Easy Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

Highlights of this recipe:

• Filling & protein packed: with broccoli, bacon, and chicken this dish is filling and the protein will help keep everyone full for hours. Bacon has roughly 3 grams of protein per slice and chicken has roughly 30 grams of protein per chicken breasts. Combined with the carbs and fat this is a fairly balanced meal!
• Homemade alfredo sauce: making your own alfredo sauce is so simple and it doesn’t contain and weird additives or funky ingredients. All you need is garlic, butter, cream, parmesan cheese, and fresh cracked black pepper. The sauce comes together in minutes and is hard to mess up!
• Great for leftovers: this pasta dish reheats very well making it great for meal prep or weeknight leftovers. Reheat in a skillet or microwave and you have a quick meal.
• Budget friendly dish: not only is this dish filling but it can be budget friendly as well. pasta is affordable and can stretch a long way. Bacon and chicken can be bought on sale and stored in the freezer until needed. Broccoli can be fresh or frozen depending on the season.

This pasta is loaded with goodies, try serving is with a simple lettuce salad or this BLT Salad. Homemade garlic bread, warm baguette, or Air Fryer Frozen Garlic Knots also go great with this pasta.

I like to top my alfredo with red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and extra bacon crumbles. Spoon over extra alfredo sauce or serve some sauce on the side to dip your bread in. The whole family will love this 30-minute dinner, they may even request it weekly!

Ingredient List & Substitutions

• Pasta: any type of pasta can be used, you do not have to use fettucine noodles. Cook according to package instructions.
• Broccoli: fresh broccoli florets are best but frozen broccoli will also work in a pinch. Add as much broccoli as you prefer. Other vegetables like cauliflower or asparagus also work great.
• Chicken: use boneless skinless chicken thighs, boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenders, leftover roasted chicken or leftover shredded rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
• Bacon: any kind of bacon will work for this recipe, if needed for a short-cut, use pre-cooked bacon bits. Set aside some bacon bits to top the pasta with if desired.
• Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil can all be substitutes.
• Butter: I prefer unsalted butter so I can control the salt better, we also have salt coming from the roasted chicken, bacon, and broccoli.
• Garlic: add as many fresh garlic cloves as desired, I use upwards of around 4 or 5 cloves. Jarred minced garlic can be a substitute. Use garlic powder in a pinch.
• Heavy cream: I recommend heavy whipping cream or full-fat half and half for this recipe. Sometimes milk or non-dairy milks can make the sauce to thin as they don’t simmer down quite the same.
• Parmesan cheese: pre-shredded or freshly shredded parmesan cheese adds a touch of saltiness and melts into a rich, creamy sauce. Shredded asiago or Romano cheese can be a substitute.

How to Make the Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine

Let’s talk a little about how to make this Easy Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe (The instructions are in the printable recipe card below.)

Quick overview:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add chicken, bacon, and broccoli to a sheet pan. Coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast.
• Combine garlic, butter, cream, and parmesan cheese in a large skillet. Simmer until thickened.
• Cooked pasta according to package instructions.
• Add pasta, cubed chicken, bacon, and broccoli into sauce.
• Toss to combine and enjoy.

1. Cook fettucine noodles according to package instruction in a large pot of salted water until al dente, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water incase needed for sauce. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add in garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add in cream and parmesan cheese.
3. Simmer over medium heat until cheese melts and the sauce begins to thicken. If the sauce is too thick, thin with some of the reserved pasta water. Season with black pepper. *Make sure you use a large pan so everything fits!

4. Add broccoli florets, chicken, and bacon to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season chicken with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and broccoli is tender.

5. Remove from oven, cube chicken and dice cooked bacon. Reserve some bacon for toppings, if desired.

6. Add diced bacon, cooked chicken, and tender broccoli into the creamy alfredo sauce. Stir to combine.

7. Add cooked noodles into the pan and toss everything to combine. Serve topped with additional parmesan cheese and fresh basil or fresh parsley.

More Easy Weeknight Recipes

• Ginger Broccoli Chicken Recipe – a quick skillet meal with chicken and broccoli in a homemade ginger sauce
• Chicken Marsala Recipe without Wine – lightly breaded chicken and mushrooms in a cream sauce.
• Creamy Smothered Cajun Chicken Pasta – panko breaded chicken and a Cajun cream sauce over pasta.
• Easy One Pan Chicken Piccata Dinner Recipe – pan seared chicken in a lemon caper sauce.

Tools I Use For This Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

• Glasslock Glass Food Storage Containers – the square containers are the perfect size for lunches or leftovers, stain proof, and they are dishwasher safe. Great if you have leftover chicken alfredo.
• Wooden Spoons – perfect for sautéing and mixing, and great for not scratching your pans. Remember to deep clean your wooden utensils once a month!
• Sauté pan: I love this non-stick sauté pan for several things, it is oven safe making it perfect for one-skillet meals that need to cook on the stove and bake in the oven. I like the high walls of the pan for keeping messes at bay, this pan is big enough to hold this pasta and all the add-ins!
• USA Pan Half Sheet Pan – my go-to sheet pans, these are truly non-stick and clean up nicely

Recipe FAQs

What can I add to store-bought alfredo sauce to make it taste better?

If using a jar of store-bought you can add in minced garlic or garlic powder, fresh cracked black pepper, and a bit of fresh shaved parmesan to give it a more homemade flavor.

What do I do if my alfredo sauce is too thick?

Reserve a bit of the pasta water, about 1/2 cup, to use incase the alfredo sauce thickens too much. You can also thin with a bit of chicken stock or an extra splash of cream.

What other types of noodles can I use in my alfredo?

You can use any type of pasta in this recipe. Angle hair pasta, spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, shells, or rotini pasta are all good options. If you want to get fancy, you could use a store-bought cheese ravioli or tortellini.

How to store leftover broccoli and chicken alfredo?

Leftover alfredo pasta can be cooled completely and transferred to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet or in the microwave.