Healthy chicken alfredo is deliciously creamy, just like the regular alfredo. What makes this recipe special is that it's made with a healthy (and dairy-free!) sauce thanks to sneaky cauliflower. You'll be amazed at how dreamy healthy can taste!

A white bowl filled with healthy chicken alfredo.

Healthy chicken alfredo

If you're craving carbs and all the deliciously creamy sauces but don't want to sacrifice your health for your cravings, then this recipe is for you!

The sauce is unbelievably creamy, totally lux, and so delicious. Eating it you'll never know it's a healthy recipe.

We usually use gluten-free noodles – there are so many on the market now that taste as good as regular boxed pasta. But fresh pasta would be a real treat.

Some pan seared chicken breasts and spinach round out this healthy recipe.

Is chicken alfredo healthy?

Not normally! A typical alfredo sauce is made with loads of cream and butter, but not our recipe. We make ours with our favorite cauliflower alfredo sauce which tastes so close to the real thing.

So THIS chicken alfredo recipe is healthy!

4 pictures showing how to make healthy chicken alfredo.

Ingredients in a healthy alfredo sauce recipe

We skip the typical cream and butter completely and create a creamy, dreamy sauce made of veggies.

  1. Onion and garlic, sautéed in a little oil.
  2. Steamed cauliflower.
  3. Chicken or veggie stock.
  4. Nutritional yeast (although you could substitute parmesan cheese).
  5. Lemon juice.
  6. Sea salt.
  7. A tiny splash of soy sauce.

How to make healthy alfredo sauce

To make this a healthy recipe, we use our favorite dreamy cauliflower alfredo sauce.

It's made by blending onions, garlic, and steamed cauliflower with a few yummy flavors to make a sauce that mimics real alfredo.

While it's not EXACTLY the same as the cream and butter loaded version, it's so close that you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference.

A closeup of tongs taking some healthy chicken alfredo out of a pot.

What to serve with healthy fettuccini alfredo

While this pasta is easily a meal in itself, especially since the sauce is made of veggies, it's sometimes nice to have a side dish. A simple green salad is often what we serve with pasta. Here are a few of our other favorites:

How long does healthy chicken alfredo last?

This recipe will keep for 2-3 days in your fridge. When reheating it, you may want to add a splash of water to loosen the noodles.

A close up of fork twirling healthy chicken alfredo noodles.
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A white bowl filled with healthy chicken alfredo.

Healthy Chicken Alfredo

  • Author: Kristen Stevens
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews
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Description

Healthy chicken alfredo is deliciously creamy, just like the regular alfredo. What makes this recipe special is that it's made with a healthy (and dairy-free!) sauce thanks to sneaky cauliflower. You'll be amazed at how dreamy healthy can taste! 

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star review in the comments!

Scale

Ingredients

Healthy Alfredo Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • ½ yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 cups (12 ounces) chopped cauliflower
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1–2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (see notes)
  • ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1–2 teaspoons sea salt 
  • ½ teaspoon soy sauce (gluten-free, if needed)

Healthy Chicken Alfredo

  • 12 ounces (340 grams) uncooked pasta (we like fettuccini or linguini)
  • 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 ounces baby spinach
  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Begin by making the healthy alfredo sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until the onion is transparent. Add the cauliflower and chicken stock and bring the pot to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft.
  2. Transfer everything in the pot to your blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high until smooth. Taste the sauce and add extra salt and/or nutritional yeast if you'd like. Set aside.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain the water through a colander then return the cooked pasta to the pot. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and toss so that all the pasta is lightly coated in the oil. Add the spinach to the pot.
  4. While the water is heating, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the chicken and cook until it is lightly browned on both sides and cooked through.
  5. Add the cooked chicken to the pot with the pasta. Pour the healthy alfredo sauce over top and toss so that everything is well coated in the sauce.

Notes

Nutritional yeast can be bought from some major grocery stores and most health food stores. You can also purchase it online through Amazon.

If the alfredo is too thick (this can happen if too much liquid evaporated while the cauliflower cooked) simply add a little extra water or stock.

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A white bowl filled with healthy chicken alfredo with the recipe title on top of the picture.