Creamy Chicken Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles (Printable)

Tender chicken in creamy Parmesan sauce with spiralized zucchini. Low-carb and gluten-free comfort food in 40 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lb), sliced thin

→ Vegetables

02 - 4 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Pantry Staples & Seasonings

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken slices and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil and butter. Sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly.
04 - Pour heavy cream into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon.
05 - Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in Parmesan cheese until the sauce becomes smooth and thickened, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Season with crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
06 - Add spiralized zucchini noodles to the sauce and toss gently for 2 to 3 minutes until just tender while maintaining a crisp texture. Avoid overcooking.
07 - Slice the cooked chicken and return it to the skillet. Toss all components together to coat the chicken and zucchini noodles thoroughly with the Alfredo sauce and warm through.
08 - Divide the mixture among serving plates. Garnish with fresh parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The zucchini noodles soak up all that creamy sauce without weighing you down like traditional pasta does, leaving you satisfied but not sluggish.
  • You can twirl it onto your fork exactly like regular pasta, watching the cream sauce cling to each strand while secretly adding extra vegetables to your day.
02 -
  • Squeezing excess moisture from the zucchini noodles with paper towels before adding them to the sauce prevents a watery final dish, a mistake I made the first three times before figuring it out.
  • Removing the pan from heat while incorporating the cheese prevents the sauce from breaking, something I learned after watching my beautiful cream sauce separate into an oily mess twice before.
03 -
  • For extra flavor complexity, deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine after cooking the chicken and before adding the cream, letting it reduce almost completely.
  • Save a cup of zucchini cooking water (the liquid that comes out as they cook) in case your sauce thickens too much and needs loosening without diluting the flavor.

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