Healthy Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
This 30-minute Healthy Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli is only 300 calories per serving. Read on to find out the tricks I used to make this comfort food classic healthier!
This recipe was originally published on September 15th, 2017. I have updated the text and images, added a video today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Lighter Chicken Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli
This fall, one of my top priorities was to figure out a way to add an Pasta Alfredo to my line-up of comfort food and classics makeover recipes. But, how could I make an Alfredo that didn’t break the calorie bank and still was easy and satisfying?
- Bulk it up with some seasonal vegetables: Broccoli adds low calorie volume and a veggie serving to each bowl!
- Add Lean Protein to Make it a Complete Meal: Each serving has 29 grams of protein.
- Switch to Whole-Grain Pasta: For the goodness of whole grains and additional fiber.
- Lighten the Alfredo Sauce: What I ended up doing is using a combination of flavorful chicken broth, which is low in calories, non-fat milk and only 1/4 cup half and half for 6 servings. To thicken it and make it creamy I used all-purpose flour.
- Boost the Cheesy Flavor: I went for Parmigiano Reggiano—just 1 cup for 6 servings. I boosted the cheesiness and flavor by adding in Dijon mustard and a hit of fresh thyme which have basically no calories.
The resulting Healthy Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli takes only 30 minutes start to finish, and is only 300 calories per serving!! I just love the way the sauce and garlic gets absorbed into the florets.
Key Ingredients
- Pasta: You can use the type you prefer. For more fiber opt for whole-wheat pasta.
- Raw broccoli: chopped
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Cut into cubes
- All-purpose flour: to thicken the sauce
- Seasonings: Salt, ground pepper, garlic, Dijon and thyme
- Extra-virgin olive oil: to cook the chicken and also to saute the garlic for the cream sauce.
- For the Sauce: You can use store bought reduced-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock. You’ll also need Non-fat, skim milk or low-fat milk plus some half-and-half
- Grated Parmesan cheese: plus more for serving.
How To Make Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
Step 1: Boil Pasta and Broccoli
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta 3 minutes less than time according to package instructions. Add broccoli and continue cooking for the remaining 3 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
Step 2: Saute Chicken
Meanwhile, toss chicken with flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, leaving excess flour in the bowl. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until browned on one or two sides, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm (it will continue cooking in step 4).
Step 3: Clean Skillet
Wipe out skillet with a clean paper towel. Reduce heat to medium.
Step 4: Cook Garlic
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook stirring until fragrant, 30 to 90 seconds. Stir in the chicken and any juice from the plate.
Step 5: Make Alfredo Sauce
Dust on the remaining flour from the bowl, and stir to combine. Add broth and stir until the flour is incorporated. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer stirring often. Stir in milk, half and half, Dijon and thyme, reduce heat to medium and return to a simmer, stirring. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick, about 4 minutes.
Step 6: Add Parmesan and Serve
Remove from heat and add 1 cup Parmesan. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Add pasta and broccoli, and stir until combined. Serve topped with additional Parmesan.
What To Serve with This Healthy Chicken Alfredo
This chicken Alfredo recipe has broccoli in it, so you technically don’t need to serve anything with it. But I think since the portions aren’t huge and it’s only 300 calories per serving, you may want to have a side dish to serve with it. Here are some ideas:
- My first choice would be to have you try the alfredo with this sautéed kale with cider vinegar or simple sauteed swiss chard on the side. The sour vinegar will contrast nicely with the cheesy sauce on the alfredo. And they’re both very easy recipes, so you can totally whip them together on a weeknight.
- For something totally different you could make this delicata squash salad with pickled onion dressing. The leftovers are amazing for lunch!
- A simple Cucumber Salad would also be a super fast and family friendly option.
- Tomato and anchovy salad is always another healthy and fast option until the first fall freeze hits.
Make Ahead, Leftovers, Storage and Reheating
This is not a great make ahead meal because the sauce really dissapears into the pasta quickly. It is best served immediately. That said there are some tips for leftovers and meal prep!
- Meal Prep: Chop the broccoli and store in a ziplock bag. Chop the chicken and store in a resealable container. Mis en place the sauce ingredients if you like too. Keep everything refrigerated up to three days ahead. We suggest chopping garlic at the last minute so that it doesn’t make your fridge smell like garlic!
- Leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container for up to four days. Keep refrigerated.
- Reheating: Heat loftovers with additional chicken broth and a splash of half and half. We find that heating in the microwave is easiest. Stir a couple times while heating it up (every 40 seconds.) It takes about 3 minutes on high, depending on your microwave. You can also re-warm it in a small non-stick skillet with additional chicken broth. Make sure the chicken alfredo is steaming hot when you reheat it.
