When we grill chicken around here I make sure that we do enough extra to use in this recipe!
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Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Easy pasta dinner comes together lickety-split (it's fast!)
- Great way to use leftover cooked chicken or a Rotisserie
- Pasta lovers agree it's better—and cheaper—than Olive Garden's
With creamy sauce, smoky chicken, and perfectly al dente pasta, this grilled chicken alfredo recipe gets the whole family excited for dinner.
This easy recipe works whether you want a simple pasta dish for quick weeknight meals or want something classic and comforting to serve guests.
It has everyone licking their plates and begging for more. There's something so delicious about creamy chicken and pasta dishes (like this angel chicken)!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
The simplest Italian pasta recipes are usually the best—you don't need to get too fancy! However, here are some ideas to make grilled chicken Alfredo work best for your family.
- Feel free to use rotisserie chicken, leftover shredded chicken, thin strips from the freezer section, or whatever else you have. We love this recipe best with cajun grilled chicken breasts!
- Make a classic chicken fettuccine alfredo by using long, flat, fettuccine pasta! Any size or shape will taste great, though.
- If you feel like making a homemade Alfredo sauce, go for it! Otherwise, your favorite jarred brand will do the trick.
- Turn this satisfying, simple dish into a full meal by adding some peas, mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach, broccoli, or other tasty veggies.
- Top the chicken alfredo with some crispy bacon—yum.
- Swap the parmesan for a grated pecorino romano blend, if you can find some.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Slice the grilled chicken.
- Stir the hot Alfredo sauce into the cooked pasta.
🥫 Storage
For best results, serve the grilled chicken Alfredo pasta immediately—the rich Alfredo sauce doesn't taste as good when reheated.
However, if you have some leftovers, don't toss 'em! Store them in the fridge in an airtight container for a day or two.
Before reheating in the microwave, add a splash of water, milk, or heavy cream to the pasta. Then, heat in short, quick increments—stir frequently to prevent the Alfredo sauce from splitting.
Weekly prep
If you like to prep easy dinner recipes in advance, I recommend making the chicken and pasta, first, and then storing them separately in the fridge.
Then, each day, you can portion out some pasta and chicken into your bowl and heat up just enough sauce to cover it. Like pasta and chicken, an opened jar of Alfredo sauce will last in the fridge for about four days.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Use good parmesan cheese for a better-than-restaurant quality meal. Instead of looking near the pre-shredded cheese in the regular dairy aisle, head towards the fancier cheese section—it's usually near the deli, bakery, or prepared foods in most big grocery stores!
- For extra juicy chicken, set it in a brine overnight or marinate it before cooking. Zesty Italian dressing is a quick and delicious marinade hack!
- If you don't have access to an outdoor grill, you can get a similar flavor using a cast iron grill pan on the stovetop.
- Trying a new brand of sauce? Sneak a taste before mixing it with the pasta. If it feels like it's missing something, add some Italian seasoning and a few cracks of fresh black pepper.
- Don't let the Alfredo sauce boil, or it'll split.
- The same goes for adding cold cream sauce to a hot pan—bad results! Rather, dump the sauce into a room-temperature pan, then slowly heat it up on the stove over low heat.
- Drain the pasta into a strainer placed over a small bowl. Then, use this starchy pasta water to thin out a thick sauce—sometimes, just a few tablespoons is all you need. (This also helps the sauce stick better to your noodles!)
👩🍳 FAQs
Alfredo is a creamy white sauce made with butter, heavy whipping cream, and parmesan cheese. Some people add minced garlic, herbs, or spices for more flavor. Occasionally, you'll find an Alfredo made with cream cheese, but that's more of a time-saving trick in less traditional Italian food recipes.
Since the pasta's covered in a rich sauce, we love simple, lighter sides with this meal. A small salad, some grilled or steamed veggies, and—of course—a nice slice of garlic bread hit the spot!
You can, but it doesn't taste as delicious thawed and reheated. Plus, since prep time takes 10-15 minutes at the most, I recommend simply making up a pot when you're in the mood.
