Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe (2024)

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By Shawn Williams

4.19 from 90 votes

Sep 23, 2019, Updated Oct 18, 2023

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Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe (2)

Table of Contents

  • What is Chicken Carbonara?
  • Creamy Carbonara Sauce
  • Bacon Versus Pancetta
  • How to Make Chicken Carbonara
  • Recipe Prep Makes All The Difference
  • More Pasta Recipes
  • Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe

What is Chicken Carbonara?

Creamy chicken carbonara is inspired by a classic Italian (Roman) pastadish made with bacon or pancetta, whisked egg, and hard cheese. Bacon, egg, and cheese me all day, baby. Carbonara sauce is an egg-based white sauce featuring Parmesancheese, black pepper, fresh herbs, and sometimes cream. It’s creamy, delicious, date-night worthy, and will rock your world.

Thanks to the magic of bacon, this is the most heavenly-smelling pasta dish I or you will ever make. Chicken, garlic, and linguine swirled in bacon fat and melted Parmesan cheese. It’s a cheesy pasta dish loaded with flavor without being overly heavy like fettuccine, which I’ve never really been a fan of. It just makes me feel gross.

The recipe is really simple if you break it down into simple parts, plus it all comes together (mostly) in a single cast iron skillet in about 30 minutes.

If you loved this recipe, also try some similar favorites such as cacio e pepe recipe, creamy mushroom pasta, creamy Tuscan chicken and pasta, and chicken broccoli ziti!

Creamy Carbonara Sauce

This simple carbonara sauce is comprised of 4 eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Recipes will occasionally only call for egg yolks, omitting the whites, but I think the whole egg contributes to the overall texture and flavor. I’ve added a little heavy cream to my sauce for additional creaminess.

Adding reserved starchy pasta water at the very end will also help thin the sauce out, keeping it creamy without being too thick or dry.

Whisk all carbonara sauce ingredients together in a bowl and stir into the warm pasta at the very end. The hot pasta, plus the warm skillet will cook the egg just enough without scrambling the eggs. If your pan is too hot, then you’ve just made breakfast.

Bacon Versus Pancetta

Pancetta is a common Italian substitute for bacon—it’s considered Italian bacon. Both bacon and pancetta come from cured pork belly. You can substitute either interchangeably in the recipe depending on availability. Pancetta is often sold predicted into small pieces and is considered recipe-ready.

How to Make Chicken Carbonara

Cook the thick-cut bacon in a skillet (thick is important) first, reserving some bacon fat for flavor. Cook the chicken second with the garlic in that flavorful bacon fat.

Add the bacon back to the skillet, add linguine or pasta of choice, and stir in the carbonara sauce until you have a creamy, rich pasta dish. Finish with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, Parmesan cheese, and chopped basil.

Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe (3)

Recipe Prep Makes All The Difference

Prep makes a big difference in this recipe. Cutting the chicken and bacon before you start anything else makes the recipe move quickly and smoothly. As you get your pasta water boiling, whisk together the sauce and slice your proteins so you can fly right out of the gate. If you’re making something for the first time, I’ve always found it tends to cut down on the stress, especially if you’re cooking for guests.

If it’s Italian it’s got to be served with wine. I think this would go well with a crisp, fruity white or Chianti Classico. I’m going with Chianti.

Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe (4)

More Pasta Recipes

Pappardelle Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Simple Creamy Gnocchi Recipe

Simple Creamy Mushroom Pasta Recipe

Creamy Shell Pasta with Sausage Recipe

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4.19 from 90 votes

Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe

By: Shawn Williams

Servings: 6

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Save

Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe (9)

Creamy chicken carbonara is inspired by a classic Italian pasta dish made with bacon, whisked egg, and hard cheese. It’s creamy, delicious, date-night worthy, and will rock your world.

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized strips
  • 12-14 ounces linguine
  • 4 strips thick-cut bacon, or pancetta, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Carbonara Sauce

  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook linguine al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before straining.

  • Combine eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk thoroughly and set aside.

  • Meanwhile, cook bacon in a cast iron skillet on medium heat until fully cooked, remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Keep1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet and discard the rest.

  • Add minced garlic and sliced chicken to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until chicken is fully cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

  • Return bacon to the skillet, add the warm linguine and toss with chicken and bacon. Turn the burner down to low and let the skillet cool for 2-3 minutes. If the skillet is too hot you run the risk of scrambling the eggs.

  • Add egg mixture to the skillet and toss with the pasta until fully incorporated. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of reserved pasta water until creamy. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil.

Notes

Prep makes a big difference in this recipe. Cutting the chicken and bacon before you start anything else makes the recipe move quickly and smoothly. As you get your pasta water boiling, whisk together the sauce and slice your proteins so you can fly right out of the gate.

Pancetta is a common Italian substitute for bacon—it’s actually considered Italian bacon. Both bacon and pancetta come from cured pork belly. You can substitute either interchangeably in the recipe depending on availability. Pancetta is often sold predicted into small pieces and is considered recipe ready.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 706kcalCarbohydrates: 37.2gProtein: 91.4gFat: 20.7gSaturated Fat: 7.4gCholesterol: 363mgSodium: 906mgSugar: 0.3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenswagger or tag #kitchenswagger!