Substitutions and Variations To Try
There are many ways to custimize this healthy alfredo pasta recipe! Try one of these variations or try one of your own and let me know below in the comment section!
- Sub another veggie for the broccoli. We love cauliflower, spinach or kale with this recipe. Or make an easy primavera with mixed frozen veggies (we like the peas, corn and carrots blend.)
- Use cashew cream and a vegan cheese or nutritional yeast instead of the half and half, milk and Parmesan cheese.
- Skip the chicken and add shrimp to your skillet instead. We suggest skipping the breading on the shrimp and only adding the flour to the sauce.
- Use a gluten free pasta and thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (you’ll need about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon.)
More Healthy Comfort Foods with Chicken and Broccoli
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintHealthy Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This 30-minute Healthy Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli is only 300 calories per serving, making it a delicious, kid-friendly weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked pasta, preferably whole-wheat (6.8 ounces)
- 4 cups chopped raw broccoli
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized cubes (1 pound)
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2/3 cup non-fat or low-fat milk
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta 3 minutes less than time according to package instructions. Add broccoli and continue cooking for the remaining 3 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, toss chicken with flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, leaving excess flour in the bowl. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until browned on one or two sides, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm (it will continue cooking in step 4).
- Wipe out skillet with a clean paper towel. Reduce heat to medium.
- Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook stirring until fragrant, 30 to 90 seconds. Stir in the chicken and any juice from the plate.
- Dust on the remaining flour from the bowl, and stir to combine. Add broth and stir until the flour is incorporated. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer stirring often. Stir in milk, half and half, Dijon and thyme, reduce heat to medium and return to a simmer, stirring. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 cup Parmesan. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Add pasta and broccoli, and stir until combined. Serve topped with additional Parmesan.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 56 mg
I followed the recipe but found it to be a little too dry, needs more sauce. I think next time I will double the sauce part. Otherwise my family really enjoyed!
Thank you for the feedback!
I am so excited to make this tomorrow for my grandchildren. Thank you
We made too without the salt, i used salt free seasonings, paprika with French’s mustard and coconut cream and it came out fine.
Absolutely delicious! Easy to follow, quick to make!
Randomly had to sub the all purpose flour for millet flour cuz that’s all I had on hand, and this recipe was still delicious!
I am so happy you liked it Jennifer. That’s great! And good to know about the flour sub!
Another win for family meals!
Oh goodie! Glad to know you’ve tried this one too! That’s great to hear. Thanks so much for coming back to rate these recipes today. I really appreciate your time. Have a great week!
I love it when you can take a classic comfort food like this and make it healthier! And still getting a delicious result!
Comfort food is the best! Thanks so much for the rating Lindsay!
Yes! Finally a lightened up version of one of my favorite meals of all time. I’ve had to stay away for quite a while because, as I’ve gotten older, my stomach doesn’t tolerate those fattier version of cream sauces like it once did. Perfection!
I am so glad to hear you like this recipe Jennifer! Thank you!
Just made this for dinner tonight. We really thought this was delicious and are very much looking forward to heating up the leftovers for a couple more easy meals. Thanks so much for the recipe! Served with these delicious carrots for a nice color contrast….https://damndelicious.net/2018/03/31/garlic-herb-carrots/ (Cut back on the butter a sugar but they were still yummy)
Thanks so much Mary Beth- I’m so glad you loved it! And trust me- this is one of those meals that’s just as good the next day! Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe! Love that it can be easily adapted. I just whipped up a “green goodness” version. Poached the chicken in
a water / milk combination, and then re-used that remaining stock in the sauce. At the end, stirred through sauteed leek, spinach and then covered to wilt.
Adding leeks and spinach is brilliant! Great idea.
Great idea with lightening up the Alfredo sauce. I love all the ingredients in this dish!
Thank you Edyta. We love comfort food- but not all the calories. Glad you appreciate it too. Have a great day!
I love alfredo, but not the calories as I have a wedding dress to fit into in a few months! Love that you’ve lightened it up, but kept loads of flavour and added in some delicious veg too; need to try this!
Congrats to you Annie! Thanks so much for coming by!
I love your creativity to make this a healthier pasta! I’m a huge fan of broccoli with alfredo sauce 🙂
I am so glad to hear you like this combo Haley. Hope you have a great day!
Love this recipe and all of your tips!
Thank you Mary Ellen. Glad that you like it. Hope you have a great day.
This is the kind of meal my girls would have gobbled up when they were young, what a comforting AND healthy family dinner!
My kids were so psyched to learn I was going to be working on this recipe because that meant they’d get to eat it for dinner. They love broccoli!
A healthy alfredo…didn’t even know it’s possible :-)) This looks super yummy and good for you with broccoli!
It’s a far cry from the one I made at Isabel’s but it tastes great anyway! Thanks so much Angie. Have a great weekend.