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    Home » Recipes » Favorites

    Modified: Mar 14, 2023 · Published: Jul 21, 2021 by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income from ads.

    Spicy Alfredo Sauce

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Spicy Alfredo Sauce is a smooth homemade Alfredo sauce and the perfect base for tangy slices of spicy pepperoncini, caramelized onions, simmered mushrooms and tender, diced chicken. There's no heavy cream in the sauce but tastes like something you'd enjoy in a fancy restaurant. This is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a family dinner or a date night at home.

    A serving of spicy chicken Alfredo on a plate with a fork that has a scoop of pasta and sauce.
    The smooth sauce in this recipe blends beautifully with tangy pepperoncini, caramelized onions, mushrooms and tender chicken.

    Note: Some of the links on this page are paid links, Amazon Associates. This means I make a small commission when you click and shop. Your cost is always the same and I only link to and recommend products or ingredients I use.

    Jump to:
    • ⭐ Why You'll Love Spicy Alfredo Sauce
    • 🥘 Ingredients to Have on Hand
    • 🧂You Control the Spiciness
    • 🍽 What Makes Spicy Alfredo Sauce Special?
    • 📋 Step-by-Step Instructions
    • 🥘 Use One Skillet
    • 💭 Recipe FAQs
    • 🍲 Pasta Options for Spicy Alfredo Sauce
    • 🥣 Stir and Thicken Spicy Alfredo Sauce
    • 🍴How to Serve
    • 👩🏻‍🍳Storage and Leftovers
    • 📖 More Pasta Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    ⭐ Why You'll Love Spicy Alfredo Sauce

    Pasta and spicy sauce just go great together! Try Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel and you'll have another spicy pasta dish in your dinner rotation.

    The smooth sauce in this recipe blends beautifully with tangy pepperoncini, caramelized onions, mushrooms and tender chicken.

    Spicy Alfredo Sauce is ready to eat in about an hour. While you're working on dinner, serve your guests Cranberry Jalapeno Meatballs, an easy, spicy appetizer that cooks in the Crockpot.

    🥘 Ingredients to Have on Hand

    Spicy Chicken Alfredo ingredients on a wooden block, displaying a carton of half and half, mushrooms, uncooked chicken, a sweet onion, grated parmesan cheese and a plate of pepperoncinis.

    Simple ingredients combine in this recipe for a restaurant-quality pasta sauce. Include chicken, or not. But either way, this is a delicous way to elevate a traditional Alfredo sauce.

    Chicken Breasts: While chicken doesn't add to the spice of the Alfredo sauce, it's a great way to include a hearty protein in this dish.

    Half and Half: I prefer this to heavy cream, it still gives the sauce plenty of luxurious texture but with fewer calories and a little less fat.

    Mushrooms: These are optional, but add an earthy flavor and lovely texture to the sauce.

    Pepperoncini Peppers: These are the spice babies! The pepperoncini peppers are what give this sauce a little kick.

    Parmesan Cheese: The tangy, bold flavor of Parmesan cheese is incredible in Alfredo sauce. You can also swap it for Asiago or Romano cheese.

    Cream Cheese: This also adds a little tang to the sauce and contributes to its velvet-like consistency.

    Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    🧂You Control the Spiciness

    This Spicy Alfredo Sauce can be less, or more spicy depending on how many pepperoncini pepper slices you add.

    One cup of sliced pepperoncini gives the sauce a tangy "bite" but the sauce is so creamy, thanks to butter and cream cheese. Most folks tell me it's still mild enough even for kids.

    My family loves a Spicy Alfredo Sauce so sometimes we add extra slices of those juicy pepperoncini slices on each serving.

    Pro Tip: Not in a spicy mood? Leave the pepperoncini peppers out or swap them for sliced red or green peppers instead.

    A stick of butter and a package of cream cheese on a wood block.

    🍽 What Makes Spicy Alfredo Sauce Special?

    Who doesn't love a good, creamy pasta dish? A few tablespoons of cream cheese make a big difference in this smooth, spicy Alfredo sauce.

    This is a classic Italian dish, spiced up with caramelized onions, mushrooms and pepperoncini peppers.

    Spicy Alfredo Sauce will soon become a fast family favorite!

    Butter and cream cheese are added to the hot skillet as the base for the sauce.

    📋 Step-by-Step Instructions

    Although the result is impressive and full of flavor and may remind you of a tasty Alfredo sauce from a restaurant, this is an incredibly easy recipe to make.

    Diced mushrooms and onions on a cutting mat.

    Step 1: Dice the onions and mushrooms, then toss them in the pan with the hot olive oil. Cook the diced onions and mushrooms until the onions start to caramelize and turn soft, it takes about 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Stir often.

    Diced onions and mushroom in a large skillet.

    Step 2: While the diced ingredients are cooking and carmelizing in the olive oil, dice the uncooked chicken and shred the Parmesan cheese.

