This creamy one pot chicken alfredo is the perfect quick and easy dinner recipe. You can cook the chicken directly in the pan or buy some pre-made grilled chicken to re-create this meal even faster.

Easy One Pot Chicken Alfredo

I think we can all agree that homemade pasta sauce is so much better than jarred pasta sauce. I always thought alfredo sauce would be difficult to make, but actually it is one of the easiest sauces of them all. Alfredo sauce is normally made with heavy cream but I use a combination of milk and half and half to lighten up this dish.

I start this dish by grilling up some boneless skinless chicken breasts, setting them aside, and then adding them back at the end. Alternatively, you can buy some pre-made chicken breast strips and just add them at the end. It saves a bunch of time and still tastes delicious.

One Pot Chicken Alfredo is an easy dinner recipe

How to make One Pot Chicken Alfredo

First, I add a lot of minced garlic to the pan. Then I add my salt and pepper, milk, and because I am cooking my pasta in the sauce, I add chicken broth. Once my pasta is al dente, I remove it from the heat, add half and half, and freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese. Then, I add my cooked chicken and the sauce thickens up and coats the pasta and the chicken. The flavors all come together and create a delicious meal.

I have been making a lot of one pot recipes lately because honestly, having to wash even just one more dish sometimes does feel like an added weight. We are washing our breakfast dishes, our meal prep lunch containers, our daughter’s 8 million cups, and then all of our dinner dishes, and so, no, I really don’t want to dirty another pot and boil my pasta separately. Respectfully!

You can make this dish with any pasta shape, but I find that short pasta, like penne and rigatoni, work better than long pasta, like fettuccine or spaghetti. If I was boiling the pasta separately, any pasta shape would work, but when you are cooking it all in one pot, the short pasta works better.

EQUIPMENT

1 Large Pot 4 quarts or larger with a lid

INGREDIENTS

16 oz Rigatoni Any pasta works, but short pastas work best
4 tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb Raw Chicken Breast or pre-cooked grilled chicken
5 cloves Garlic minced
2 cups Whole Milk
3.5 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Half and Half
4 cups freshly shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
Parsley optional garnish
salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the Chicken

Cut chicken into 1″ pieces.
Heat a large 4 quart or larger pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Add 1/2 tsp of sea salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper to the chicken and add the chicken to the hot pan. Brown on all sides. Once it is cooked, add the chicken to a plate and set aside. You will add it back into the pan later on.

Cook the Pasta

heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the pan and add the garlic
Once the garlic starts to brown, add in your 2 cups of milk and 3.5 cups of broth.
Add the pasta, sprinkle in some sea salt(about 3 pinches) and a good shake of black pepper.
Give the pasta a good stir. Then, bring the pasta up to a boil, and then once it boils, turn the heat down to low and cover the pot.
Simmer for 15 minutes. I gave it a quick stir every 5 minutes just to make sure it was not sticking, and to rotate the pasta so it evenly cooks.
Once pasta is al dente, turn off heat, add in the 1/2 cup of half and half, the chicken, and the cheese. Give it a good stir. If mixture seems liquidy, it is ok as the sauce will thicken up as it cools slightly.
Top with fresh parsley

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

One Pot Baked Pasta

One Pot Chicken and Rice