Creamy Parmesan Carbonara Chicken is the ultimate twist! Crispy, golden chicken fillets soak up a carbonara inspired sauce for a new chicken recipe loved by the entire family!
Creamy Parmesan Carbonara Chicken is one of those recipes I came up with years ago when following low carb diets and this recipe includes BOTH low carb AND low fat options! However, I’ve included full fat + carb options also!
CARBONARA CHICKEN
Usually, a traditional carbonara sauce is made with reserved pasta water, eggs and parmesan cheese, all mixed through cooked/warm pasta to create a creamy sauce. Even though this recipe contains NO EGG, I’ve kept all of your favourite carbonara flavours for when the craving hits!
Dying for a big, full bowl of pasta smothered in a carbonara sauce back then, I opted for something even better. Chicken. Beautiful, juicy golden chicken fillets, swimming in the most amazing creamy bacon ‘carbonara-inspired’ sauce.
With this recipe, you can serve it with your favourite pasta, OR over rice or vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli or zucchini noodles go real well with this).
This may not be a traditional Carbonara recipe, BUT this creamy parmesan carbonara chicken checks all my carbonara craving boxes
CARBONARA CRAVING CHECKLIST
- Creamy sauce
- Crispy bacon strips or pieces
- Parmesan cheese
- Carbonara smiles at the end of it
If you’re like me and find its hard to give up what you love…. you will LOVE THIS!
Other creamy chicken recipe you may love:
- Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken (Piccata)
- Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Parmesan Chicken
- Quick & Easy Creamy Herb Chicken
Some Tips:
— Dredging the chicken in flour is optional. For a LOW CARB version, dredge chicken in parmesan cheese before searing, leaving out the flour. Alternatively, coat with an almond flour/parmesan cheese mixture, using the same measurements in the recipe.
— For a LOW CALORIE + LOW CARB version, sear the chicken without coating.
— I use half and half to cut calories in creamy sauces. Half and Half is an American product blending equal parts whole milk and light cream. If you don’t have access to half and half, you can make your own with 3/4 cup full fat milk and 3/4 cup reduced fat cream.
— You can substitute half and half with reduced fat cream or evaporated milk. For a full fat version, use full fat cream.
WATCH US MAKE Creamy Parmesan Carbonara Chicken
Creamy Parmesan Carbonara Chicken
Creamy Parmesan Carbonara Chicken is the ultimate twist! Crispy, golden chicken fillets soak up a carbonara inspired sauce for a new chicken recipe loved by the entire family
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts , halved horizontally to make 4 filets
- 2 heaping tablespoons flour (all purpose or plain)
- 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cracked pepper
For The Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons butter (or sub with oil)
- 8- ounces | 250 grams bacon , trimmed of fat and cut into strips (I use shortcut bacon in Australia)
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 6 large cloves garlic , minced or finely chopped
- 1-1/2 cups half and half (or use reduced fat cream or evaporated milk)*
- 1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 2 teaspoons of water
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and parmesan cheese. Dredge seasoned chicken in the flour mixture; shake off excess and set aside.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large non stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until butter has melted and pan is hot. Fry the chicken until golden on each side, cooked through and no longer pink (about 4-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken). Transfer onto a warm plate.
- Add the bacon strips to the pan and fry until crispy. Drain off some excess fat, keeping about 1 teaspoons worth in the pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry until onion is transparent (about 1 minute). Reduce heat to low heat, and add the half and half (or cream). Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer; season with a little salt and pepper to your taste. Add in the parmesan cheese, and allow the sauce to simmer until the parmesan cheese has melted slightly. (If the sauce is too runny for your liking, add the cornstarch/water mixture into the centre of the pan and mix through fast to combine into the sauce. It will begin to thicken immediately).
- Add the chicken back into the pan to serve.
- Serve with steamed vegetables (broccoli and/or cauliflower work best), over zucchini noodles, your favourite pasta, or rice.
Notes
For a LOW CALORIE + LOW CARB version, sear the chicken without coating.
Karen says
Absolutely flawless. Incredibly flavorful, I want to bathe in the sauce. Yummy…
Karen says
Absolutely scrumptious! I get such pleasure from using your recipes, because I know they will always turn out amazing!!Thank you I’m now a confident cook!!
Mindy Mcjunkin says
I made this the other night. It was wonderful!! The only thing I changed was I used 2 whole heads of garlic instead of 1. Love loved it! My husband raves about it. Will definitely be making again.
Jacquelyn A Johansen says
This is so ridiculously good. I followed exactly and it came out perfectly. Huge hit! The low carb people had it with broccoli, the chicken, the sauce. The other humans had noodles, chicken, and sauce.
Tina says
Omg this is the second time I have made this recipe. So so delicious I went by the recipe exactly I think it came out the second time. I can’t believe how absolutely awesome this dish is . Thank you for sharing.
