Easy Chicken Carbonara

This easy chicken carbonara recipe is a satisfying, weeknight-friendly dinner that adds protein and veggies to this beloved Italian classic pasta dish.

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🔎 A quick look at this recipe

🌟 Why this recipe works

Oh Pasta Carbonara, you crowd-pleaser you. This recipe builds on the classic Italian comfort-food dish, the traditional carbonara made of pasta, eggs, cheese, and bacon, and adds extra hearty ingredients to create a richer, totally satisfying supper.

It’s an easy weeknight dinner that delivers plenty of flavor and comfort.  AND, it lets you sneak in some veggies when nobody is watching.

Sometimes I add peas, or sprinkle it with chopped scallions. Honestly, whatever is in your fridge is going to be perfect.

I do love a recipe that helps me to clean out any veggies that are lingering in my fridge. (Looking at you, zucchini!) Let’s make this easy chicken carbonara recipe right now! 🎉

🥓 Ingredients you need

📝 Ingredient notes

• Chicken: We like chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can swap in boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
• Bacon: Thick-cut bacon is always our choice for this dish, but any bacon you have on hand will work.
• Pasta: We love a long pasta here, but short pastas like penne or ziti will work just fine.
• Veggies: Veggies are totally optional for this recipe, but if I have any I stir them in! Baby peas, chopped green onions, cooked and chopped broccoli and zucchini and cooked baby spinach are just a few ideas.

💡 Ingredient substitution ideas

Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to make this recipe

STEP 1: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil while you are prepping the other ingredients.

STEP 2: Cook some chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until it is nice and crispy, about eight minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel, lined plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet.

STEP 3: Cook some boneless chicken breasts in the bacon drippings until they are well browned and cooked through, about five minutes per side.

STEP 4: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for five minutes. Then slice or shred it up into bite-size pieces.

STEP 5: Whisk some eggs and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl and set aside.

STEP 6: Heat the same skillet over medium heat for a minute or two, then stir in some white wine and simmer for about two minutes. Turn off the heat.

STEP 7: By now the water should be boiling!  Add a few tablespoons of salt and cook the pasta according to package directions.  Before you drain it, scoop out a cup of the pasta water. Transfer the drained pasta to your skillet and turn the heat on to medium.

STEP 14: Stir in the chicken, the egg mixture and the bacon, drizzling in the pasta water as needed to make a light sauce. Toss it with tongs until the eggs are just set.

This is where I sneak in the veggies if I have some on hand. Ignore the children pleading not to have anything green mess up their pasta. 😄

🤔 Recipe FAQs

🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe

These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!

• Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
• Mixing Bowls: We love the side handle on these bowls…it makes for steadier mixing.
• Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
• Tongs: We have this essential kitchen tool in all sizes from short to extra long.
• Strainer: This classic strainer is just right for this pasta recipe and any other pasta faves (one of ours is pasta with egg sauce!)
• Large Pot: We have a cabinet full of these, but this is the one we usually turn to.
• Large Skillet: This workhorse of a skillet is perfect for frying eggs, cooking bacon, and for cooking up the chicken for this recipe.

🍽️ What to serve with this recipe

If you haven’t stirred in some peas or other veggies to this simple chickan carbonara recipe, you can serve some up on the side! We love these roasted green beans, and these carrots with thyme.

Try some mint lemonade iced tea with this pasta, and for dessert? Let’s have some blueberry boy bait!

❤️ Other Carbonara recipes we love!

⭐️ We want to know what you think!

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.

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Easy Chicken Carbonara

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The classic Pasta Carbonara takes on a whole new meaning with the addition of a few wonderful extra ingredients. Hello easy chicken carbonara!

• Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

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• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Salt and pepper
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup white wine
• 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine

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Instructions

1. Fill a large pot with water and put it on the stove over high heat so it can come to a boil while you are preparing the other ingredients.
2. Cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until it is nice and crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate;leaving the drippings in the skillet..
3. Cook the chicken in the bacon drippings until well browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest 5 minutes, then slice or shred it up into bite-sized pieces.
4. Whisk the eggs and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Heat the skillet over medium heat for a minute or two, then stir in the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
5. By now the water should be boiling!  Add a few tablespoons of salt and cook the pasta according to package directions.  Before you drain it, scoop out a cup of the pasta water. Transfer the drained pasta to your skillet and turn the heat on to medium.
6. Stir in the chicken, the egg mixture, and the bacon, drizzling in the reserved water as needed to make a light sauce. Toss it with tongs until the eggs are just set.  And serve it up!

Notes

• Chicken: We like chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can swap in boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
• Bacon: Thick-cut bacon is always our choice for this dish, but any bacon you have on hand will work.
• Pasta: We love a long pasta here, but short pastas like penne or ziti will work just fine.
• Veggies: Veggies are totally optional for this recipe, but if I have any I stir them in! Baby peas, chopped green onions, cooked and chopped broccoli and zucchini and cooked baby spinach are just a few ideas.