The best-ever recipe for skinny chicken fettuccine alfredo with the creamiest alfredo sauce, made without any heavy cream! If you’re looking for a restaurant-quality chicken pasta dish, this recipe is for you!
Plus, it’s super easy to make! I make my lower fat version of this Italian pasta recipe with a béchamel-style alfredo sauce using chicken broth, whole milk and a simple roux to thicken the sauce. Plus, you’ll love the juicy garlic chicken with paprika! Don’t forget to sprinkle some extra parmesan cheese on top for even more flavor!
This easy and delicious chicken pasta recipe comes together so quickly! You’ll need just a few ingredients to make. Here are the main ingredients you’ll need:
Chicken Breast: use skinless chicken breasts for best results. This recipe will work with chicken thigh, too.
Whole Milk: instead of heavy cream for making the skinny alfredo sauce. Half and half will also work well if you want a richer sauce.
Chicken Broth: for making the alfredo sauce and for cooking the chicken. I use store-bought chicken broth.
All-Purpose Flour: for thickening the sauce.
Parmesan Cheese: for making the sauce. I also like to add additional cheese over my pasta when serving.
Garlic: for making the garlic chicken.
Fettuccini Pasta: this flat, wide pasta is the traditional choice for this recipe. You can however use just about any pasta variety!
How to Make Skinny Alfredo Sauce
If you want to enjoy alfredo sauce without all the extra calories, this skinny alfredo sauce is for you! This is the one and only alfredo sauce that I ever make at home! It’s super creamy, flavorful and made without any heavy cream!
This easy and delicious chicken pasta recipe comes together so quickly! You’ll need just a few ingredients to make. Here are the main ingredients you’ll need:
Chicken Breast: use skinless chicken breasts for best results. This recipe will work with chicken thigh, too.
Whole Milk: instead of heavy cream for making the skinny alfredo sauce. Half and half will also work well if you want a richer sauce.
Chicken Broth: for making the alfredo sauce and for cooking the chicken. I use store-bought chicken broth.
All-Purpose Flour: for thickening the sauce.
Parmesan Cheese: for making the sauce. I also like to add additional cheese over my pasta when serving.
Garlic: for making the garlic chicken.
Fettuccini Pasta: this flat, wide pasta is the traditional choice for this recipe. You can however use just about any pasta variety!
How to Make Skinny Alfredo Sauce
If you want to enjoy alfredo sauce without all the extra calories, this skinny alfredo sauce is for you! This is the one and only alfredo sauce that I ever make at home! It’s super creamy, flavorful and made without any heavy cream!
- To make this creamy sauce, I start with a couple tablespoons of butter, a few minced garlic cloves and flour to make a simple roux. A roux is made with equal parts butter and flour and is used to thicken sauces. Just cook the roux for a couple minutes, then begin adding the chicken broth. You’ll notice the sauce immediately starts to thicken; I recommend whisking constantly for a creamy and smooth sauce.
- Next, I start adding whole milk. If you want to make an even lower calorie version, you can use 2% milk. Make sure to whisk constantly and cook the sauce over medium heat until it thickens nicely. I also season the sauce with salt, pepper, a touch of nutmeg and parsley.
- At the very end, when the sauce is just about done, I also add in some grated parmesan cheese and let it melt completely. That’s it! This sauce is super easy to make and extra creamy, perfect for my skinny chicken fettuccine alfredo! Keep it warm until you’re ready to use it.
- Sauce tip: This sauce will thicken more as it stands. If you want the sauce to be extra thick, add an additional 1 tablespoon flour. Once you toss it with the pasta, it will thicken further.
Cooking the Fettuccine Pasta
Before I even get started on my alfredo sauce and chicken breast, I first bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta! To add even more flavor to the pasta, try adding 4 cups of chicken broth to the water. The broth will infuse the pasta as it cooks! For this skinny chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe, I’m using 1 pound of fettuccine pasta, cooked to al dente. Once the pasta is cooked according to package instructions, keep the pasta warm and covered until ready to use.
Pasta Tip:
Do not add oil to the pasta to keep it from sticking! This will prevent the sauce from adhering to the pasta properly! Instead, leave a little bit of pasta water in the pot after draining it. Give the pasta a quick stir before adding it into the sauce to keep it from sticking together.
Making the Juicy Garlic Chicken Breast
I make my skinny chicken fettuccine alfredo with the most delicious and extra juicy garlic chicken breast! I season the chicken with minced garlic, paprika, pepper and parsley for maximum flavor! To prepare the chicken, I first recommend butterflying the chicken, so it cooks faster. For this step, simply use a sharp knife, lay the chicken breast flat, then slice the breast horizontally and lengthwise, creating 2 equal sized and thin pieces of chicken.
Next, I fry the chicken until it’s golden brown on both sides, then I add a little bit of chicken broth to the pan and close it with a tight-fitting lid. The lid will trap the moisture inside and cook the chicken faster, making it extra juicy. I season the chicken breast with garlic, paprika and pepper at the very end. Adding the seasonings at the end ensures the flavors stay fresh and aren’t burnt.
Assembling the Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
Once you have the pasta cooked, the alfredo sauce and chicken ready, it’s time to enjoy this skinny chicken fettuccine alfredo! I use tongs to transfer the pasta from it’s pot and into the prepare alfredo sauce and then toss the pasta in the sauce until it’s well coated all over. Next, I slice the chicken thinly into bite-sized pieces, once it’s rested for a few minutes. You can either add all the chicken into the pasta and toss it all together, or you can add sliced chicken onto each serving of pasta. Both methods work well! Enjoy!
Before I even get started on my alfredo sauce and chicken breast, I first bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta! To add even more flavor to the pasta, try adding 4 cups of chicken broth to the water. The broth will infuse the pasta as it cooks! For this skinny chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe, I’m using 1 pound of fettuccine pasta, cooked to al dente. Once the pasta is cooked according to package instructions, keep the pasta warm and covered until ready to use.
Pasta Tip:
Do not add oil to the pasta to keep it from sticking! This will prevent the sauce from adhering to the pasta properly! Instead, leave a little bit of pasta water in the pot after draining it. Give the pasta a quick stir before adding it into the sauce to keep it from sticking together.
Making the Juicy Garlic Chicken Breast
I make my skinny chicken fettuccine alfredo with the most delicious and extra juicy garlic chicken breast! I season the chicken with minced garlic, paprika, pepper and parsley for maximum flavor! To prepare the chicken, I first recommend butterflying the chicken, so it cooks faster. For this step, simply use a sharp knife, lay the chicken breast flat, then slice the breast horizontally and lengthwise, creating 2 equal sized and thin pieces of chicken.
Next, I fry the chicken until it’s golden brown on both sides, then I add a little bit of chicken broth to the pan and close it with a tight-fitting lid. The lid will trap the moisture inside and cook the chicken faster, making it extra juicy. I season the chicken breast with garlic, paprika and pepper at the very end. Adding the seasonings at the end ensures the flavors stay fresh and aren’t burnt.
Assembling the Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
Once you have the pasta cooked, the alfredo sauce and chicken ready, it’s time to enjoy this skinny chicken fettuccine alfredo! I use tongs to transfer the pasta from it’s pot and into the prepare alfredo sauce and then toss the pasta in the sauce until it’s well coated all over. Next, I slice the chicken thinly into bite-sized pieces, once it’s rested for a few minutes. You can either add all the chicken into the pasta and toss it all together, or you can add sliced chicken onto each serving of pasta. Both methods work well! Enjoy!