Pam says
This is by far my favorite recipe. We have it twice a month! I cut up the chicken into pieces after cooking and crumble the bacon into the sauce, them over pasta. I’m low carbing myself and can just eat without the pasta… It’s so delicious!
Samuel Flodén says
Tested this today. Absolutely wonderful.
However, I made some adjustments to the recipe.
Replaced ordinary bacon with turkey bacon.
Come up with some other adjustments needed to be made for the next time.
Make the chicken become cubes instead of the whole.
It wasn’t the last time I did this.
Had to adjust a bit, because everything is not available in Sweden, which is in the recipe.
Dana says
Recipe was great. The only thing is that I used the wrong parm cheese. I used the fresh stuff at the deli but it was grated “Shavings” rather than grated cheese. It came out a little lumpy/grainy and I think I could’ve done without the cornstarch to thicken it. But, it tasted good. Served over Angel hair pasta.
Donalda says
Once it is ready, can I put it in oven if not ready to eat immediately?
Robin Blackburn says
Dear God!! Made this tonight for the family….I followed the recipe exactly as written, no substitutions except I doubled the sauce recipe (prolly more like tripled it!). Served it over fettuccini noodles and Italian bread. All 5 family members proclaimed it a “definite do-over!” I have a recipe notebook that is sacred to my family. A recipe only gets written in the notebook if it’s been tried and given very high marks. I’m telling you right now, this recipe is going into the notebook! Thank you for this little gem. Do yourself a favor and make this dish…..you won’t be disappointed!!
Diana Teague says
Robin, I too have a book that I write recipes in if they pass our taste test. We always ask “is this redbook worthy?”… Have to try this and see for myself.
Deborah says
my mother made it last night but the sauce was not saucy it came out clumpy and I don’t know if that’s because we ended up using grated Parmesan cheese like the stuff you put on top of spaghetti instead of the actual grated fresh cheese. So I’m hoping next time I do try this I will use the actual cheese from a block or in the tub.
Michelle Reed says
This was amazing. Made with heavy cream to be keto friendly. Will totally make this again and again. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!!!! Can’t wait to try more!!!!
Veronica Blanton says
Great recipe. Have made it a few times. I make my Homemade Garlic, Basil Fettucine noodles and Homemade Italian Bread with it and it is spectacular. Definitely makes an impression. I have had nothing but compliments every time. And they all still brag to others at gatherings and such about this dish..
Karina says
That’s awesome to hear! Thank you so much, I’m glad to hear that everyone loves this recipe!
Tamika says
OMG! I can’t say that enough. It was a super easy and delicious recipe. The only thing I would do different is use thinner chicken breast. They were thicker than I expected so it took a bit longer to cook. I’m going to try mashed potatoes the next go round. Thank you for sharing.
Karina says
Hey Tamika! It’s all trial and error with new recipes! I’m so happy you liked it. This is one of our family favourites and most requested dinners. Hopefully it turns into the same for you!
pamela says
yes it turned out great thanks again
pamela says
i just wanted to say i had to use leg quarters for this recipe im hopeing it turns out ok chicken breast are exspenvie i 1ill let u know how it turns out
Karina says
Yes, please do let me know! Enjoy your chicken! XO
pamela says
i just wanted to say it tuned out very good
narelle Scrimshaw says
Thank you for a very delicious recipe, i cooked this tonight, i used crumbed chicken as that is what i had. I also added Mushroom to the sauce that was great.. We had your Garlic Butter Smashed Sweet Potato with Parmesan as a side dish and everyone loved it. Thanks for all the Great Recipes.. Cheers
Tracy says
This looks devine!! Have you tried air frying the chicken? Wondering if that would turn out ok instead of pan frying…thanks!
Betty says
I can’t wait to make this tonight! Fortunately, the more fat the merrier on the low carb diet we do. So it’s heavy cream (lower in carbs) all the way for me. I know it will be great and plan to serve over buttered yellow summer squash noodles. I’ll not use thickening but will possibly cut the amount of cream or add some cheese for thickening if needed. Thanks again for this recipe!
Melinda says
Hi Karina,
I made your recipe and it was wonderful. My husband really enjoyed it. Definitely will make it again.
X o. Melinda
Karina says
That is great to hear! I am so glad that you both like it! Thank you so much for sharing and following along with me!
Stacey says
The recipe??
Karina says
Thank you for letting me know! I am so sorry that the recipe went missing! My site had a malfunction for a period of time today and we are just getting things up and running. I apologize for the problem and how long it took. Thank you for your patience and following along with me! If you have any other questions or concerns please email me and I would love to help in any way that I can. XOXO Here is the Creamy Parmesan Carbonara Chicken: https://cafedelites.com/creamy-parmesan-chicken-carbonara/.
