Name: Grilled Chicken Alfredo
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 16 ounces fettuccine pasta; 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 cup salted butter; 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; 2 1/2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese; freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

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Grilled chicken Alfredo is the perfect grill recipe for pasta lovers! Coat your favorite cooked pasta in creamy warm Alfredo sauce and top it with juicy grilled chicken, for an easy dinner recipe that your whole family will love.

A large white skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains fettuccine noodles coated in Alfredo sauce, topped with sliced chicken breast and parsley. More parsley and Parmesan cheese sits to the side.

It’s grilling season! It has been sunny and beautiful here the last few days, which means lots of hikes and backyard time. It’s also means that the grill has returned to the patio! My husband and I got a new grill this year for our Christmas present to each other, and we have been dying to use it for months now. We tried it a few times over the winter, but there is just something about standing out in sub-zero temperatures and snow that takes all the fun out of grilling. Thankfully today is warm and bright, and drinking a sparkling water on the patio with the grill sounds like exactly where I want to be come dinner time.

Since pasta is my kids’ favorite food group, I am starting grilling season off with a bang with this delicious grilled chicken fettuccine Alfredo. This smoky juicy chicken pairs perfectly with creamy Alfredo sauce, for a simple dish that is big on flavor. I consider myself a bit of an Alfredo connoisseur, and this homemade Alfredo sauce recipe is my tried-and-true favorite. It’s a simple no-fuss recipe with only a handful of ingredients, but makes a delicious rich and creamy sauce that is a hit every time.

Serve this with simple garlic bread, sautéed broccoletti, grilled squash or a nice fresh salad for a delicious complete meal. For more Alfredo inspired recipes, try my jerk shrimp Alfredo or creamy cajun chicken orzo.

A small white plate on a marble background, with Alfredo noodles and sliced chicken breast on it. A glass of wine and two breadsticks, along with another plate of pasta, are to the side.

Ingredients

To make grilled chicken Alfredo, you need the following simple ingredients (exact measurements are in the recipe card below).

For the chicken:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
Spices, including garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, Kosher salt, black pepper and paprika

For the pasta and sauce:

Salted butter: You can feel free to substitute unsalted butter, just taste the sauce and add a pinch more salt if needed
Heavy whipping cream: There are no real substitutes for heavy cream in Alfredo sauce. You could try half and half, but it may not thicken enough. Heavy cream will give you that creamy rich sauce that is true Alfredo.
Seasonings including kosher salt, Italian seasoning and black pepper
Parmesan cheese: It’s crucial that you shred your own cheese for homemade Alfredo sauce. Pre-shredded cheese contains enzymes and stabilizers that prevents it from clumping. It also prevents it from melting well. Buy a block of Parmesan and shred it yourself to ensure that you get a silky smooth sauce.
Fettuccine pasta: Really any pasta will work in this dish. I like fettuccine noodles or linguine, but penne pasta, cavatappi or angel hair will work – use whatever you love!

Instructions

Top Tip: The only tricky thing about this recipe can be timing – running back and forth between the kitchen and the patio since you are using both the stovetop and the grill. The sauce in this recipe only takes about 5 minutes to make, so I suggest leaving that until the end, after the pasta and chicken are cooked. Boiling the pasta and grilling the chicken simultaneously is not too bad, since they are both fairly hands off. You can make the sauce while the chicken is resting.

Step One: Prepare the chicken breasts. Pound the chicken breasts into a uniform thickness, about a 1/2 inch to 1 inch, depending on your preference. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder and paprika with 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Rub the chicken with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken breasts, coating both sides. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400-450 degrees).

A white cutting board with two chicken breasts rubbed with seasonings. A dish of seasoning sits to the side.

Step Two: While the grill is heating, start the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stovetop. When the water boils, add your pasta and cook according to package directions. When the pasta is al dente, strain it and set aside. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pasta to keep it from sticking if the chicken is not quite ready.

Step Three: While the pasta is cooking, grill the chicken. Add the chicken breasts to the preheated grill and grill on each side for about 7-10 minutes, depending on thickness. Very large chicken breasts could take longer. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. The chicken will continue to cook when it is removed from the grill, and is safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Step Four: When the chicken is resting, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the salt and Italian seasoning to the butter. Stir in the cream and bring it to a very low simmer. Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and whisk with a wire whisk until the cheese is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth.

A large white skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains melting pats of butter.

A large white skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains melted butter and herbs. A hand is pouring in cream from a white creamer dish.

A large white skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains a creamy sauce with shredded Parmesan resting on top, not yet whisked in.

Step Five: Add hot pasta and sliced chicken to the Alfredo sauce, and serve immediately. If your pasta has cooled too much, reheat it with a short burst in the microwave before adding it to the sauce. Adding cool pasta to a creamy/cheesy sauce can cause the sauce to break.

A large white skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains fettuccine noodles coated in Alfredo sauce.

Storage

Alfredo sauce is best eaten right away. Real Alfredo sauce (not the store bought stuff!) breaks when cooled, which means the butter and fat separates from the cream. This causes the sauce to be more thin and greasy when reheated, not smooth and creamy like it is when it’s first made. While this is not something I would prep ahead/meal prep, I am also not someone to throw out leftovers! I you have them, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat them within 2-3 days. Just know that the sauce will not reheat to the same consistency (it will still taste great though)!