Chicken and Broccoli with Alfredo Sauce (Without Heavy Cream)
This Chicken and Broccoli with Alfredo Sauce and gluten free pasta is the perfect weeknight meal. The Alfredo sauce is a lightened up version made without heavy cream, so this recipe has less fat and calories than traditional Alfredo sauce. This gluten free pasta recipe is also macro-friendly and packed with protein!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Makes This Chicken and Broccoli with Alfredo Sauce Great
Growing up, I would order Fettuccine Alfredo every time we went to Olive Garden. The creamy buttery parmesan sauce with noodles is the ultimate comfort food in my opinion! I wanted to create a healthier, gluten free fettuccine alfredo without heavy cream that still has the same flavor and comfort factor. We use chicken broth, unsweetened almond milk, garlic, and parmesan to create a similar sauce that won’t leave you feeling sluggish. This recipe has all that and more! It’s easy to make in less than 30 minutes, requires minimal ingredients, and is filling and delicious. This recipe is packed with protein nutrients from the chicken and broccoli. It’s a meal your entire family is sure to love.
Recipe Highlights
- Lactose free Alfredo sauce
- Gluten free
- Macro-friendly with 36g protein per serving
- 30-minute chicken and broccoli pasta recipe
- Kid-friendly
- One of the best gluten free pasta recipes I’ve tried!
Ingredient Notes
Gluten Free Pasta: I like using either this GF Tagliatelle from Jovial Foods, or their gluten free fettuccine. Any pasta will work in this recipe. You could also make a penne alfredo pasta using this gluten free penne! If you do not need to be gluten free, you can use any type of pasta.
Parmesan: Grated or shredded will work great
Chicken Broth: I like the savory flavor this gives to the sauce. If you prefer not to use it, you can replace with almond milk.
Almond Milk: I prefer to use Califia Farms Organic Almond Milk which has 2 ingredients: Almonds + Water! Any unsweetened almond milk will work. If you prefer to use regular milk, I recommend 1 or 2%!
Chicken Breasts: I used 2 large breasts. You can also cut them in half length-wise to create 4 thinner breasts. Please note this will cut down on the cooking time since they won’t be as thick.
Broccoli: Make sure the florets are bite size so you don’t have any big trees of broccoli in your pasta.
Gluten Free Flour: I like King Arthur Brand 1:1 Measure for Measure flour, but any brand will work. If you do not need to be gluten free, regular flour will work.
Butter: Feel free to use vegan butter if preferred.
Spices: I used salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder to give the chicken lots of flavor.
How To Cook Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer
- Use a meat mallet to pound your chicken so they are of even thickness (about 1 inch thick).
- Rub the olive oil and spices over each side of the chicken breasts.
- Spray your air fryer basket with oil, then add the chicken breasts and spray with more oil.
- Cook at 370 for 7 minutes. Flip, then cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165. Let them rest tented with foil while you make the rest of the recipe!
How To Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts In The Air Fryer
If you forgot to thaw your chicken or you’re making this last minute and only have frozen chicken, no worries! Simply add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time. Rub the olive oil and spices all over the chicken. Preheat your air fryer to 370, and cook the chicken breasts for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees.
How To Bake Chicken Breasts
If you don’t have an air fryer and prefer to cook your chicken in the oven, preheat it to 450. Rub the chicken breasts with the olive oil and spices on both sides. Add them to a casserole dish and bake for 15-18 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165. Let them rest tented with foil while you make the rest of the recipe.
How To Make Fettuccine Alfredo Without Heavy Cream
- Cook the broccoli & pasta together: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. When there is 5 minutes of cooking time left, add the broccoli to the pot with the pasta. Drain both together and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the gluten free flour and whisk to form a roux / paste. It should be bubbling and smell nutty.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth as you continue to whisk. Pour in the almond milk (or milk of choice) and continue whisking.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium and stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until you have a thick cream sauce. Add the salt and pepper + more to taste. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Add the pasta and broccoli to the pan and toss to combine with the gluten free Alfredo sauce.
- Slice up the chicken and toss it in with the pasta and broccoli, or serve on top, if desired. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and more parmesan and enjoy!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
If your sauce is too thick, you can add a little bit of chicken broth or almond milk and whisk until it thins out a bit.
If your sauce looks lumpy after pouring in the broth and milk, KEEP WHISKING! I promise it will smooth out!
I prefer to cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than what it says on the package so it is al dente and not overcooked.
Make sure to cut your broccoli into bite-sized florets so they are easier to eat.
