Description
Creamy Dairy Free Chicken Alfredo is a rich, comforting pasta dish made without cream, butter, or cheese. Tender seasoned chicken is tossed with pasta in a silky dairy-free Alfredo sauce made from plant-based milk and nutritional yeast. Ready in under 30 minutes, this easy dinner is perfect for couples, families, or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil or dairy-free butter
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 1¾ cups unsweetened almond milk (or oat/cashew milk)
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
Pasta:
- 8 oz fettuccine, spaghetti, or gluten-free pasta
Optional Add-Ins:
- Broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, or kale
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Cook chicken: Season chicken with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove and slice.
- Make sauce: In the same skillet, add olive oil or dairy-free butter and sauté garlic until fragrant. Whisk in starch, then slowly add plant milk while whisking.
- Thicken: Stir in nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low 4–5 minutes until creamy. Add lemon juice if using.
- Combine: Add pasta and sliced chicken back to skillet and toss to coat evenly.
- Serve: Garnish with herbs or red pepper flakes and serve warm.
Notes
- Creamiest texture: Use full-fat unsweetened oat or cashew milk.
- Flavor boost: Nutritional yeast adds cheesy depth—don’t skip it.
- Low-carb: Serve over zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of plant milk.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: creamy dairy free chicken alfredo, dairy free alfredo sauce, non dairy chicken pasta, healthy chicken alfredo dairy free, easy dairy free dinner