Chicken
$1.70per plate
Prep
10 min
Chicken · Chicken Pasta
Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Alfredo is the ultimate creamy pasta dinner, and it is far cheaper and better made from scratch than from a jar. Bite-size pieces of chicken breast get golden in the pan, then a quick sauce of butter, garlic, cream, and a good handful of finely grated Parmesan turns silky and glossy and coats every strand of fettuccine. Done right it is creamy, not gluey or soupy, and it comes together in about half an hour for right around two dollars a plate. It is a white-sauce dish, which sets it apart from our tangier sun-dried-tomato Marry Me Chicken Pasta, and it is the meaty cousin of our meatless creamy garlic pasta. For another restaurant-style chicken dinner at home, see our Chicken Parmesan, or browse all our pasta recipes.
$1.99per plate
Estimated recipe total
$7.95 · serves 4
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/chicken-alfredo-recipe
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large skillet
Variations
- Stir in a couple handfuls of spinach or steamed broccoli for extra vegetables.
- Add crumbled bacon or cooked shrimp for a different protein pairing.
- Finish with extra cracked black pepper and a little lemon zest for brightness.
1 How to make it
1
Cook the fettuccine
Boil the fettuccine in well-salted water to one minute shy of the box time, since it finishes in the sauce. Scoop out a cup of the starchy pasta water before you drain; it is the key to a glossy sauce later. Pulling the pasta a touch early is what keeps it from turning soft and mushy once it hits the hot sauce.
2
Brown the chicken without drying it out
Pat the chicken pieces dry and season with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil with a tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering, then add the chicken in a single layer and leave it alone for a couple of minutes so it browns instead of steaming. Toss and cook just until golden and cooked through to 165 F, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Crowding the pan or stirring too soon steams the chicken gray and dries it out.
3
Remove the chicken
Move the browned chicken to a plate. Take it out before you build the sauce so it does not keep cooking while the cream simmers; overcooked chicken turns rubbery, and you want it juicy when it goes back in at the end.
4
Start the garlic butter base
Lower the heat to medium-low and melt the remaining butter in the same pan. Add the garlic and cook just 30 seconds until fragrant, scraping up the browned bits the chicken left behind. Keep the heat gentle so the garlic does not burn and turn bitter.
5
Make it creamy, not broken
Pour in the cream and warm it through without letting it boil. Off the heat or on the lowest flame, stir in the finely grated Parmesan a handful at a time until melted and smooth. Finely grated cheese is important here: it melts into the sauce evenly, while coarse or pre-shredded Parmesan clumps and turns the sauce grainy. A hard boil is the other thing that makes a cream sauce break, so keep it low and gentle.
6
Toss with pasta water
Add the drained fettuccine and toss to coat, then splash in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles. The starchy water is what loosens the sauce and pulls it together; add it slowly so the alfredo lands creamy, not soupy and not thick and gluey.
7
Return the chicken and serve
Fold the chicken and any juices back in just to warm through, then serve right away while it is silky. Alfredo is best fresh; it thickens fast as it sits, so a splash more pasta water or cream loosens it back up if needed.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Chicken thighs for breast. Boneless skinless thighs are usually cheaper and stay juicier. Cut them into bite-size pieces the same way; they may need a minute or two longer to reach 165 F.
- Milk or half-and-half for the heavy cream. For a lighter, cheaper sauce, use half-and-half, or whole milk thickened with a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch. It will be a little thinner, so lean on the Parmesan and pasta water to bring it together.
- Any long pasta. Fettuccine is classic, but linguine, spaghetti, or even penne all work. Match the cook time on the box and finish it in the sauce.
- Add a vegetable or extra protein (figured separately). A couple of handfuls of broccoli or spinach, or cooked bacon or shrimp, stir in at the end. These are add-ins figured separately and are not in the base cost.
3 Budget tips
- A from-scratch sauce of butter, cream, and Parmesan costs less than a jar of alfredo, tastes richer, and skips the preservatives.
- Buy a block of Parmesan and grate it yourself; it is cheaper per ounce than pre-grated, and finely grated fresh cheese melts smoother.
- Watch for chicken breast on sale, or use thighs; one pound stretches to four plates once it is tossed through the pasta.
- Reserve starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce instead of adding more cream; it is free and keeps the dish from getting heavy.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Alfredo thickens and the pasta keeps drinking up the sauce, so plan to loosen it when you reheat.
Freezer
Cream sauces can separate when frozen, so alfredo is best made fresh. If you must, freeze in portions for up to 1 month and stir well as it reheats to bring it back together.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave at half power, stirring in a splash of milk, cream, or water to smooth the sauce back out. High heat makes it greasy and clumps the pasta, so go low and slow.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
640
Protein
26g
Fat
31g
Carbs
51g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Chicken Alfredo and Marry Me Chicken?
Chicken Alfredo is a white sauce of butter, garlic, cream, and Parmesan over pasta. Marry Me Chicken uses a tangier sauce built on sun-dried tomatoes and broth. Both are creamy chicken dinners, but alfredo is the classic cheesy white sauce, which is why this page is a separate recipe from our Marry Me Chicken Pasta.
How do I keep alfredo sauce from breaking or turning grainy?
Keep the heat low and never let the cream boil, and stir in finely grated Parmesan off the heat a little at a time. Boiling and coarse, pre-shredded cheese are the two things that make the sauce split or go grainy. Loosen it with starchy pasta water rather than cranking the heat.
Do I have to use heavy cream?
Heavy cream makes the richest, most classic sauce, but you can use half-and-half, or whole milk thickened with a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch, for a lighter and cheaper version. Lean harder on the Parmesan and pasta water to keep it creamy.
How is $1.99 a plate figured?
About $7.95 for the whole skillet, four servings, so roughly $1.99 each. The chicken, cream, and Parmesan are the biggest costs. Optional broccoli, bacon, or shrimp would add to that and are figured separately.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
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