Skinny Low-Fat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
All of the flavor of Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo without all of the fat and calories! Lean grilled chicken on top of low-fat alfredo sauce tossed with fettuccine noodles.
This is the recipe you need if you love chicken fettuccine alfredo but not all of the calories and fat that comes with it! I worked for months on this recipe with many taste testers to get it just right. This is the creamiest, richest low-fat chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe!
My kids love chicken fettuccine alfredo but when I calculated the nutritional information, I was floored. I wondered if I could make some small tweaks that could make big differences in the fat and calories. I created so many variations and you can find all of the details in this Skinny Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
post.
This Low-Fat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo is made with grilled chicken with a skinny low-fat alfredo sauce made with a touch of butter, garlic, 1% milk, chicken broth, a touch of flour, and real parmesan cheese. No heavy cream needed to make a rich, creamy sauce!
The chicken broth adds a depth of flavor to the sauce while the flour helps to thicken it without the fat! Parmesan cheese is a game changer because you get "a lot of bang for your buck." Since it is a sharp cheese, it packs the flavor punch.
How to make the Best Low-Fat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo:
- Start by melting the butter in a saucepan or skillet. Add the minced garlic and cook for only 1 minute. Garlic can burn easily and become bitter so have the flour and chicken broth handy.
- Stir in the flour to make a paste. You don't want this to burn easily so you will stir the flour and butter together for only about 5-10 seconds before adding the chicken broth.
- Use 1% or 2% milk. You can use whatever you have in the refrigerator. Heavy cream runs about 800+ calories and 86 grams of fat per one cup. If you compare that to the 2 grams of fat in 1% milk, you are saving a lot of fat and calories just by switching out the milk for the heavy cream.
- Use real parmesan cheese. You want the good stuff. I usually just buy the shredded parmesan cheese in the cheese section. Slowly add it to the sauce to avoid clumping.
- Grill the chicken until fully cooked and slice on the diagonal and serve on top of the alfredo sauce and fettuccine noodles.
Skinny Low-Fat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken:
- 2 to 3 Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Low-Fat Alfredo Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 to 2 Garlic Clove (minced)
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 cup 1% or 2% Milk
- ¾ cup High-Quality Parmesan Cheese (grated or shaved)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 8 to 9 ounces Fettuccine Noodles
Instructions
- Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag or place on a baking sheet. Pierce the chicken all over with a fork. Drizzle with oil, garlic salt, and pepper. Let marinate. If you have the time, let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes (4-8 hours is ideal).
- Preheat grill* to medium heat. Brush grill with oil to prevent sticking. Place chicken on the grill. Cook for approximately 5 - 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees. Remove chicken from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
- In skillet, over medium heat, add butter and let it begin to melt. Stir in diced garlic and let simmer for 1 minute. Stir in flour and stir quickly to form a paste. Quickly stir in chicken broth and use whisk to remove any lumps.
- Stir in 1% milk. Let simmer for 6-8 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Turn heat to medium-low and add parmesan cheese (a little at a time, stirring after each addition). Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and let thicken.
- Meanwhile, place water in large pot and bring to boil. Generously salt boiling water. Add fettuccine and cook according to package instructions. Toss fettuccine with alfredo sauce and top with extra parmesan cheese, if so desired.
- Slice the grilled chicken on the diagonal and place on the fettuccine alfredo.
Heidi
This was absolutely delicious, and definitely does not taste like it's " skinny "....haha!! I highly recommend spending the extra money on the Parmesan Cheese, I used Boars Head!!
Dana
Recipe was good but it's definitely not 22 carbs. 2 oz of fettucini is 44 carbs. The calories and macros are all wrong
Hannah
What’s the nutritional value of this?
Modern Honey
Hi Hannah! I just added the nutritional information to the recipe card. I hope that helps!
Joyce
This recipe is fantastic. I used the leftover sauce on my steamed broccoli and it was also very tasty. My husband loved it and he normally doesn't eat creamed sauces.
Can this sauce be frozen and for how long?
Ruth
The Food Network has a good article on freezing sauces and for how long. So yes, it can be. I can't wait to make this sauce 😀 Thanks for giving a review.
Greg
Holy crap was this delicious and best of all EASY to make.
I think the next time we make it we will "sneak" in some mushrooms and diced asparagus with the chicken then add it and it will then be our go to low fat alfredo recipe of all time. Thank you so much, it really did kick butt.
Mike
Can I get a "hell ya", that is one amazing recipe, especailly when you are trying to eat a little healthier! So many lower fat recipes strip the dish of flavor and fun. Not you honey, no pun intended! My boys on the ranch loved it as well!! You are gonna make this cowboy look even better in his Wrangler's.
Greg
Its a killer recipe.
Amy
I've been looking for a low fat alfredo recipe. This was delightful! My hubby loved it. Great recipe!!
Joyce
This recipe is fantastic. I used the leftover sauce on my steamed broccoli and it was also very tasty. My husband loved it and he normally doesn't eat creamed sauces.
Can this sauce be frozen and for how long?
Sierra Peterson
I love this healthy alternative!! So delicious and flavorful. 🙂
Felicia
It looks delish..delightful.. I was hoping to see how many calories each serving actually is.
Jennifer Patrick
My daughter and I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS!! Thank you for such a delicious healthier alternative!
Sarah Byrd
I made this for my father-in-law. His cholesterol was high, and I had no idea as to what I could cook that wasn't too bad for him. I want to thank you for this recipe as he ate every single bite on his plate 🙂 I'm not the best cook and for him to like it and eat it, means something. I will definitely make this for my husband!! Thank you again!!
Cheryl DeKoevend
Hi.
Can you substitute almond milk for the milk and almond flour for the flour? This recipe looks awesome and I really want to make it.
Anthony Allen
I absolutely LOVE this chicken alfredo recipe!! Healthy and soooo good! Thank you!
marie
This looks easy and yum!
Thank You for sharing it!
Donna A Pollock
Melissa,
This looks so delicious, and it really dosen't look skinny to me at all. I can't wait to try this one. I did make the Jerk Chicken Bowl this week and on my goodness, was it ever good. As soon as I saw your recipe in my mail box, I started the marinade for the chicken and cooked it the next day. Every one loved it. My son asked me where did you get this recipe from, cause I know it's not yours!!!!!!!! I told him my friend Melissa shared it with me and lot's of other cooks. The boys really love it a lot and the taste was amazing.so thank you for that one.. I will be trying this one by the week end. Thank you so much Melissa for the great recipes. I love them.
Donna Pollock
Modern Honey
You are the best, Donna! Thank you for always being so supportive and trying out my recipes. You are awesome!