Sure thing! Alfredo pasta is delicious with or without the protein. Consider swapping the chicken for some veggies, like spinach and peas, or mushrooms and broccoli. You can also use your favorite vegetarian meat-style protein, like grilled tofu with cajun spices.
📚 Related recipes
- Creamy and comforting, One-Pan Tortellini Alfredo comes together in just twenty minutes and saves you from cleaning dishes all night!
- This Sausage Alfredo Skillet tastes smoky, creamy, and satisfying after a long day. It's super easy and quick to make—and, you'll be glad you did.
- With just 5 minutes of prep, Crockpot Chicken and Gravy tastes like the homestyle meal you loved as a kid—great over pasta, rice, or potatoes!
- Chicken Alfredo Lasagna is a fun way to make dinner time exciting. Everyone loves a classic that's switched up a bit, and this one is delish!
🍽️ Serve with...
- Italian Green Bean Salad is light and refreshing—it's perfect with a creamy pasta dish and comes together super quickly.
- Garlic Breadsticks and grilled chicken Alfredo go together like PB&J. Why split up such a classic pairing?
- Lemon Bundt Cake is the perfect, citrusy dessert to brighten up your palate after a creamy dinner. With gingersnap crust, it's basically a "digestif," just like they'd serve in Italy!
📞 The last word
I just love pasta. It's family friendly, quick, easy, and has so many delicious variations. It's the grilled chicken that makes this recipe work!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Grilled Chicken Alfredo
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds grilled chicken breasts, I like to use the cajun grilled chicken recipe here on Restless Chipotle
- 24 ounces pasta, fettuccine, rotini, farfalle, or your favorite
- 15 ounces Alfredo sauce
- 1 ½ cups shaved Parmesan cheese, optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grill chicken breasts, use leftover grilled chicken, or rotisserie chicken.
- Let rest 5 minutes then slice into strips on the diagonal.
- Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until a la dente (or done the way you like it).
- Drain pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of the pasta water.
- Heat the Alfredo sauce.
- Spoon the pasta into a serving dish.
- Cover with the hot Alfredo sauce.
- Stir to combine and coat the pasta.
- Top with the sliced cooked chicken.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- I like using my cajun grilled chicken.
- Don't ever let the sauce boil - it will separate.
- Make this super fast with rotisserie or grilled chicken breast from the store.
- I like to grill a lot of chicken when we're grilling and freeze it for later. It makes this dish go together super fast.
- Marinating the chicken for this Alfredo gives it more flavor (but it's not required). 30 minutes in zesty Italian dressing works great!
- Alfredo sauce tends to "break" when it's warmed up. Best to make it and eat it right then.
- Add spinach or broccoli if you like.
- Serve with a warm baguette and a salad. Quick, easy perfection!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
Everyone loves the spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp. It's sweetly romantic with the lighting and the sharing of pasta. Italian food is romantic but it's also comfort food.
And that's why we love it -- it speaks of love in all of its forms. The textures are addictive -- creamy sauces, crunchy breading, tender pasta. The flavors in Italian food run the gamut from rich ragu sauce and fiery puttenesca to mellow garlic butters and soothing Alfredo. There's something for everyone.
Plus Italian dishes lend themselves to special dinners. The kind where you walk in the house and the lights are dimmed, the kids are at the babysitters, and a bottle of champagne chills in an ice bucket illuminated by flickering candlelight.
Then again, it's just as welcome on a weekend with all the family gathered around the table, laughing and talking as a platter of pasta is passed around and a pitcher of sangria is filled again and again.
As you can probably see I am not a purist when it comes to pasta. I use whatever I have on hand. Feel free to do the same.
First published July 2015. Last updated June 6, 2023 for better images and helpful content.
Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert says
I love Chicken Alfredo! I have never had it at Olive Garden but I am a huge fan of re-creating and improving on restaurant recipes! This one looks great!
Healing Tomato says
Chicken and alfredo make a great recipe idea. This is a very hearty meal. Pasta makes it so fulfilling.
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
This looks so delicious Marye. I love all the fresh basil!!! I'm a pasta lover too....