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AIP Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Crispy chicken on top of a bed of creamy Alfredo sauce makes this a dish that you won’t soon forget. Even better, it’s completely AIP-friendly, which means it is completely dairy-free and nightshade-free.
How I Made This Recipe Dairy-Free
When I first went dairy-free in my autoimmune journey, I thought I would never have anything creamy and cheesy again!
And thankfully, was I wrong! I quickly discovered many dairy-free substitutions that taste just as good (and sometimes even better) than dairy! Even better, I was able to eat delicious food while I healed my body without ever feeling deprived.
To make this recipe dairy-free, I used coconut cream instead of heavy cream or milk as the base for the Alfredo sauce.
You can buy canned unsweetened coconut cream in many grocery stores. But if you cannot easily find it, just refrigerate 2 cans of unsweetened coconut milk. Then, scoop out the solid cream to use.
And you can use the leftover coconut water in this AIP Tropical Green Smoothie Recipe or pretty much any AIP smoothie that you prefer.
Instead of parmesan cheese for the Alfredo sauce, I used nutritional yeast.
If you’ve never heard of it before, nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that looks like small yellow flakes and has a cheesy taste. Of course, when you shop for nutritional yeast, be sure to read the ingredients to make sure it’s completely AIP-friendly!
And if you want more AIP-friendly dairy swaps, check out these AIP dairy substitutes for cheese, yogurt, milk, and ice cream.
Recipe Substitutions and Modifications
This recipe is absolutely delicious, but there are several substitutions and modifications you can make depending on what you have in your refrigerator and pantry or to suit your tastes.
- Skin-on chicken thighs are great to use instead of skin-on chicken breasts.
- Bone-in chicken breasts or thighs can be used instead of boneless but be sure to cook them a bit longer than you would cook boneless chicken.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs can be used as well. Of course, crispy chicken skin is absolutely delicious but this is just as good as well. You can add the chicken to the Alfredo sauce instead of placing it on top of the creamy “noodles.”
- Shrimp tastes amazing in the dish as well. Simply cook raw shrimp for 2 to 5 minutes until they are cooked through and place them on top of the creamy noodles.
- Of course, you can skip the chicken completely and enjoy just the zucchini “noodles” and Alfredo sauce by themselves.
- Spaghetti squash can be used instead of zucchini “noodles.” You can microwave or bake your spaghetti squash and use the cooked squash the same as the zucchini “noodles.”
- I didn’t use black pepper to season the dish because it’s a nightshade, which isn’t considered AIP-friendly. But if you want just a hint of spice that is AIP-friendly, add a small pinch of turmeric to the dish.
- And if you want some bread to dip in the Alfredo sauce, try my AIP Bread Rolls Recipe.
If you are hungry for more AIP-friendly chicken recipes, check out this post for 36 AIP chicken breast recipes that will knock your socks off.
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Description
Zucchini “noodles” and crisp chicken in a creamy alfredo style sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast (7 oz or 200 g), skin-on
- 1 zucchini (120 g), spiralized
- ¾ cup (180 ml) coconut cream (from the top of 2 refrigerated cans of unsweetened coconut milk)
- 1 Tablespoon (8 g) arrowroot powder or cassava flour
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) coconut oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon (8 g) nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) garlic powder
- 4 Tablespoons (4 g) chopped fresh parsley (plus additional, to garnish)
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken breast in the skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the skin is golden and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C). Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Melt the coconut oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the arrowroot or cassava flour to the pan and whisk to create a paste.
- Slowly add the chicken broth, a little at a time, while continuously whisking to combine. Once all the chicken broth has been incorporated, add the coconut cream and whisk until fully combined.
- Add the garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and fresh parsley to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, to taste.
- Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor and blend for 30 seconds. (This step is optional, but it helps to create a light and creamy sauce.)
- Add the zucchini “noodles” to the pan and saute for about 2 minutes. Return the sauce to the pan and heat through.
- Slice the chicken breast and place it on top of the “noodles” and Alfredo sauce. Garnish with optional chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
- Calories: 508
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fat: 36 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 26 g
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