Tiffany Smith says
Where’s the recipe?
Karina says
Hi! I’m so sorry about this. It seems to be a technical issue on mobile only and we are working on it right now. The recipes are on desktop if you need them urgently! Hopefully we will have all recipes up again soon! Thank you for your patience! Karina X
Melinda says
Hi. I wantedto make this for dinner tonight and I don’t know what happened but the recipe has disappeared. Can somebody please put the recipe on here?
Karina says
Hi Melinda, thank you for your comment! We had a frustrating technical issue that has just now been resolved and all recipes are showing once again. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. If you need any further help, please email us and we will assist you in any way we can. Thank you for your patience! XOXO
Sandra says
I wasn’t sure about using half and half but I am so happy I tried it. Used turkey cutlets. Very tasty. Will make again. Thanks!
Karina says
That is awesome to hear! Thank you so much for sharing!
Karen says
Very good and easy plan on trying it again had it tonight.
Dori says
Delish!! Added frozen peas and made zucchini pasta as a side. Thickened with tapioca powder. The hubs loved it.
Tina says
I made this last night! Flavor was there, but mine was lumpy? What did I do wrong?
Karina says
HMM! I am not sure why it was lumpy. Sometimes the parmesan is not boiled enough to get the lumps out. I am sorry it didn’t turn out perfectly for you! I apologize for that. I hope that it all still tasted good.
Steph says
From all the comments, it’s obvious this is a hit! My family loved it. I added the spinach and mushrooms as well but also added 2 eggs. WOW! Severed it over cauliflower rice with roasted asparagus. It was quite the treat. Thank you so much for all your high quality recipes. This is my go to site any time it’s my turn to cook. Love it!
Sandra says
Absolutely delicious! I cooked this for dinner yesterday and everyone enjoyed it. My daughter is a food lover and is always excited to know what is on the menu for our family dinner. She kept telling me that the chicken was delicious and that it was her best dinner. After she finished her meal, she licked the plate clean and left not one bit of that creamy sauce. My husband enjoyed it as well and asked for more! I followed this recipe, but I used three chicken breasts instead of two for more and cut them in big strips to make it easier for the kids to eat. I also accompanied this yummy, creamy chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans and corn. Cant forget bread to soak up the sauce. This is a keeper!
Julie says
I made this tonight and doubled the sauce so I could freeze some for next time. I added mushrooms and spinach and used a red onion. Served over spaghetti noodles and WOW! So tasty. I will definitely be making this again.
Karina says
Great idea! I love that! I am so glad that you loved it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Carly says
Omg,,, made it for dinner tonight delish!!! Even my fussy boys hubby and son loved it ty 🙂
Tymeron Smith says
That is so great to hear! I am so glad that everyone liked it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Carly says
Am making it tonight can’t wait ?
Tymeron Smith says
YAY! Best of luck!
Ken says
– can i freeze leftovers?
Tymeron Smith says
Yes! Please do! Leftovers are always the best!
Marissa says
This was sooooo good.
Nicole says
I made this last night. It was amazing!!! My family and I loved it. Thank you.
Gail Plaskiewicz says
Forgot to say some of your other chicken recipes sound amazing too. I love chicken and I love all the ways you have to prepare it.
Karina says
Thanks Gail! It’s pretty much the only meat my family will eat!
Gail Plaskiewicz says
It’s 10 am here and I came upon this and I am drooling and hungry! I won’t make this for breakfast though! LOL This looks so amazing and I can’t wait to try it! It has everything a dish can need but someone said something about mushrooms and peas and I might add that too and maybe some noodles and I know I might make extra sauce because lots of sauce is always good. Thanks for this recipe! I can’t wait to try this and even though I haven’t yet, I know it’s worth a 10 star rating but you didn’t have that so I will settle for 5 instead.
Caitlyn says
Could you also use whipping cream instead of half and half?
anadimae says
This was wonderful. Thank you~!!!
Wendy Blais says
Made this tonight. I didn’t dredge the chicken just put it in the pan with olive oil and some butter. I also added mushrooms and used half and half, and served it over noodles, it was absolutely delicious!! Will definately make again! Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
Wendy Blais says
Made this tonight it was so good! Didn’t dredge the chicken and added mushrooms and served over noodles. Was so delicious!!! Will definately make again!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Ellen says
Very tasty dish!
Jayd Dawson-Sellars says
Super yummy
Lucy says
Made this last night it was easy AND delicious! Both my husband & I loved it!!
Megan says
Just letting you know there is a page on Facebook using your photos.
