Chicken Carbonara
Published 2/14/2023 • Updated 3/17/2024
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Homemade Chicken Carbonara is so much easier to make than you may think. In this post, we’ll teach you how to make chicken carbonara in less than 45 minutes!
Simple Chicken Carbonara
We are huge pasta lovers over here. From our Garden Summer Pasta followed to our Roasted Balsamic Chicken Pasta to our Chicken Alfredo Pasta, there’s truly something for every pasta lover here on Fit Foodie Finds.
And we’re here to tell you if you thought you could only get chicken carbonara at a restaurant — we’re here to teach you how easy it really is to make at home in your own kitchen!
Why you’ll love it!
Ready in 40 minutes: when you are in a pinch for time, this quick and easy meal is ready in no time and tastes delicious.
Perfectly creamy: there is whole milk and 5 eggs in this chicken carbonara that combine with starchy pasta water and parmesan for perfectly creamy texture.
Easy to make: get ready for delicious restaurant flavor at home. This chicken carbonara is easy to make but tastes like fine dining!
Chicken Carbonara FAQs
Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish that features a creamy sauce made from eggs, cheese and cured pork.
Carbonara has a rich and creamy flavor from the whisked eggs, salty cheeses and cured pork that makes up the sauce. This carbonara also features chicken thighs that adds to its rich and delicious flavor.
While these dishes contain similar ingredients and rich flavors, they do differ. Chicken carbonara has an earthier flavor thanks to the cured pork and salty cheeses whereas chicken Alfredo has a more buttery and creamy flavor.
What is in chicken carbonara?
Chicken carbonara is classically an Italian pasta dish made with pasta, pancetta, egg, and a hard cheese such as parmesan cheese.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: boneless skinless chicken breasts will also work, but we love the flavor that chicken thighs gives this carbonara.
- Seasonings: for this chicken carbonara we’re using garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt.
- Bucatini pasta: any noodle will do, but bucatini is a perfect pasta pairing for this chicken carbonara.
- Pancetta: don’t skip the pancetta if you don’t have to! It adds amazing flavor to this carbonara. If you can’t find it, feel free to use bacon instead.
- Veggies: white onion, peas (you can use frozen peas or fresh English peas) and garlic cloves.
- Dry white wine: we used a chardonnay for this, but a pinot gris or pinot grigio or another dry white will will work just fine.
- Anchovy paste: this chicken carbonara only calls for a teaspoon of anchovy paste, but that goes a long way!
- Eggs: eggs are the star of the sauce for a carbonara! The key is to whisk the eggs into a dutch oven that is warn but not too hot to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Whole milk: any kind of milk will do, but we prefer whole milk for this carbonara because it’s oh so creamy.
- Grated parmesan cheese: make sure to buy grated parmesan cheese as this will melt in the sauce the easiest. You can also buy block parmesan and finely grate it yourself.
Can I use bacon in chicken carbonara?
Don’t have pancetta? Feel free to use bacon instead!
#1 Tip Pasta Sauce Tip
Don’t forget to use starchy pasta water as it will help thicken the carbonara sauce! Check out more ways to thicken pasta HERE.
How to Make Chicken Carbonara Pasta
Carbonara with pasta is such a flavorful dinner idea made with real, simple ingredients. Here’s how to make it:
Prepare Chicken
Begin by cutting the chicken thighs into strips, and sprinkle the chicken with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Toss the chicken with seasoning until the chicken is coated in the seasoning, and set aside.
Boil Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini pasta to the water and cook until al dente. Remove 1 cup of the starchy pasta water from the pot before straining the pasta, and set aside, but try to keep the pasta warm.
Whisk Egg Mixture
Add the eggs, whole milk and parmesan cheese to a large bowl and whisk until combined. Slowly drizzle ¼ cup of the warm (not hot!) pasta water into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Be sure the pasta water is not hot or it will scramble the eggs.
Brown Pancetta
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium/high heat, and add the pancetta to the Dutch oven and cook until browned. Remove the pancetta using a slotted spoon, and leave the drippings in the Dutch oven.
Sauté onion & garlic
Add the onion and garlic to the drippings and season with remaining salt. Sauté for 1-2 minutes and then add the peas and garlic. When the garlic is fragrant, set the veggies aside and add the onion, peas, and garlic to the pancetta.
Deglaze & Cook Chicken
Deglaze the Dutch oven with white wine by pouring the wine into the pan and scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Then whisk the anchovy paste into the white wine. And finally add the chicken to the Dutch oven and brown on each side until the chicken is golden brown.
