This Chicken Alfredo pasta recipe combines everything all in one pot for an easy comfort food meal. The pasta cooks right in the sauce.
Have you ever tried a one-pot pasta recipe before? All of the ingredients go into one pot, including the pasta. The right amount of cooking liquid is added so that when the pasta has cooked, the dish is ready to eat and all of the liquid is absorbed.
It’s easy, delicious, and perfect for making busy weeknights run more smoothly.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Italian Vs. American Alfredo
This recipe is a cross between the traditional Italian Fettuccine Alfredo, which has a lighter sauce with Parmesan and pasta water, and the beloved but Americanized Fettuccine Alfredo, which includes heavy cream.
The sauce for this chicken alfredo recipe is a bit lighter than the Italian version yet not as thick and creamy as the Americanized version you may be used to. It’s really the best of both worlds.
More Recipes with Alfredo Flavor
Making One-Pot Chicken Alfredo
With this Chicken Alfredo recipe, the pasta noodles finish cooking and all you have to do is stir in a bit of Parmesan cheese and voila! Dinner is ready in a flash. Can you believe that? You’re just going to have to try it out yourself to be sure.
You’ll first cook cubes of chicken breast in the pot and set them aside until the rest of the dish is done. But, the browned bits of chicken at the bottom of the pot are like flecks of flavor gold. No need to dirty more than one dish, you’ll want to be sure that gets into the dish.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. The you add in water, heavy cream, and the pasta and stir. This liquid not only cooks the pasta, but becomes our tasty sauce.
Allow this to cook, stirring frequently for 9 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Add the cooked chicken back to the pot along with the Parmesan cheese, and done!
If you want to stir in some spinach, mushrooms, or halved cherry tomatoes at the end to complete the meal, you can. If you have leftover cooked broccoli, this is also a good use for that.
I know you’re going to love this recipe and use it all of the time when you need some comfort food on a weeknight! Enjoy!
More Amazing One Dish Dinners
One-Pot Chicken Alfredo Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
This Chicken Alfredo pasta recipe combines everything all in one pot for an easy comfort food meal. The pasta cooks right in the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 3 cups water
- 1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 12 oz. linguini
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place a large stock pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat and heat the olive oil until hot, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken breast and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate.
- Add the butter directly into the pot, scraping the bits of cooked chicken off the bottom of the pot.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and stir.
- Add the water, heavy cream, and pasta and stir.
- Allow this to cook, stirring frequently for 9 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir in the cooked chicken and Parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
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This post originally appeared in March 2019 and was revised and republished in March 2024.