Chicken Carbonara

Chicken carbonara is a classic Italian meal that you can make yourself at home. It will quickly become one of your family’s most requested dinners.

I love showing y’all how to make popular restaurant favorites at home. And this chicken carbonara feels extra special, like it would be perfect for family birthdays or inviting friends over.

It is such a delicious and decadent dish! This recipe is definitely on the rich side and one that our family would use for more of a special occasion.

How to make chicken carbonara

First, gather your ingredients.

Ingredients

For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to.

I highly suggest linguine for this recipe. In a pinch though, you can use a spaghetti or pasta cut of your choice.

Preparation 

Here is how you can make chicken carbonara pasta at home. First, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook it until it is al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before you strain the pasta. 

Then combine the eggs, half and half, parmesan cheese, basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly and set aside.

Next, add the bacon to a large nonstick or cast iron pan on medium heat and cook it until it is slightly crispy and cooked through.

Then transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess fat.  Leave all of the bacon grease in the pan. 

In the same pan you cooked the bacon in, add the minced garlic and cook it for 1 minute then add the sliced chicken to the skillet and toss it in the bacon grease and garlic. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

Place the bacon back into the skillet.

Add the linguine and toss it in with the chicken and bacon.

Turn the burner down to low and let the skillet cool for 2-3 minutes. This will prevent the eggs from scrambling once you add them to the pan. 

Add the egg mixture to the skillet and toss it in with the pasta and chicken until everything is fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. 

Any longer and the eggs will turn to scrambled eggs.  Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water until the sauce is nice and creamy, if needed.

Garnish and serve

Serve immediately and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and the fresh basil. And dig in!

I mean, how pretty is this chicken carbonara?! Strong visual game indeed.

Similar recipes you may enjoy

If you like the looks of this chicken carbonara recipe, you may also like some of my other Italian-inspired recipes:

• Tortellini pasta salad
• Classic Baked Ziti
• Shrimp scampi linguine
• Pasta primavera
• Chicken pesto pasta
• Pasta e fagioli soup
• Chicken pasta bake
• Tortellini soup

Chicken carbonara recipe

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Chicken Carbonara

Chicken carbonara is a classic Italian meal that you can make yourself at home. It will quickly become one of your family's most requested dinners.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken carbonara, chicken carbonara recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 5

Calories 558 kcal

Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

• 14 ounces linguine pasta
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 eggs large
• ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese - plus more for topping
• ⅓ cup half and half or heavy cream
• 4 bacon strips raw, cut into pieces
• 2-3 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast 5 to 6 ounces - trimmed and cut into long strips
• ½ cup basil chopped or torn - for garnish
• More salt and pepper to taste if needed

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook it until it is al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before you strain the pasta.
2. Then combine the eggs, half and half, parmesan cheese, basil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly and set aside.
3. Next, add the bacon to a large nonstick or cast iron pan on medium heat and cook it until it is slightly crispy and cooked through. Then transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess fat. Leave all of the bacon grease in the pan.
4. In the same pan you cooked the bacon in, add the minced garlic and cook it for 1 minute then add the sliced chicken to the skillet and toss it in the bacon grease and garlic. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Place the bacon back into the skillet, add the linguine and toss it in with the chicken and bacon. Turn the burner down to low and let the skillet cool for 2-3 minutes. This will prevent the eggs from scrambling once you add them to the pan.
6. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and toss it in with the pasta and chicken until everything is fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Any longer and the eggs will turn to scrambled eggs. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water until the sauce is nice and creamy, if needed.
7. Serve immediately and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and the fresh basil.

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Carbonara

Amount Per Serving

Calories 558 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 7g

Cholesterol 191mg64%

Sodium 925mg40%

Potassium 482mg14%

Carbohydrates 62g21%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A 525IU11%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 230mg23%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.