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This bright and citrusy Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo is decadently creamy, full of garlic, parmesan, and tangy lemon. It’s then topped with buttery lemon pepper seasoned chicken tenders and lemon wedges for serving.
If you love lemon pepper like I do, you’ve got to try my Hot Lemon Pepper Chicken Skewers! Or, if you love easy one-pan pasta dishes, be sure to check out my popular One Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta, Buffalo One-Pot Chicken Alfredo, and my Lemon Parmesan One-Pan Pasta.
Why You’ll Love Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo
Just One Pan – Don’t you love when you can make a delicious dinner and only dirty one pan? It’s not often I can pull this off when creating recipes, but in this lemon pepper chicken alfredo it’s super easy with just a few steps. Of course if you don’t have a large skillet or are just more comfortable adding in separately cooked pasta, that totally works too.
Lemon Pepper Lovers! The kick of citrusy lemon is pronounced enough to make you pucker while still giving you a good balance of creamy decadence with the alfredo sauce. We don’t just use lemon pepper seasoning on the chicken it’s also added to the alfredo sauce as well.
Rotation Worthy – You’ll make this pasta once and easy slip this into the meal rotation. It’s one you’ll definitely remember and is highly requested in my house.
30 Minute Meal – Not only is it easy, delicious and one-pan, but it also comes together in 30 minutes. What more can you ask for out of a delicious pasta dinner?
Key Ingredients
You’ve got to love an easy one-pan pasta recipe with a short list of ingredients. Here is what you’ll need to gather in order to make this tasty, vibrant lemon pepper chicken alfredo. Be sure to review the recipe card below for measurements.
Chicken Tenderloins – you can always count on tenderloins being a touch more tender than chicken breasts. You can also use breasts, cutlets or thighs.
Pasta – linguini works best but fettuccine or spaghetti also work. I found fettuccine to be a little bulkier than I prefer for a one-pan pasta dish.
Lemon Pepper Seasoning – there are several brands on the market. If you like to control your sodium, grab a salt-free variation. Perfect Pinch is my preference for this recipe, I just don’t add any salt to this recipe to account for the sodium.
Pantry/Fridge Staples – freshly cracked pepper, garlic, chicken stock, half and half, butter, parmesan.
White Wine – select a dry wine such as pinot grigio, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc that’s good enough to drink.
Lemon – I use two lemons, one for zest and squeezing into the sauce and the other as wedges for serving with the pasta itself.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo
Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season liberally with lemon pepper seasoning. If you’re using salt-free seasoning, add salt to the chicken as well.
Heat a large, deep skillet to medium low, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the chicken 3 minutes per side. Add butter and cook 1 additional minute. Set chicken aside.
Into the same skillet add 3 more tablespoons of butter, minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine and cook for 5 minutes to reduce.
Add in lemon juice, chicken stock and half and half. Add lemon pepper seasoning and freshly cracked pepper. Bring to a low boil.
Add the pasta directly into the pan and once it softens slightly it should be flexible enough to nestle into the pan and submerge in the liquid (or you can break the pasta in half if you prefer). Simmer for 8-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, or until pasta is tender.
Add parmesan and toss to coat. Top with chicken tenders, extra lemon zest, lemon wedges and a sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning.
Tips and Modifications
Large, Deep Skillet – my favorite pan for one-pan meals is my 12″ Caraway pan. It’s nice and deep and allows for easy one-pan cooking without any worry of the sauce reaching the brim of the pan.
Lemon Pepper Seasoning – my go-to is McCormick Perfect Pinch Lemon Pepper Seasoning. It has lots of lemon flavor and is nice and peppery. Use whichever you prefer.
Type of Pasta Used – as you see in the photos, I used fettuccine but I actually learned I prefer cooking this dish with linguini instead. The fettuccine is thicker and takes longer to cook, subsequently absorbing more pan sauce. Linguini, spaghetti or angel hair are my preferences.
Amount of Half and Half – with one pan meals there is always a little adjusting required. Depending on the pasta you choose, you may require more liquid. As your pasta cooks, if you see the pan sauce absorbing too much, add 1/2 cup more half and half. You want a little extra sauce in the pan after the pasta finishes cooking.
Taste & Adjust Alfredo – just be sure to account for the sodium that will be added when you add in the parmesan cheese at the final step. It has a high salt content and you don’t want this dish to be too salty. I never needed any salt added in this dish, the lemon pepper seasoning, parmesan and butter contained just the right amount.
Looking for More Pasta Recipes?
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for this Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo. Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback!
If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo (One-Pan)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken tenderloins breasts or thighs work too
- 12 oz dry linguini pasta* about 3/4 of a 1 lb. box
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning*
- 1 tablespoon butter
Lemon Pepper Alfredo
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 lemon zest of
- 3/4 cup dry white wine sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, etc. good enough to drink
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2.5 – 3 cups half and half start with 2.5 cups, adding more if needed as the pasta absorbs the sauce.
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning* don’t add any salt to your sauce until the end if it’s needed at all
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper
- 2/3 cup parmesan grated
Instructions
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season liberally with lemon pepper seasoning. If you’re using salt-free seasoning, add salt as well.
- Heat a large, deep skillet to medium low and add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the chicken about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Cook for one additional minute, adding in 1 tablespoon butter, tossing the chicken to coat. Set aside under tented foil.
- Into the same skillet add 3 more tablespoons of butter, all the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine and cook for 4-5 minutes to reduce.
- Add in lemon juice, chicken stock and half and half. Whisk in lemon pepper seasoning and freshly cracked pepper. Bring to a low boil. Taste and adjust*
- Add the pasta directly into the pan and once it softens slightly (1 minute), it should be flexible enough to nestle into the pan and submerge in the liquid (or you can break the pasta in half if you prefer).
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until al dente, tossing occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- Once it's ready to serve, add parmesan and toss to coat. Top with chicken tenders, extra lemon zest, lemon wedges and a sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Here are some additional photos for your Pinterest boards:
YUM! So glad I found this recipe before I went grocery shopping. Absolutely delish
This pasta is tangy and vibrant with lots of lemon flavor! This quickly became a staple in our pasta rotation.