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Chicken Carbonara

Creamy Chicken Carbonara

Creamy chicken carbonara with easy marinated chicken, homemade alfredo sauce, and don't forget the bacon! Not counting the marinating time, this dish comes together in just 30 minutes and is packed full of delicious flavor. An Italian-inspired comfort food dish that everyone will love.

Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian-inspired
Keyword Chicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chicken Marinating Time 6 hours
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Author Heather @ thecookstreat.com

Ingredients

Grilled/Broiled Chicken:

  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice from about 1/2 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts see note

Alfredo Sauce:

  • ½ cup butter
  • 8 ounces cream cheese cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream see note
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder see note
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese see note
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper

For Serving:

  • 1 16-ounce package farfalle (pasta bowties) or mini farfalle see note
  • ½ pound bacon strips cooked and crumbled
  • chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions

For Chicken:

  1. In a small bowl add lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper and parsley and whisk to combine. 

  2. Place chicken in large ziplock bag, pour marinade over chicken, and seal bag. Place bag in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight (up to 24 hours).

  3. To Grill: Preheat grill to medium or medium high. Arrange chicken on grill in a single layer and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side or until lightly browned and instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast.

  4. To Broil: Preheat broiler to high. Adjust rack so chicken will be about 4 to 5 inches from the broiler. Arrange chicken on a broiler pan in a single layer and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side or until lightly browned and instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast.

  5. Remove the chicken from the heat and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch strips.

For Alfredo Sauce:

  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cream cheese and turn down the heat. Whisk well until the cream cheese mixes in with the butter and looks kind of clumpy (it will not melt all the way at this stage and that is fine).
  2. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a low simmer. Whisk well until the cream cheese mixes in and sauce is smooth. Leave at a simmer, stirring often for about five minutes or until slightly thickened.

  3. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and season with salt and pepper. Taste and add any additional salt and pepper, if needed.

For Serving:

  1. In a large pot of water add 1 tablespoon salt. Add farfalle (or bowtie pasta) and cook according to package directions until pasta is just barely done (al dente).

  2. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Stir in the alfredo sauce and top with chicken and cooked, crumbled bacon. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Recipe Notes

1. I usually buy larger, thicker boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them through the thickness to make them thinner so they absorb more marinade and cook quicker.

2. For notes and variations on Alfredo sauce recipe see Alfredo sauce recipe post.

3. I prefer the Barilla brand of pasta in this recipe.

4. In our family we often serve this recipe "buffet-style", letting people add the amount of sauce, chicken, and bacon they want (super helpful with picky eaters around).