Creamy Chicken Carbonara (2024)

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

Thanks to the magic of bacon, this is the most heavenly-smelling pasta dish 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 cheesy fettuccine.

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, fresh basil, and cream. Recipes will occasionally only call for egg yolks, omitting the whites, but I think the whole egg contributes to the overall texture and flavor. The heavy cream in this recipe is not in the classic recipe, but an adaptation. It makes the recipe more creamy and approachable for less experienced cooks. You can omit it if you prefer.

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. The hot pasta, plus the warm skillet will cook the egg just enough without scrambling them. If your pan is too hot, then you’ve accidently 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

Step 1.

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

Step 2.

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

Step 3.

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.

Step 4.

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.

Step 5.

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.

Step 6.

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.

Step 7.

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.

Step 8.

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.

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