My go-to chicken carbonara recipe is dotted with bacon, peas, and pasta, all smothered in a creamy garlic and parmesan cheese sauce.
Why this recipe works
This is the Americanized version of carbonara, not to be mistaken with the Italian classic, pasta carbonara, which does not include chicken or cream. However, it does share some similarities. One of those similarities? The addition of eggs to the sauce.
The secret to a rich and creamy chicken carbonara sauce is the tempered eggs. It might sound a little funny to add eggs to your pasta sauce, but this is what gives carbonara its classic silky texture that’s almost custard-like. That decadence, paired with bacon, peas, and parmesan cheese, is what has us coming back over and over again.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
PASTA – We used penne pasta here, though chicken carbonara is commonly made with either fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti noodles. Most pasta shapes can be used for this recipe. We have used rotini and spaghetti noodles, but farfalle, rigatoni, elbows, and mostaccioli are all good replacements. We don’t recommend angel hair pasta simply because of its delicate nature.
SAUCE – The heavy cream is what makes this dish rich and creamy. Half and half can be used in place of heavy cream if needed. Whole milk will also work, but anything with less milk fat than that may require more cooking time to thicken up.
BACON – We love adding bacon to our carbonara, but you can just as easily substitute it with pancetta.
How to Make Chicken Carbonara
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Cook pasta al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
TIP – Toss cooked pasta with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together, or you can submerge it in cool water until you are ready to add it to the skillet. - Meanwhile, trim any fat off the chicken and cut it into cubes. Place in a large bowl.
- Season chicken with garlic salt, onion powder, and pepper. Toss together with gloved hands.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add garlic and onion, saute 1-2 minutes.
- Add chicken cubes to the skillet and cook about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until no pink remains and some browning has occurred. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.
- To the skillet, add the heavy whipping cream and chicken base and whisk together. Heat mixture JUST until hot, tiny bubbles will have formed. You don’t want to scorch the cream.
- Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling them into the hot cream, whisking continuously.
- Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and whisk until melted and well combined.
- Add cooked penne pasta, cooked chicken, frozen peas, and chopped bacon to the skillet. Stir well and heat through.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Tempering eggs is a process of adding raw eggs to a very hot liquid without cooking the eggs in the process. It’s important to drizzle the eggs in very slowly and whisk the entire time. The texture of the cream should remain the same the entire time. If you pour the eggs in too quickly and/or don’t whisk continuously, you could cook the eggs and end up with stringy egg similar to egg drop soup.
If your sauce is cooked too long or at too high of heat, it may end up a little too thick. You can remedy this by adding a splash of pasta water, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over the stovetop, adding a small amount of water, cream, or milk to help loosen the sauce if needed.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your chicken carbonara with a side of crusty garlic bread or a leafy dinner salad. Personally, I love a good Caesar salad on the side! Optionally garnish with extra crumbled bacon and chopped parsley.
More Pasta Recipes
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Chicken Carbonara
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta about 5 cups cooked
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (680g), 2 large breasts
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons Better than Bouillon chicken base
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup chopped cooked bacon
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- The heavy cream is what makes this dish rich and creamy. Half and half can be used in place of heavy cream if needed. Whole milk will also work, but anything with less milk fat than that may require more cooking time to thicken up.
- We used penne pasta here, though chicken carbonara is commonly made with either fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti noodles. Most pasta shapes can be used for this recipe. We have used rotini and spaghetti noodles, but farfalle, rigatoni, elbows, and mostaccioli are all good replacements. We don’t recommend angel hair pasta simply because of its delicate nature.
- We use a concentrated bouillon base for most of our recipes instead of broth or stock. It’s convenient, takes up a lot less space, and is easily reconstituted with water. You can certainly use broth or stock instead).
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.Toss cooked pasta with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together, or you can submerge it in cool water until you are ready to add it to the skillet.8 ounces penne pasta
- Meanwhile, trim any fat off the chicken and cut it into cubes. Place in a large bowl.1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Season chicken with garlic salt, onion powder, and pepper. Toss together with gloved hands.1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Set aside.2 large eggs
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Add garlic and onion, saute 1-2 minutes.1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 1 cup chopped onion
- Add chicken cubes to the skillet and cook about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until no pink remains and some browning has occurred. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.
- To the skillet, add the heavy whipping cream and chicken base and whisk together. Heat mixture JUST until hot, tiny bubbles will have formed. You don’t want to scorch the cream.2 cups heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling them into the hot cream, whisking continuously.
- Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and whisk until melted and well combined.1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Add cooked penne pasta, cooked chicken, frozen peas, and chopped bacon to the skillet. Stir well and heat through.1 cup frozen peas, 1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over the stovetop, adding a small amount of water, cream, or milk to help loosen the sauce if needed.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
Chef Antoine Davis
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Lori says
Delicious!