Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli | Creme De La Crumb

Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli satisfies even the pickiest palate with cheesy, buttery, garlic alfredo sauce, pasta shells, chicken, and healthy, crunchy broccoli for the perfect amount of texture. 

For more easy pasta recipes, bookmark my popular posts for Easy Tortellini Alfredo, One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta, and Spicy Tomato Garlic Shrimp Pasta. 

I have found that very few people can say “no” to alfredo. Anything in alfredo. Shrimp, chicken, veggies, spinach, ravioli, bacon…honestly it’s hard to hate. 

For this dish, I went pretty straightforward: Pasta, alfredo, chicken, and broccoli, essentially. What more do you need though, honestly? Also, this recipe (even the sauce!) is easily made from fridge and pantry staples. And, if you don’t have something, just get creative. I’ve used frozen broccoli before when I didn’t have fresh, and you could use a shredded rotisserie chicken if you don’t have any boneless, skinless chicken breasts on hand. Any kind of short/small pasta will work too! If you only have spaghetti, you can break it up into smaller pieces. 

Don’t sweat it if you don’t have the exact right things to make a meal. Substitute if you need to — it’ll still turn out great. Plus, the more you try things, the better a cook you’ll become. It truly is about trial and error to find what works best for you. 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED FOR CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH BROCCOLI?

Not many ingredients, so much flavor! 

• Short pasta noodles
• Broccoli florets
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper 
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Minced garlic
• Flour
• Half and half or whole milk
• Reserved pasta water
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH BROCCOLI?

This creamy chicken alfredo dish comes together in just 30 minutes! 

First thing’s first, you’ll want to cook the pasta noodles according to package instructions. Drain the past but be sure to save ¾ of the pasta water because you’ll want to use it later to help make the sauce. 

Next, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces, and season all the pieces with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and broccoli (if using fresh) to the skillet and saute both for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Remove the chicken and put it on a plate or in a bowl. Put a lid or cover on it to keep it warm. 

It’s sauce time! The best part! Using the same skillet, melt the butter and then stir in the garlic. Let it cook for 1 minute so it gets nice and fragrant. Then, stir the flour into the butter till the mixture gets foamy. From there, slowly whisk in the milk, ½ a cup at a time to make sure it all gets incorporated and there are no lumps. 

Take that reserved pasta water and pour it into the roux, along with the parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Keep whisking. When the cheese is melted all the way and the sauce has smoothed back out, taste and adjust by adding more salt and pepper if necessary. 

Now let’s pull all the pieces of this chicken broccoli pasta dish together, shall we? Stir the chicken and broccoli into the alfredo sauce, being sure to cover it all. Add more cracked black pepper and freshly shredded parm too if you want and serve! 

HOW DO I LIGHTEN UP ALFREDO SAUCE?

If you would prefer a lighter version of alfredo sauce for this alfredo with broccoli recipe (or to just have one in your sauce arsenal), I have a couple recipes that are lighter and still as delicious! 

• Use the lightened up alfredo sauce recipe I used in this Lighter Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo dish. 
• You can also pull together an alfredo sauce using Greek yogurt! 
• If you want to lighten up this particular recipe, then I suggest using fat free half and half instead of heavy cream. 

No matter how you serve this creamy alfredo dish, I’m 100% sure you’re going to love it!