big bowl of fettuccine noodles and tender pieces of chicken coated with a rich, cheesy Alfredo sauce is a dinner wish come true. This easy single serving Chicken Alfredo is unbelievably easy to make and comes together in just 30 minutes!
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What Is Chicken Alfredo?
Chicken Alfredo is a popular Italian-American dish found in many Italian restaurants. It is made with fettuccine, juicy chicken, and a creamy sauce made with cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese.
Our American Alfredo sauce is a simple way to make the best Alfredo sauce. The cream and cheese are simmered over low heat until thickened.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy Alfredo sauce recipe: My cream sauce is made with easy-to-find ingredients so you shouldn't be tempted to buy the thick, goopy jarred sauces from the supermarket that are loaded with preservatives. Homemade Alfredo sauce cooks quickly and you won't believe how rich and creamy it is. As the sauce cooks on the stove, it thickens as it reduces and clings to the fettuccine perfectly.
- Tender chicken: I use 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh which is cut into pieces and then pan-seared for just a few minutes on each side. The chicken is moist inside with a golden crust on the outside.
- Recipe doubles well: This easy chicken Alfredo recipe comes together quickly and the ingredients can be doubled if you would like to make more.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Butter: I use salted butter to cook the chicken and it is also used in the sauce.
- Chicken: Use 1 (5 to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thigh cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Salt and black pepper: These ingredients add flavor.
- Heavy cream: I recommend using heavy cream (double cream) or heavy whipping cream. Both of these ingredients are essentially the same - they both have over 36% milk fat, and the name often depends on the brand. The high amount of fat in the cream reduces the chance of the sauce curdling. I do not recommend using whole milk. You can use half and half but if you do not use heavy cream, the sauce will be much thinner and will have a less velvety consistency.
- Lemon juice: The acid from lemon juice when mixed with heavy cream helps to thicken the Alfredo sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese provides a nutty and savory taste. I prefer freshly grated Parmesan cheese because it melts beautifully into the sauce. If you use pre-packaged or jarred Parmesan instead, the cheese may not melt as well, making the sauce grainy.
- Fettuccine: Long, flat fettuccine is perfect in this recipe. The sauce clings perfectly to its flat surface. Linguini is another great choice, or use penne or ziti instead. Use 2 ounces of dry pasta in this recipe.
What Does 2 Ounces Of Dry Pasta Look Like?
I recommend using 2 ounces of dry fettuccine in this Chicken Alfredo Recipe. Since long noodles can be hard to measure, the easiest way to cook this amount is to gather the dry fettuccine in your hand so that the amount is roughly the diameter of a quarter or 2 ¼ inches in circumference. This amount yields 1 cup of cooked fettuccine.
Two ounces of dry linguine measures 2 ⅛ inches (circumference) and two ounces of dry penne is equal to ⅔ of a cup.
How To Make Chicken Alfredo For One
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
Pro Tip: You might like to drizzle a small amount of olive oil or add a small amount of butter to the fettuccine to keep the noodles from sticking together.
- Cook the chicken: Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 6 minutes, flipping the chicken over to brown on all sides. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover.
Pro Tip: Leftover chicken is perfect to use in this recipe. Just skip this step and move right on to making the sauce.
- Make the Alfredo sauce: In the same pan, stir in the cream and lemon juice over medium heat. Add the butter and stir until the butter melts.
- Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and stir until the mixture begins to thicken, which takes about 3 minutes.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the sauce has thickened more and the cheese has melted, about 5-7 minutes.
Pro Tip: Alfredo sauce thickens by simmering it over medium-low heat until reduced to about ⅓ of its volume. After about 8-10 minutes, some of the water in the heavy cream evaporates, causing the solids in the dairy to concentrate which thickens the sauce. Stirring in the grated Parmesan cheese also thickens the sauce.
- Assemble: Add the cooked chicken back into the pan.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat the pasta with the Alfredo sauce.
- Transfer to a bowl and top with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Read through the entire recipe before beginning. This easy chicken Alfredo pasta comes together quickly. Be sure to read through the recipe, review the ingredient notes, and gather your ingredients before starting.
- Make sure to continuously stir the sauce, and scrape the bottom and side of the pan.
- Consider add-ins for your dish like sautéed mushrooms, fresh spinach, lightly cooked broccoli florets, or fresh herbs like oregano or thyme. If you decide to add any of these ingredients, add them to the sauce before adding the cooked chicken and pasta.
- Don't skimp and use store-bought sauce. The sauce in our recipe comes from my classic Alfredo sauce recipe which is the best Alfredo sauce; store-bought versions just don't compare.
- Want to lighten up the sauce? The Alfredo sauce is wonderfully rich and creamy and while I don't recommend using anything but heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, you can use half and half instead to cut some of the calories and fat. Just keep in mind that the lower the fat content, the thinner the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 10-inch skillet is a perfect size for making Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. You will also need to use a medium-sized saucepan for cooking the pasta. I use a 2-quart saucepan.
