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As a parent of three school-aged kids that are in a variety of after-school activities on any given evening, it is extremely important to have quick and easy dinner recipes for those busy weeknights! Over the years we have tested and perfected a variety of simple weeknight dinners, like 10 minute Teriyaki Shrimp or Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas. This super easy pasta dinner has now quickly become a favorite in our meal plan rotation!
Looking for More Easy Dinners?
If you also need more in your life, try our Chicken Teriyaki Noodles!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the full recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, & estimated nutritional information.
- chicken thighs – highly recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs, but bone-in thighs, chicken breasts, or a simple rotisserie chicken work too!
- cheese tortellini – your local grocery store has a variety of refrigerated tortellini, frozen tortellini, or others that meet dietary restrictions.
- alfredo sauce – if you have the time, our tried-and-true homemade alfredo sauce is surprisingly easy and so delicious! Otherwise, I really like the Rao’s alfredo sauce from the store or you can use Primal Kitchen’s version if you want to lighten things up or if you need your sauce to be dairy-free.
How To Make Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
First, season chicken thighs and add a little butter to your skillet. Sear thighs and then reduce heat until they have finished cooking.
Next, cook and drain your tortellini according to package instructions. Feel free to save a little pasta water to thin out your alfredo sauce, if you want!
Finally, add the remaining butter to your skillet and sauté the garlic – move around until fragrant. Then add in your cooked tortellini, cooked chicken and alfredo sauce. Stir to combine and dinner is done!
Pro Tips
- Don’t let tortellini get sticky: if you drain your tortellini before the chicken is done, toss it in some extra virgin olive oil so it doesn’t stick together!
- Pasta Water: you can reserve some pasta water, if you want to add a splash or two (you don’t need a lot) to make your alfredo sauce extra creamy!
- Blackened Chicken: feel free to amp up the flavor of the chicken by seasoning it with our delicious blackened seasoning if you want!
Other Ways to Cook Chicken Thighs
- Grill your chicken thighs instead (or you could grill chicken cutlets if you want to speed up the cook time).
- Smoke your chicken thighs if you have more time to work with.
- Cook your chicken thighs in the air fryer!
- You could also grab a rotisserie chicken from the store.
Best Ways To Serve Chicken Tortellini Alfredo (make it a meal)
We love serving this pasta with some roasted broccolini or oven roasted green beans. Either one can cook in the oven while the rest of the dinner is cooked on the stovetop! A side of crusty bread or garlic bread would also be great for dipping in that saucy goodness.
Other Pasta Recipes You Might Like
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Chicken Tortellini Alfredo Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Description
Our simple & delicious Chicken Tortellini Alfredo is a family-friendly dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs*
- kosher salt & ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided (regular or plant-based)
- 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 15 oz jar of alfredo sauce
- garnish: freshly grated parmesan cheese & fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter to melt. Add the seasoned chicken thighs to the pan and let cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
- Cook Tortellini: While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the tortellini to cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Rest + Cut: Once the chicken is fully cooked, let it rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes and then cut into slices or bite-sized pieces.
- Combine: Bring the skillet back to a medium heat and add the garlic to sauté for 30 seconds. Add the cooked tortellini, alfredo sauce, and chicken to the pan. Toss to coat.
- Serve: Enjoy right away with some parmesan cheese and chopped parsley!
Notes
- *Faster Chicken: if you want to make this even easier, you can use a rotisserie chicken instead! Just shred or cut the rotisserie chicken meat into bite-sized pieces and then start at Step 4.
- Optional Seasoning: coating the chicken thighs in our blackened seasoning would add some great flavor to this dish!
- Alfredo Sauce: feel free to make our homemade alfredo sauce or use any of your favorite store-bought versions – we love Rao’s the best.
- Other ways to cook your chicken: feel free to make grilled chicken thighs or air fryer chicken thighs!
- Dairy Free: use a dairy-free alfredo sauce (like, Primal Kitchen Alfredo Sauce) and dairy-free butter. Taste Republic plant-based cheese tortellini is a dairy-free option!
- Gluten-Free: use a gluten-free alfredo sauce (I believe Rao’s original alfredo sauce is gluten-free, but double check) and then use Taste Republic gluten-free cheese tortellini!
- Dairy-Free + Gluten-Free: use dairy-free butter, Primal Kitchen Alfredo sauce (we also have a dairy-free alfredo sauce!) and then use Taste Republic’s plant-based cheese tortellini!
- Storage: leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Feel free to add a splash of chicken broth to refresh the alfredo sauce, as you warm it up, if you need to.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 359
- Sugar: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 583.6 mg
- Fat: 11.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.3 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 73.2 mg
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