Recipe FAQ’s
We use gluten free flour to make this alfredo sauce gluten free. Some traditional alfredo sauces are made with regular flour, so if you are ordering it from a restaurant, make sure to ask about it!
Yes! Parmesan cheese is naturally gluten free.
Parmesan cheese is virtually lactose free, which makes it a great option for those who are sensitive to dairy. Some other virtually lactose free cheeses are hard cheeses like: cheddar, monterey jack, colby jack, and swiss!
I made this recipe easier by cooking the pasta & broccoli together. Broccoli only needs about 5 minutes to become crisp tender without being overcooked. Add it to the pasta water when the pasta has 5 minutes left to cook.
You can microwave individual portions for 1.5-2 minutes to reheat this dish. Please note, gluten free pasta is best when you eat it right after initially cooking it! It can tend to get a little gummy and change consistency when it’s left in the refrigerator overnight. That being said, it is still delicious the next day.
I hope you love this gluten free chicken and broccoli with alfredo sauce as much as we do!
More Gluten Free Pasta Recipes
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Chicken and Broccoli with Alfredo Sauce (Without Cream)
Ingredients
- 12 oz gluten free tagliatelle, I like Jovial brand – their GF Fettuccine is great, too. Any pasta of choice will work!
- 12 oz broccoli florets
- 3 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 3 tbsp gluten free 1:1 flour, I like King Arthur Measure for Measure flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk, or milk of choice
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp salt, more to taste
- ½ tsp pepper
- fresh chopped parsley, for serving, optional
Chicken
- 1.5 lb chicken breasts, 2-3 breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
Equipment
- Air Fryer baked option available if you don't have one!
Instructions
Chicken
- If baking the chicken, preheat your oven to 450. Use a meat mallet to pound your chicken breasts to even thickness.
- Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl and mix to combine.
- Brush with olive oil on each side of the chicken breasts, then sprinkle them with the seasoning. Use your fingers to rub the spices in so they stick.
- Baked Chicken Breast: Add the chicken breasts to a casserole dish and bake for 15-18 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165. Set aside and let them rest tented with foil.
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast: Preheat your air fryer to 370 for 3 minutes. Spray the bottom of the basket with oil. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 7 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165. Set the chicken aside and let them rest tented with foil.
Pasta & Broccoli
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. When there is 5 minutes of cooking time left, add the broccoli to the pot with the pasta. Drain both together.
Alfredo Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the gluten free flour and whisk to form a roux / paste. It should be bubbling and smell nutty.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth as you continue to whisk. Pour in the almond milk (or milk of choice) and continue whisking.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium and stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until you have a thick cream sauce. Add the salt and pepper + more to taste. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Add the pasta and broccoli to the pan and toss to combine with the alfredo sauce.
- Slice up the chicken and toss it in with the pasta and broccoli, or serve on top, if desired. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and more parmesan and enjoy!
18 Comments on “Chicken and Broccoli with Alfredo Sauce (Without Heavy Cream)”
This recipe is SO good. I love that it has all the flavor and comfort of chicken alfredo but less dairy and lighter. Easy to follow recipe. This was a huge win.
Thanks Stacy!
Delicious!!! Slightly complicated, just because there are a lot of moving parts. I would recommend 2 people doing it together. But so worth it! So good!
Thanks Krista!
10/10 recommend. you wouldn’t know it’s a “lighter” version of this comfort food. Also, love the spice rub on the chicken!
Thank you!!
SO GOOD!!! And really not too hard to make, I was a little intimidated because I am not a cook (baker here🙋♀️!) but it came out so perfectly and was not that difficult! Super yummy, thanks Mary!
Thanks Corrine! So glad you loved it!
Mary, thank you for another amazing recipe! I made this Alfredo sauce for my family with leftover rotisserie chicken and it was a HIT! Thank you for continuing to make gluten free meals accessible for families!
Hi Diana, thank you for your review – means a lot!
Made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious! 🙂
I am so glad you enjoyed it!!
I am in an Airbnb without my usual cooking stuff, so I made a one pot version of this. Salt, pepper, garlic powder on the chicken, sauteed, then broccoli and noodles and a liter of almond milk, cooked to noodles being done. Adjusted seasoning and added cheese. Done!
So glad you made it work for you Mary!
Another tasty recipe! Thank you, Mary.
Thanks, Kim!
Made this for dinner and it was a hit! I used the 2% regular milk instead of almond milk. So delicious and so easy to throw together on a busy weeknight.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!