Delicate notes of garlic and white pepper combine with the rich depth of a creamy, cheesy sauce in this beautiful keto chicken alfredo.
Looking for more keto pasta options? Check out my keto meatballs or (noodle free!) shrimp carbonara.
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Mama Knows Best.
If you’re new here, hi I’m Lindsey. And my Mom taught me everything I know about cooking. Well, almost everything. She’s a comfort food cook (she even has her own blog!), and makes nothing but the carb-iest, most sugar-filled dishes. She taught me everything I know about flavor, texture, and techniques. The low carb stuff I had to learn on my own.
So whenever I set out to make a new dish, I always see how Mama makes it, and modify from there.
Growing up, her chicken alfredo was a regular. Not only because it’s full of SO much flavor, but because it takes 20 minutes to make. So here’s the low carb version. The magic is in the creamy, cheesy sauce–feel free to sub in your favorite protein or noodles here (although zucchini has NEVER tasted this good!). And enjoy 🤌 – Linds x
Fun fact: my Mom and I get to recipe test in the same kitchen! So each Little Pine Kitchen recipe has her stamp of approval before it hits the web. And now I get to teach her a few things about cooking (the low carb way).
Is Alfredo Keto? Low Carb? Gluten-Free? Paleo?
Is alfredo high in carbs? Generally speaking, no. Alfredo sauce is low carb and high fat, the bigger concern is what pasta you serve it with. That said, some recipes do use flour to thicken the sauce, while this recipe uses a combination of parmesan and heavy cream.
- Keto – yes, every ingredient here is low carb and keto. See my keto pasta alternatives below to keep this dish totally low carb.
- Gluten-free – this alfredo is totally gluten-free (again) as long as you serve it over a wheat-free pasta alternative.
- Paleo – no, this alfredo is not paleo. For a paleo alfredo, you’d need heavy cream, parmesan, and butter alternatives. An easier solution? Use a sauce such as this keto spaghetti sauce or this keto bolognese (skip the cream) instead.
Keto Alfredo Sauce Ingredients + Swaps
Not much to it! Here’s what you need, and a few adjustments you can easily make…
- Chicken breasts – Feel free to use shrimp instead (check out my keto shrimp scampi), or skip the chicken for a vegetarian alternative
- Heavy cream – traditionally, cow’s milk is used — heavy cream will significantly cut down on carbs
- Almond milk unsweetened + unflavored will help thin out the heavy cream, otherwise, the sauce will become too rich
- Red pepper flakes – add more for extra zest
- White pepper – you can use black pepper, although white is strongly recommended
- Parmesan – helps to thicken our keto alfredo sauce
How do You Thicken Alfredo without Flour?
You can thicken and keep alfredo sauce keto by using extra parmesan (as done here), or even adding a touch of xanthan gum. Other recipes use cream cheese or mozzarella cheese to thicken their keto chicken alfredo — I don’t love this as it changes the flavor of the sauce.
Keto Pasta Options
I love to make keto chicken alfredo with zucchini noodles, but you can substitute your favorite keto pasta here instead. Here are some ideas for you…
- Other veggie noodles, such as butternut squash noodles, cabbage noodles, or spaghetti squash
- Almond flour pasta
- Edamame noodles
- Use cauliflower or broccoli rice instead
Psst — SKIP shirataki noodles, their texture is too “gummy” for Italian food dishes.
How to Make Keto Chicken Alfredo
1. Pat chicken dry, and season.
2. Sear chicken on each side in a skillet until cooked through. Slice cooked chicken into strips.
4. Saute onion in melted butter.
5. Add the cream, almond milk, parmesan, red pepper flakes, white pepper, and salt.
6. Remove from heat and add zoodles. Toss to coat.
What to do with Keto Alfredo Sauce?
Aside from serving this over noodles, you can use it as a delicious sauce for…
- Roasted vegetables, such as roasted broccoli or roasted cauliflower steaks.
- Proteins like sliced chicken, shrimp, or even pork tenderloin.
- Zucchini ravioli, or keto spaghetti squash casserole instead of spaghetti sauce.
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Tips
I suggest storing your zucchini noodles and alfredo sauce separately. Zucchini will release liquid when cooled, which will water down your sauce. Simply reheat your sauce over the stove, or in the microwave using short intervals, and stirring between each one. Toss in fresh noodles once your sauce has heated.
I don’t suggest freezing keto alfredo sauce–as with most cream-based sauces, it won’t defrost well.
More Keto Pasta Recipes
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Cabbage Lasagna
- Keto Beef Stroganoff
- Zoodle Salad
- Pesto Zucchini Pasta
Keto Alfredo Sauce
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 4 zucchinis spiralized (note 1)
Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts boneless + skinless (note 2)
- salt
- black pepper
Alfredo:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup almond milk unsweetened + unflavored
- 1/2 cup parmesan grated. plus more for serving
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
Instructions
- Chicken. Pat chicken completely dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat of your skillet to medium-low, and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, along with the chicken breasts (2). Sear on each side until golden and the internal temp of your chicken reaches 165 F. Set chicken aside on a plate and cover with foil. After the chicken has rested for 10 minutes, slice and continue to tent until the pasta sauce is ready.
- Sauce. Melt butter (1/4 cup) in the skillet, and add the garlic (1 tablespoon). Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cream (1 cup), almond milk (1/2 cup), parmesan cheese (1/2 cup), red pepper flakes (pinch), white pepper (1/8 teaspoon), and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk as the cheese melts into the sauce, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Assemble + serve. Add the zoodles and toss to coat, then quickly (so the zoodles don't get soggy) dish pasta onto plates. If you'd like your sauce a bit thicker, add 1/4 cup of additional grated parmesan. Sprinkle with parsley (2 tablespoons), sliced chicken breast and additional parmesan. Enjoy!
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Lindsey’s Tips
- Noodles – Not a fan of zoodles? Edamame noodles are my favorite substitute here, especially when skipping the chicken (they’re high in protein).
- Chicken is totally optional! (in fact, I usually skip it). You can also use shrimp– just sear on each side until completely pink.
- How much to cook your noodles – personally, I’m not a fan of al dente zoodles, but there’s a fine line between not cooked and soggy. So watch carefully!
- Zucchini will release liquid as it cooks, and can water down your alfredo sauce– this is why it’s so important to serve right after tossing the noodles in sauce. If that isn’t an option, adding more parmesan will quickly thicken the sauce.
