Chicken and Broccoli with Alfredo Sauce (Without Heavy Cream)

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!

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.

1. Use a meat mallet to pound your chicken so they are of even thickness (about 1 inch thick).
2. Rub the olive oil and spices over each side of the chicken breasts.
3. Spray your air fryer basket with oil, then add the chicken breasts and spray with more oil.
4. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Slowly pour in the chicken broth as you continue to whisk. Pour in the almond milk (or milk of choice) and continue whisking.
4. 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.
5. Add the pasta and broccoli to the pan and toss to combine with the gluten free Alfredo sauce.
6. 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.

I hope you love this gluten free chicken and broccoli with alfredo sauce as much as we do!

More Gluten Free Pasta Recipes

Viral Tik Tok Spaghetti Alfredo

Tuna Pesto Pasta

Sausage Broccolini Pasta

Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad

Instant Pot Taco Pasta

Dairy Free Cajun Pasta

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section. Or, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram today!