This lemon pepper chicken alfredo fettuccine features juicy lemon pepper-rubbed chicken cutlets served on a bed of luxuriously creamy fettuccine alfredo.
This is the twist on fettuccine alfredo you never knew you needed so badly in your life!
Complete with a picture-perfect creamy alfredo sauce, tender fettuccine, and lemon pepper-seared chicken cutlets nestled on top.
All around, it’s just a dream of a dish. We may never make alfredo any other way again.
The best part? We’re keeping it a little lighter in calories, but you’d never be any the wiser.
And I’d go so far as to say it’s better than any restaurant alfredo. It’s the lemon pepper chicken that really seals the deal here.
This Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo features…
- Juicy seared lemon pepper chicken cutlets
- Incredibly creamy homemade alfredo sauce smothering tender linguine pasta
- Less than an hour to make and a great way to kick up Italian night!
Making the Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo
(scroll down to the bottom of post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Lemon zest
- Black pepper
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Heavy whipping cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Linguine pasta
- Fresh parsley
Choosing Your Cut of Chicken
We recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You will need 2 medium chicken breasts which we are going to slice horizontally into thin cutlets.
Why slice the breasts into cutlets? We are doing this because cutlets are much thinner than full breasts which helps them cook much faster.
Tips for Perfect Fettuccine Alfredo
- Pan sear chicken – coat the chicken cutlets well in black pepper, salt, and lemon zest then give them a quick sear in butter/olive oil until cooked through.
- Brush lemon juice over seared chicken – this adds one last little pop of lemon flavor.
- Saute fresh garlic for sauce – before we begin building the alfredo sauce, we’re going to start with a base of sauteed garlic in butter. This adds so much flavor to the sauce!
- Make a roux – whisk flour into butter/garlic mixture and allow to cook until golden brown.
- Drizzle in milk and cream – whisk constantly while drizzling so you don’t end up with lumps in your sauce.
- Cook sauce – when your sauce coats the back of a spoon, it’s ready.
- Add Parmesan offheat – whisk in the Parmesan cheese until melted into the sauce.
- Cook fettuccine to al dente – make sure you reserve a little bit of pasta cooking water as well.
- Fold fettuccine into sauce – add a few splashes of pasta water if needed to bring the sauce and the fettuccine together.
- Arrange chicken cutlets on top – you can pre-slice the cutlets into thin strips or serve them whole on top of fettuccine with a knife and fork.
Recipe Variations
Follow these ideas for a bit of a different twist on this recipe!
- Try a different cheese – Asiago, fontina, or mozzarella would be great in place of the Parmesan.
- Add a vegetable on the side – sauteed broccoli, zucchini, or mushrooms would be a great vegetable side dish.
- Use different fresh herbs – fresh basil or oregano would be incredible in place of the parsley.
- Swap out the pasta – any pasta will work in place of the linguine. Just make sure you use the same amount and cook pasta to al dente per recipe instructions.
I’m telling you, this is the comfort food you’ve been craving. The chicken is lemony, perfectly juicy, and absolutely ridiculous paired with the ultra-creamy alfredo fettuccine.
Pro tip: extra lemon zest and Parmesan cheese on top! You just gotta.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More delicious pasta dinners you’ve gotta try next!
Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine
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Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 medium)
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb linguine pasta, cooked according to package instructions until al dente and 1/2 cup pasta water reserved
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Additional grated lemon zest and Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast in half width-wise so you have 4 thin chicken cutlets. In a small bowl, combine zest, black pepper, and salt. Rub evenly all over chicken cutlets.
- Place 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large 9-inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and sear 3-4 minutes on each side until chicken registers 165F. Transfer to a plate and lightly brush lemon juice over cutlets. Keep warm and set aside.
- Wipe pan clean. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to same pan and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Whisk in flour and cook several minutes until golden brown.
- Slowly begin drizzling in milk and whipping cream, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth. Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Fold linguine into sauce until evenly coated, thinning sauce with pasta water if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Slice chicken cutlets into thin slices and arrange on top of linguine.
- Top skillet with parsley, additional lemon zest, and Parmesan. Serve warm and enjoy!
Lexy morris says
Love it ! Such a good resource to use as a reference