Lemon Parmesan Chicken Alfredo Is Always a Winner

Chicken Alfredo is a crowd-pleasing pasta dish. It’s so rich and creamy, it’s no wonder so many people love it. This version is as thick and cheesy as a person could want, and it also has a fresh, bright flavor from the addition of lemon juice. It’s a perfect mid-winter comfort food, and an easy, family-friendly dinner option to pull out on any cold weeknight. 

Start with two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then toss them in a bit of flour so all the pieces have a thin, approximately even coat. The flour on the chicken gives it a nice crust, and it also helps the sauce thicken. 

Sauté the chicken in butter until the outside becomes crisp and golden-brown. Flip the pieces occasionally so the meat cooks on all sides. Then take the chicken out of the pan. 

Add freshly minced garlic to the pan along with Italian seasoning, chicken broth, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and some Dijon mustard to give the flavor a bit more depth. Stir the ingredients well, making sure to scrape up any leftover browned bits in the bottom of the pan from the chicken. 

Carefully add heavy cream and Parmesan to the pan. The author says not to substitute half-and-half or milk for this recipe, because those options make it more likely that the sauce will break when combined with the lemon juice, so you’ll want to stick with the full-fat heavy cream. Stir to combine, and let it come to a simmer. Put the chicken back in the pan and let it simmer until the chicken cooks through. According to the author, that should take about five more minutes. In that time, the sauce will reduce to a thick, creamy consistency. Nobody wants watery Alfredo. 

The amount of lemon in the sauce is a matter of personal taste. The author calls for a tablespoon, but says that’s a conservative amount, and you can absolutely increase that if you want a more lemony pasta sauce. If it tastes bland or you just want a more citrus-forward experience, add some more lemon juice before adding the pasta.

When the sauce is to your liking, add fettuccine noodles, cooked to al dente according to the package directions. Add a bit of the pasta water along with the noodles. If the sauce looks too thick at that point, add some more pasta water to thin it out to your desired consistency. Then serve it garnished with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. 

Get the recipe: Lemon Parmesan Chicken Alfredo from Salt and Lavender

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