Toss it all together
Add the cooked bucatini to the Dutch oven and toss the pasta with the chicken. Add the pancetta, onion, peas, and garlic and toss again. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in Eggs
Once the pot has had time to cool, pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta and constantly toss the pasta and chicken in the egg mixture to coat the pasta. Be sure the dutch oven isn’t hot or else the eggs will scramble.
Serve & Enjoy!
When the egg mixture becomes creamy and warm, serve with fresh chopped basil, grated parmesan, cracked pepper.
Latest Pasta Recipes
Chicken Carbonara Variations
Broccoli: Roasted or air fryer broccoli would be such a delicious add to this chicken carbonara. Plus, it would add some veggies to the peas 😀
Caramelized mushroom: where my mushroom fans at? Caramelize sliced mushrooms with onion, olive oil, and salt and then toss it with the sauce before serving.
Make it vegetarian: Vegetarian? Try skipping the chicken or even replacing it with tofu.
Use a different noodle: Have fun with your noodle choice! Try penne, angel hair, or rigatoni!
Top Tips for the Perfect Chicken Carbonara Recipe
Don’t scramble the eggs: this is important! When you add the whisked eggs to the dutch oven, be sure the dutch oven is WARM and NOT HOT or the eggs may scramble. Just keep the pasta and and egg mixture moving until it turns into a sauce.
Choose a dry white wine to your liking: we mentioned that you need dry white wine and this is extremely important to the flavor of this carbonara. Choose a dry white wine that you enjoy the flavor of 😀 Some of our favorite dry white wines to cook with are:
- Sauvignon blanc (hints of citrus)
- Chardonnay (buttery)
- Pinot grigio (fruitier)
Check the salt content in your Italian seasoning: We used Italian seasoning that includes salt for this chicken carbonara. If your Italian seasoning does not include salt you may need to use more salt to taste.
Storage
Store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat: To reheat this chicken carbonara, add it to a skillet and add a few tablespoons of chicken broth. Heat the pasta dish over low heat until it is warm.
Chicken Carbonara Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5- lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning*
- 1.5 teaspoons salt, separated
- 16- oz. dried bucatini pasta
- 4- oz. Pancetta
- ½ large white onion, minced
- 1.5 cups peas, you can use frozen peas or fresh English peas
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 5 large eggs
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup starchy pasta water
Instructions
- Begin by cutting the chicken thighs into strips. About ½-inch wide and 2-inches long. Add the chicken to a bowl.
- Sprinkle the chicken with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss the chicken with seasoning until the chicken is coated in the seasoning. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini pasta to the water and cook until al dente. Remove 1 cup of the starchy pasta water from the pot before straining the pasta. Set pasta aside, but try to keep the pasta warm.
- Next, add the eggs, whole milk and parmesan cheese to a large bowl and whisk until combined. Slowly drizzle ¼ cup of the warm (not hot) pasta water into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Be sure the pasta water is not hot or it will scramble the eggs. Set aside.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add the pancetta to the Dutch oven and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the pancetta using a slotted spoon. Leave the drippings in the Dutch oven.
- Add the onion and garlic to the drippings and season with remaining salt. Sauté for 1-2 minutes and then add the peas and garlic.
- When the garlic and onions are fragrant, set the veggies aside and add the onion, peas, and garlic to the pancetta.
- Deglaze the Dutch oven with white wine. Pour the wine into the pan and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Whisk the anchovy paste into the white wine. Then, add the chicken to the Dutch oven and brown for 4-5 minutes on each side until the chicken is golden brown.
- Add the cooked Bucatini to the Dutch oven and toss the pasta with the chicken. Add the pancetta, onion, peas, and garlic and toss again.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the pot has had time to cool, pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta and constantly toss the pasta and chicken in the egg mixture to coat the pasta.
- When the egg mixture becomes creamy and warm, serve with fresh chopped basil, grated parmesan, cracked pepper. Be sure the dutch oven isn’t hot or else the eggs will scramble.
Tips & Notes
- We used Italian seasoning that includes salt. If your Italian seasoning does not include salt you may need to use more salt.
- When you add the whisked eggs to the dutch oven, be sure the dutch oven is warm and not hot or the eggs may scramble. Just keep the pasta and and egg mixture moving until it turns into a sauce.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Just finished making it for myself as well as a few of my grandchildren. Very juicy and tasty. So simple! I really regret that I didn’t take the time to stop and snap some photos. This is a recipe that will most certainly be added to my collection.