Low Calorie Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Alfredo combines tender bowtie noodles, succulent seasoned chicken, and the most amazing (lightened-up!) Alfredo sauce. We swap a few ingredients to bring you all the Alfredo flavors you know and love, with a fraction of the calories!

Chicken Alfredo

There are few dishes more comforting to me than a big plate of Chicken Alfredo. And when the comfort food cravings hit, this is the dish I prepare. Since comfort food cravings hit frequently, it’s great to have a lightened-up Chicken Alfredo recipe, which is what I’m sharing today.

We swap a few ingredients in the sauce to lighten it up a bit without sacrificing flavors. While a typical Alfredo sauce can have loads more butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream, we replace all of those ingredients for lighter alternatives. Trust me, you won’t miss them!

Lightened Alfredo sauce ingredients

• Olive oil and butter: Just a little of each gets the sauce started and sautés the garlic. If you’d really prefer to shy away from the butter, add 1 additional tablespoon olive oil.
• Minced garlic: Freshly minced garlic lends maximum flavor, but jarred garlic works in a pinch.
• Flour: This ingredient thickens up the sauce.
• Chicken broth: Instead of using heavy cream, we substitute milk and chicken broth; this cuts tons of calories and infuses the sauce with additional flavor that complements the sautéed chicken nicely.
• Low-fat milk: The lowest-fat milk I found to work in this sauce is 1% milk; 2% or whole milk will also work. I don’t recommend skim milk or milk alternatives like soy, almond, or oat milk. These milks don’t thicken well and change the overall flavor substantially.
• Seasonings: Italian seasoning, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, and a dash of red pepper flakes give depth to the sauce. Feel free to increase any of these seasonings to personal preference, making sure to add the salt slowly so you don’t end up with an overly salted Chicken Alfredo. (Remember: the chicken, pasta water, and chicken broth are all salted.)
• Neufchâtel cheese: Neufchâtel is sometimes labeled “1/3 less fat than cream cheese.” Cream cheese and Neufchâtel cheese are extremely similar, but the Neufchâtel keeps this sauce on the lighter side.
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese: Good Parmesan makes a big difference to overall flavor. Avoid canned Parm and go for the blocks of cheese to freshly grate. We love Parmigiano Reggiano best in this Alfredo. If you’re a cheese lover, I highly recommend this cheese. (While a bit spendy, a little goes a long way, it lasts a good amount of time, and it is so good!) When grating the cheese for this dish, use the small holes of your cheese grater.

Chicken Alfredo tips and variations

• Tailor the sauce to your preference. If the sauce tastes too heavy, cut it with some fresh herbs (such as Italian parsley or thyme) or a drizzle of fresh lemon juice. For some heat, I recommend adding in some extra red pepper flakes. For additional flavor, I try a sprinkle of a this garlic herb seasoning blend.
• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. This helps to ensure quick and even cooking.
• Season the chicken. Salt and pepper add a lot, but I like to include a seasoning blend as well. My favorite with Chicken Alfredo is this garlic herb seasoning blend, as well as a sprinkle of paprika. Any Mrs. Dash® chicken seasoning blend will also work great, and if you don’t have a seasoning blend, use some Italian seasoning.
• Add some veggies. If you want to add in some veggies, I’d recommend some roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus on the side (or mixed into the dish). A few handfuls of baby spinach could also be stirred into the Chicken Alfredo.
• Add some crunch. Toast some panko breadcrumbs in a skillet with butter (or olive oil) and garnish individual plates with a handful of the toasted breadcrumbs. These Chicken Parm Stuffed Shells describe how to make this crunchy topping in more detail.
• Swap the pasta. Really, whatever pasta you have on hand will work. Penne, linguine, fettuccini, and spaghetti are all great choices. Fettuccini Alfredo is legendary!

More easy dinner recipes

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• One Skillet Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
• Creamy Orzo with chicken and veggies
• One Pot Sausage, Cabbage, and Potatoes
• One Pan Jambalaya with sheet pan rice

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5 from 5 votes

Low Calorie Chicken Alfredo

By Chelsea Lords

This Chicken Alfredo has all of the flavor and texture you love, but its unique ingredients make it significantly fewer calories!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• Large pan non-stick, 12-inch

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ Chicken seasoning blend see note 1
• ▢ 2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 1/4 cup flour
• ▢ 1 cup chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup 1% milk or 2% milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 4 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
• ▢ 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese or full-fat
• ▢ 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 Lemon optional
• ▢ Fresh parsley optional
• ▢ Red pepper flakes optional

Instructions 

• Dry chicken breasts with paper towel. Remove any fat from the chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces. Sprinkle all sides of the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and a chicken seasoning blend.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned, about 6-10 minutes. The juices should run clear, and the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165℉. Once fully cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it loosely with foil. Do not wipe out the pan, continue by preparing the sauce in the same pan.
• While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil. Once water is boiling, generously salt the water with about 1 teaspoon salt to every 4 cups of water. Add in the bowtie pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
• In the pan used to cook the chicken, heat 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Stir in the flour and briskly whisk until a thick paste forms. Cook for about 1 minute over medium heat. Slowly and gradually pour in the chicken broth, while vigorously whisking. Whisk until completely smooth.
• Slowly add in milk, whisking constantly. Whisk until mixture is slightly thickened. Add Italian seasoning, chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper. Add in the softened cream cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir until cream cheese is smooth and Parmesan is melted. Taste and adjust sauce to preference, adding in any additional seasonings as desired. If the sauce tastes too heavy, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Return the chicken to the pan and stir. If desired, garnish with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a little touch of heat. Enjoy immediately.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I like McCormick's® garlic and herb chicken grilling seasoning blend; any chicken seasoning blend will work here. I also like to add a sprinkle of paprika to the chicken.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 661kcal | Carbohydrates: 79.5g | Protein: 41.2g | Fat: 18.8g | Cholesterol: 92.4mg | Sodium: 608.9mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 6.9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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