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With tender chunks of chicken, lots of parmesan, and a garlicky homemade cream sauce that just oozes out of the penne pasta, this Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta is an easy weeknight dinner the entire family will love. Make it on the stovetop in just 30 minutes or prepare it in the slow cooker for a set-it-and-forget-it dinner.
Behind This Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
This garlic parmesan chicken pasta is inspired by the dish that’s been viral on TikTok recently. Typically, it uses a premade bottle of Buffalo Wild Wings garlic parmesan sauce but in this recipe, we make our garlic parm sauce from scratch. It’s the same famous recipe that blew up on social media for my Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers. Using this sauce yields a much more flavorful, garlicky flavor with a kick and lots of parmesan.
Speaking of garlicky flavor, this is definitely a recipe for garlic lovers (like me!) If any recipe calls for a few cloves of garlic, I am sure to double the quantity. In this recipe, we use at least 6 large cloves of garlic (more if they are small cloves). Needless to say, there’s some real garlic flavor in the sauce!
Pasta dishes, whether we’re talking about one-pot chicken scampi or this garlic parmesan chicken pasta, are some of my favorite things to make on busy weeknights. This recipe is super easy to throw together in a big skillet in just 30 minutes or so. If you’re looking for a recipe you can set-and-forget, I’ve also included instructions on how you can easily make this in a crockpot. Super easy!
Tips from My Kitchen
- Cook the pasta to al dente. Be sure to cook the pasta just to al dente, using the box cooking instructions as a guideline. It will continue to cook a bit when added to everything else, and you definitely don’t want mushy pasta.
- Reserve pasta water. When draining the pasta, be sure to reserve some of the starchy pasta water. It’s necessary to thin the sauce, since we’re not adding any broth, and regular water won’t work. The starch from the pasta is what keeps the sauce creamy and smooth.
- Flip the chicken once. To get a nice brown outside on the chicken, it’s important to preheat the pan and only flip it once. It should easily release from the pan when it’s ready to flip.
- Let the chicken rest. After browning, transfer the chicken to a plate with tented foil and leave it alone for a few minutes. This gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the entire piece of chicken and will result in juicier pieces.
- Grate the parmesan yourself. If at all possible, grate or shred the parmesan directly from the block yourself. A good amount is used in this recipe and pre-shredded parmesan just doesn’t melt as easily or taste as good. And, whatever you do, do NOT use the stuff in the green container!
Key Ingredients
Let’s take a look at everything needed to make this pasta dish. Be sure to read through the recipe card for a detailed list as well as measurements.
- Butter – The base of the garlic parmesan sauce.
- Parmesan – Grated or shredded parmesan for the garlic parmesan sauce and a little extra for topping at the end. I highly recommend grating or shredding it yourself but if you buy pre-shredded, definitely avoid the green canned stuff!
- Garlic – An essential ingredient! Freshly minced is the way to go here. Jarred garlic just doesn’t add the same punch.
- Chicken – You can use chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Penne pasta – You can use any pasta of your choice. I love how the penne pasta holds sauce and it oozes out as you bite it.
- Cream cheese – Adds a thick, creamy texture to the garlic parmesan sauce. Be sure to soften it ahead of time to make things easier and to use brick-style cream cheese.
- Heavy cream – Adds more richness and creaminess to the sauce.
- Pasta water – Reserved pasta water is key for thinning the sauce while keeping it smooth and creamy.
- Herbs & spices – Poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning for the chicken, plus red pepper flakes for a bit of heat, flat-leaf parsley for some freshness, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Hot sauce – I like to add a splash of hot sauce to my garlic parmesan sauce to give it a kick of heat.
What To Serve It With
This garlic parmesan pasta with chicken is a filling meal on its own. I like to add a side of breadsticks or garlic bread to soak up every bite of the yummy sauce.
To make it a more balanced meal, I will often start with a fresh side salad loaded with my favorite veggies or some roasted or steamed vegetables. Green veggies like broccoli and asparagus pair nicely with this dish!
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover garlic parmesan chicken pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. If the sauce has thickened too much, just add a splash of heavy cream or broth to thin it out a bit.
Looking For More Easy Pasta Recipes?
- Pasta al Limone
- Steak Tortellini
- French Onion Pasta
- One-Pot Shrimp Scampi
- Feta Tomato Pasta with Salmon
- Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for garlic parmesan chicken pasta! 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!
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Homemade Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 1 stick butter
- 6 large cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1-3 tablespoons hot sauce depending on your heat preference
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley minced
Chicken, Pasta & Cream Sauce
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast or tenders
- 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning, **see notes for my blend
- 8 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes (1 block)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated or shredded
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: garlic bread or breadsticks
Instructions
- Prepare the garlic parmesan sauce by heating butter in a medium bowl until partially melted. Add in remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Set aside.
- Place chicken in a bowl or large zip-top bag along with a few tablespoons of olive oil, tossing them to coat. Add in a few spoonsful of your preferred chicken seasoning** and rub it into all sides of the chicken.
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook chicken about 3-4 minutes until well browned. Flip once, reduce heat to low. Add a heaping spoonful of garlic parmesan sauce into the skillet allowing it to melt into the chicken as it cooks.
- Once internal temp reaches 165 degrees (about 6-8 minutes total), toss the chicken in the butter sauce. Set aside under tented foil to rest, then dice into large chunks.
- In the same skillet over medium low, add in the remaining garlic parmesan sauce and the softened cubed cream cheese and heavy cream. Cook until cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally.
- Add the diced chicken into the cream sauce tossing well until combined, continuing to simmer. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted water according to the package instructions for al dente. Into the cream sauce add the pasta water and cooked pasta. Toss everything together until well coated.
- I like to add in extra parmesan cheese, minced parsley and red pepper flakes before serving. Serve warm with garlic bread or breadsticks.
Hi!! I was wondering what the note section of this recipe applies to?
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Notes
**I use a combination of 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
Yes, in the recipe you’ll see that it lists a measurement for a poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning and states **see notes for my recipe. The notes include my go-to recipe for my poultry seasoning blend.
A hit with my family! Just the right amount of spice and garlic to make a delicious dish!
I love to hear that!! Thank you so much