Low Calorie Chicken Alfredo at Home

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!

Quick Tip

How did Chicken Alfredo get its name? The dish is named after an Italian chef named Alfredo Di Lelio, who featured the dish at his restaurant in Rome in the early 1900s. He prepared the dish tableside with dramatic flair and it became quite popular. Alfredo really took off, so the legend goes, when silent-film stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks enjoyed it while on their honeymoon in Rome, around 1927. They turned it into their family signature dish and served it often at parties. And admit it: Alfredo sauce sounds a lot better than calling it Al’s famous chicken!

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. home cooks enjoy 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, It is worth 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 You can include a seasoning blend as well. a reliable 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 finish 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!

Quick Tip

Don’t forget to season the water with plenty of salt before adding in the pasta; otherwise, this entire dish will taste under-seasoned. As a general rule of thumb, I add 1 teaspoon salt per 4 cups of water.

More straightforward dinner recipes

• One Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies reader favorite recipe!
• 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

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (diced)
• Salt
• chicken grilling 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
• 4 cups uncooked bowtie pasta
• 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (or full-fat)
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lemon (skippable)
• Fresh parsley (skippable)
• Red pepper flakes (skippable)

Method

1. 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.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick pan over a medium burner. 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°F. Once fully cooked, move 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.
3. While 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 keep nearby.
4. In the pan used to cook the chicken, heat 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter. Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant. mix in the flour and briskly whisk until a thick paste forms. Cook for about 1 minute over a medium burner. Slowly and gradually pour in the chicken broth, while vigorously whisking. Whisk until completely smooth.
5. Slowly add in milk, whisking constantly. Whisk until mixture is slightly thickened. Add Italian seasoning, chicken bouillon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add in the softened cream cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir until cream cheese is smooth and Parmesan is melted. check the seasoning and adjust sauce to preference, adding in any additional seasonings as desired. If the sauce tastes too heavy, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
6. Return the chicken to the pan and stir. If desired, finish with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a little touch of heat. Enjoy immediately.