About Shawn Williams

My name is Shawn, author behind Kitchen Swagger. I'm a food & drink enthusiast bringing you my own simple and delicious restaurant-inspired recipes.

Read More About Me

Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken carbonara sauce made of? ›

The creamy sauce is made by tossing eggs and Parmesan with cooked pasta and its still piping hot cooking water. It's so simple but can be intimidating.

What is the trick about carbonara sauce? ›

Whisk Like You Mean It

You're using more egg yolks than whites here, which is what makes carbonara so rich and luxurious. But there's still two eggs-worth of whites in there. Whisking your eggs so that the whites are completely incorporated into the yolks will give your sauce a more uniform texture.

Which ingredient should never be used in traditional carbonara? ›

What not to put in Spaghetti Carbonara? Don't put garlic, cream, milk or butter. It is not needed. It is fine if you want to make a dish with those ingredients, but if you want to learn how to make this dish correctly, use only pecorino, eggs/egg yolks, black pepper, guanciale, and pasta water.

What is the difference between Alfredo and carbonara sauce? ›

The difference between alfredo and carbonara is that carbonara contains an egg while alfredo sauce does not. Carbonara is usually thinner in consistency than alfredo sauce, using the egg to coat the noodles instead of relying on the cream.

Is chicken Alfredo just carbonara? ›

Alfredo and carbonara are totally separate dishes. Carbonara traditionally consists of guanciale, beaten eggs, black pepper, and pecorino Ramano cheese. Traditional alfredo contains Parmigiano Reggiano and butter.

What is traditional carbonara sauce made of? ›

Carbonara is made with guanciale (cured pork), eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, spaghetti pasta, and lots of black pepper. Italians don't add extra ingredients like cream, milk, garlic, or onions. Try this recipe if you want to make an authentic, creamy carbonara that comes straight from Italy, where I live.

What is the golden rule of cooking a carbonara? ›

The golden rule of cooking carbonara is to never cook the sauce over direct heat once the eggs are added. Instead, remove the pasta from the heat and toss it with the egg and cheese mixture off the heat, allowing the residual heat from the pasta to gently cook the eggs into a creamy sauce.

Why is my carbonara not creamy? ›

The trick to silky carbonara is to whisk your egg whites so that they're completely incorporated with the egg yolks.

Why is garlic not allowed in carbonara? ›

My personal opinion is that garlic flavour does not fit with the egg nor the guanciale (pork cheek fat) flavour at all. Added: many Italians share my opinion. I'm not Italian, but adding garlic to Carbonara seems like a no-no to me too. You want a creamy bacon and cheese flavor, clean and simple.

Should carbonara have cream in it? ›

And indeed, there's plenty of recipes that cheat by adding in cream. But today, we're making spaghetti carbonara properly, the authentic, traditional way. No cream. Just egg, cheese and a splash of starchy pasta cooking water.

Does carbonara use whole eggs or just yolks? ›

It's higher in fat, which gives a velvety texture and richer flavor to the carbonara. I'd rather not go overboard on the richness, so I'll use whole eggs, and typically I'll add an extra yolk to the pan. If guanciale is not available, I'll use pancetta.

What's the difference between carbonara and Italian carbonara? ›

The Italian version doesn't use cream or ham. It is made with pancetta (pork belly meat that is salt cured, also referred to as Italian bacon), Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino romano cheese, eggs, and black pepper—called the basics. The pork is fried in fat, usually olive oil.

What pasta is better for carbonara? ›

Carbonara is almost always served with spaghetti or linguine, but you can use whatever pasta you prefer. For a more unusual take on carbonara, try spinach fettuccine tossed with warm pasta and fresh baby spinach; you'll get a vibrant, beautiful dish with some additional health benefits.

What is carbonara without bacon called? ›

Pasta cacio e uova, or cas' e ova in Neapolitan dialect, is a simple Campanian dish that can be most easily summarized as "meatless carbonara." Like carbonara, cas' e ova features a silky, temperature-sensitive sauce made with eggs and a mixture of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano that coats al dente ...

What does carbonara sauce taste like? ›

Does Pasta Carbonara taste like eggs? No, you do not have to worry about your Spaghetti Carbonara tasting like eggs! Although the sauce contains eggs, it also boasts an almost ridiculous amount of sharp, salty, tangy, and pungent Pecorino Romano cheese and rich, salty, savory pork.

What does carbonara contain? ›

Carbonara (Italian: [karboˈnaːra]) is a pasta dish made with eggs, hard cheese, fatty cured pork, and black pepper. It is typical of the Lazio region of Italy. The dish took its modern form and name in the middle of the 20th century. The cheese is usually pecorino romano.

Why is it called carbonara sauce? ›

Carbonara: History

Because the name comes from the word carbonaro, “coal burner,” some believe the dish was created as a hearty easy-to-make meal by men working outdoors for long periods.

Is carbonara red or white sauce? ›

Another kind of heavy white sauce is carbonara. The carbonara sauce incorporates eggs beaten with parmesan and tossed with freshly boiled, hot pasta.

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