ThePaleoRecipeCookbook
Michelle says
Oh my goodness. I’m embarrassed to admit that I, a 47 year old woman, literally just licked my plate clean. This was absolutely wonderful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Megan says
Do you think this would freeze well?
milly says
can this dish be made at home and transported to a friend—I’m bringing dinner…
GIna says
Guys… truly amazing dish!!!!!!!!!
I’ve added little baked paprika….
OMG… to die for…
Julianna says
Hello! Looks delicious! Only question I have is how are you calculating nutrition facts per serving? I’m on weight watchers and I am trying to “point” certain things out but I’m not sure how much sauce you calculated per serving to get those nutrition fact numbers!
Thanks!
Katelynn says
I just made this tonight for dinner. Two thumbs up from my fiancé and I. I will definitely make this again. I followed the directions and it turned out great!
DeJane Kerr says
Made this for the first time tonight. It was DELICIOUS!! It is going in my DropBox recipe folder immediately. The only revision I made was to add fresh spinach into the sauce before adding the cream – worked really well. Thank you so much.
Rebecca Shoener says
What are the nutritional specs for this?
Karina says
Hi Rebecca, we have just updated the recipe with the nutritional info 🙂
Diana says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was excellent. The sauce is so flavorful….Yummy!!
Karina says
Hi Diana, I’m so happy to hear that!
anadimae says
This was absolutely delicious. My husband isn’t easily impressed, but really liked this. This is one of my favorite places to find good recipes. Thank you so much~!!!
Karina says
That’s so wonderful to hear Anadimae!
Edwin says
I just made this, and it was delicious. I used Penne pasta with garlic bread. Thank you great recipe.
Ian George says
I cooked this recipe tonight and it was one of the best flavored carbonara/chicken dishes I have ever made.
I cooked the chicken in smaller sizes preferring to slice the chicken fillets into 3 and I dipped mine in milk before crumbing in a bit more Parmesan than listed, this gave it a more intense flavor .
Once cooked I the bacon onion, garlic and added the cream I cooked it for a few minutes then layered the chicken on top before serving. Truly one of the best and the only extra tip from me is don’t hold back on using the best quality Parmesan and maybe a bit extra added in. 10/10 on this one.
Karina says
That’s so wonderful to hear! Thank you Ian!
Dana says
Though I dont do it much, I do love to cook new recipes ro try them out. If they are good, they get put in my recipe holder. Just cooked this for my husband and I. It was amazing. I am not the healthiest eater, and also extremely picky so I did what I could on this recipe. I left out butter completely and used olive oil. I also used the half and half rather than opting for the full fat cream. I served it over white rice. It was a huge hit. Thank you so much for this! This is going in the holder!
Karina says
Dana that sounds so good!
Michelle Ceelen says
We very much enjoyed this recipe! Very good. Thank you!
Karina says
You’re very welcome Michelle!
Kate says
Thanks so much for this recipe. I doubled the recipe for a large family dinner and served it with veggies and pasta, so everyone could choose their side. I also used Romano cheese instead of Parmesan since I had it in the fridge. It came out amazing! Thank you again. I am so glad I found your blog.
Karina says
Hi Kate! That’s so great! And welcome to my blog 🙂
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today says
I will do it this evening and I cannot wait 🙂
Cee Grant says
Husband looked away from the TV to say “this is really good!” This recipe is going into the regular dinner rotation. Added mushrooms and peas and a little bit of red pepper flake.
Carolyn says
Didn’t follow the instructions exactly, but it turned out great. I had previously cooked the bacon so used that pan for sauce while chicken was cooking in another pan. Also elimaned the flour and butter.
Magz Ross says
Made this tonight. It is the best Carbonara I have ever tasted. Thank you.
Karina says
You’re very welcome Magz!
Katherine says
This looks SO good!
Karen M. says
Just made this for dinner, wow!!!!! Wasn’t sure how my husband would like it and he looked at me and said it was delicious. I used chicken tenders and cooked them about 2 min. per side with gluten free cup 4 cup flour. I didn’t need the cornstarch, the consistency was perfect for the sauce. I did add a little spice to zip it up. Served over gluten free Barilla penne pasta with olive oil and parmesan garlic bread mix. Thank you for the wonderful recipes. Have not had a bad one yet.
Karina says
Karen that’s wonderful! I’m so happy you both liked this one! To have husbands approve is a huge compliment 🙂
Thank you for your message!
[email protected] Town Girl Blog says
This looks and sounds outstanding! Pinned and sharing. Can’t wait to try!
Karina says
That you for pinning Malia!
Adrianna says
Karina I have to say I love your twists! This one is unbelievable. I’d give 100 stars if I could. My mother and I just wiped our plates clean, serve with rice we had left over and ERMEGERRRD, YUM! THANK YOU!
Karina says
Adrianna I’m glad you like them! Tank you for your message ?
Karina says
Haha Adrianna YOU’RE WELCOME!