Yes. If you'd like to make a second bowl, just double the ingredient amounts and use a larger pan.
If you find your sauce to be too thin, continue simmering it for another minute or two and allow it to sit off the heat before adding the cooked chicken and pasta. Alternatively, if the sauce is too thin, add a bit more cream to thin it to your liking.
Long, flat fettuccine is perfect in this recipe. The sauce clings perfectly to its flat surface. I also like using linguini or penne. In the end, you can really use just about any pasta you have on hand.
Storage
- Make Ahead: Chicken Alfredo is best made and enjoyed right away. The chicken can be cooked up to 1 day in advance. Homemade Alfredo sauce should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 4 days. When refrigerated, Alfredo sauce will thicken but a few minutes of gentle heat on the stovetop or microwave will make it silky and creamy again.
- Leftovers: Any leftover chicken fettuccine Alfredo should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Reheat on the stovetop over low heat until the chicken with Alfredo sauce is heated through or reheat in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
I like to pair Chicken Alfredo with a light salad. The dish is hearty and a simple side salad perfectly balances the creamy Alfredo sauce. A few slices of homemade French bread or roasted vegetables also make great additions.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy Chicken Alfredo recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Chicken: Coq au Vin, Chicken Tortellini Soup, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Chicken Fajitas, Cashew Chicken
- Heavy cream: Mushroom Casserole, Broccoli Cheese Soup, French Silk Pie, Crustless Quiche Lorraine, Banana Pudding
- Lemon juice: Baba Ganoush, Lemon Scones, Healing Turmeric Tea, Blueberry Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie
- Parmesan cheese: Chili Mac, Shrimp Scampi, Eggplant Parmesan, Hot Spinach Dip, Cheesy Baked Eggs
- Fettuccine: Shrimp Fettuccine, Pesto Pasta, Pasta Primavera, Pasta Carbonara, Buttered Noodles
If you’ve tried this single serving Chicken Alfredo recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Recipe
Chicken Alfredo For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces uncooked fettuccine , (2 ⅛ inches in circumference), 1 cup cooked
- 2 tablespoons butter , divided
- 1 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast , cut into 1 inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese , plus more for topping
- Optional for topping: chopped parsley
Instructions
Cook the pasta
- Bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
Cook the chicken
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 6 minutes, flipping them over to brown on all sides. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover.
Make the sauce
- In the same pan, stir in the cream and lemon juice over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and stir until the butter melts.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and stir until the mixture begins to thicken, which takes about 3 minutes.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the sauce has thickened more and the cheese has melted, about 5-7 minutes.Pro Tip: Alfredo sauce thickens by simmering it over medium-low heat until reduced to about ⅓ of its volume. After about 8-10 minutes, some of the water in the heavy cream evaporates, causing the solids in the dairy to concentrate which thickens the sauce. Stirring in the grated Parmesan cheese also thickens the sauce.
Assemble
- Add the cooked chicken back into the pan.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat the pasta with the Alfredo sauce.
- Transfer to a bowl and top with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Read through the entire recipe before beginning. This easy chicken Alfredo pasta comes together quickly. Be sure to read through the recipe, review the ingredient notes, and gather your ingredients before starting.
- Make sure to continuously stir the sauce, and scrape the bottom and side of the pan.
- Consider add-ins for your dish like sautéed mushrooms, fresh spinach, lightly cooked broccoli florets, or fresh herbs like oregano or thyme. If you decide to add any of these ingredients, add them to the sauce before adding the cooked chicken and pasta.
- Don't skimp and use store-bought sauce. The sauce in our recipe comes from my classic Alfredo sauce recipe which is the best Alfredo sauce; store-bought versions just don't compare.
- Want to lighten up the sauce? The Alfredo sauce is wonderfully rich and creamy and while I don't recommend using anything but heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, you can use half and half instead to cut some of the calories and fat. Just keep in mind that the lower the fat content, the thinner the sauce.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Basia P says
This recipe is a 10 out of a 10. The Alfredo sauce is soooo much better than any jarred sauce and so easy to make. I added some mushrooms and blanched broccoli to get some veggies in and it tasted wonderful. Instead of freezing leftover chicken I'll be making this again tomorrow.
Basia P says
Wow, this recipe is a 10 out of a 10. This Alfredo sauce sure beats any sauce from a jar and soooo easy to make. I did add some blanched broccoli and mushrooms to get some veggies in. Since I still have chicken left I'll be making this tomorrow, no need to freeze the chicken.
Kathy Summerville says
Thank you for this recipe, Joanie! My husband does not care for Chicken Alfredo but I enjoy it very much. I am so excited about making this small portion just for me.
J. Hegyi says
Great recipe.