Tender skillet chicken alfredo (Printer View)

Tender chicken breast in creamy Alfredo sauce with pasta for a comforting Italian-American dish.

# Components:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1.1 lbs), 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 (8 fl oz)
07 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3.5 oz)
08 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (8 fl oz)
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)

# Method steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup 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 and cook 5–6 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
03 - Reduce heat to medium and add remaining butter and olive oil to the skillet. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits from the skillet. Add heavy cream and nutmeg, then simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.
05 - Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in Parmesan cheese until fully melted and sauce is smooth.
06 - Return cooked pasta and chicken to the skillet. Toss to thoroughly coat, adding reserved pasta water incrementally until desired sauce consistency is achieved.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It all happens in one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying your food.
  • The sauce is impossibly creamy without feeling heavy, thanks to a trick with pasta water that brings everything together.
  • Dinner tastes restaurant-quality but comes together faster than you'd expect on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh and always, always on low heat—high heat causes the cheese to break and separate into grainy clumps instead of melting into silk.
  • That reserved pasta water is essential; the starch is what helps the sauce cling to every piece instead of pooling at the bottom of the skillet.
03 -
  • Cook your chicken strips to just done, not beyond—they'll continue cooking slightly in the hot sauce and stay tender instead of turning rubbery.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks separated, remove it from heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold broth or cream to bring it back together.
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