    Diced chicken, cooked and in a skillet on the stove.
    Cook the chicken until it's lightly browned.

    Step 3: Remove the onions and mushrooms from the pan, place in a dish and cover to keep warm. In the same large skillet, place the diced chicken breast (if using chicken), season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned. Remove from pan, add to the same dish with the onions and mushrooms and cover to keep everything warm.

    Butter melting in a hot skillet on the stove.
    The little bits and pieces of the chicken, onions and mushrooms add to the flavor.

    Step 4: In the same skillet melt butter, add cream cheese and stir until melted. Mix in half and half, garlic powder, salt, pepper and add parmesan cheese. Stir until it begins to thicken. Whisk frequently over medium heat. It takes about 10 minutes until it starts to thicken.

    Alfredo sauce, chicken, mushrooms, onions and pepperoncinis in a skillet.

    Step 5: Add the cooked chicken, onions and mushrooms back into the skillet with the sauce, stir to combine then add sliced pepperoncini peppers. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes while your pasta cooks. The sauce will continue to thicken.

    Drain the pasta and serve with large spoonfuls of the sauce on top of each serving.

    From start to finish, your delicious Spicy Alfredo Sauce is ready in about an hour.

    🥘 Use One Skillet

    Everything for Spicy Alfredo Sauce cooks in the same pan. Well, almost everything.

    The pasta will need to be cooked in a large stock pot of boiling water of course. But each step of this recipe uses just one large pan, pot or skillet.

    I cook it in my biggest skillet because the sauce and ingredients need plenty of room to simmer together. But a Dutch Oven such as Le Creuset will work great too.

    💭 Recipe FAQs

    Do I need to use a sweet onion?

    Sweet onions are milder than other varieties like white or yellow onions and they caramelize beautifully in the hot butter with the sliced mushrooms.

    Can I use milk instead of half and half?

    You can, and it will taste fine but the Alfredo sauce will not be nearly as creamy. I totally understand the desire to cut down on calories or fat which is why I use half and half instead of heavy cream.

    🍲 Pasta Options for Spicy Alfredo Sauce

    Any shape of pasta will work great with this recipe, but fettuccine is the most common to serve with an Alfredo sauce, so that's what I use and recommend.

    The thickness of the fettuccine noodles hang onto the creamy Alfredo sauce better than a thin spaghetti.

    🥣 Stir and Thicken Spicy Alfredo Sauce

    The Spicy Alfredo Sauce thickens as it cooks on the stovetop so don't worry if the sauce seems a little thin at first. If your family loves a thick white sauce, be sure to try Garlic Parmesan Pizza Sauce for your next pizza night.

    Watch the video below to see how thick my sauce was right after I mixed in the chicken and pepperoncini peppers.

    After simmering for about 15 minutes the sauce will be creamy and perfect.

    🍴How to Serve

    Cook your pasta according to the package directions and drain.

    Place a serving of the cooked pasta in a pasta bowl or on a plate.

    Top with plenty of Spicy Alfredo Sauce and garnish with additional freshly grated parmesan cheese.

    👩🏻‍🍳Storage and Leftovers

    Store the leftover Spicy Alfredo Sauce separate from the pasta.

    Place in a covered bowl or sealed container in the refrigerator, the sauce sometimes thickens a little after being refrigerated so just add a little milk when you warm it to create the consistency of when it's served hot from the stove.

    Leftovers will stay fresh for 4 -5 days in the refrigerator in a covered, airtight container.

    A serving of spicy chicken Alfredo on a plate with a fork and a napkin on the side.
    Tangy pepperoncini is the perfect complement to this smooth Alfredo sauce. I like to add a few more slices on top of each serving for eye appeal.

    📖 More Pasta Recipes

    Cooking with pasta is a great way to share delicious comfort food with family and friends. I think you'll love my Homemade, Baked Meatball Recipe, meatballs go great with pasta. Here are a few more pasta-centric recipes I think you'll enjoy.

    • A plate with spaghetti and sauce on top with a fork scooping up some pasta to create a serving
      Sunday Gravy (Spaghetti Sauce)
    • A large baking dish full of baked ziti pasta with small mounds of ricotta cheese on top.
      Cheesy Baked Ziti Casserole
    • A baking dish of butternut squash mac anc cheese with a large serving spoon.
      Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
    • Sweet corn salad on a plate with corn on the cob in the background.
      Sweet Corn Pasta Salad

    If you tried Spicy Alfredo Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.

    Recipe

    A serving of spicy chicken Alfredo on a plate with a fork that has a scoop of pasta and sauce.

    Spicy Alfredo Sauce

    A smooth homemade Alfredo sauce is the perfect base for crisp, tangy slices of spicy pepperoncini, caramelized onions, mushrooms and tender, diced chicken. Spoon over your favorite pasta and enjoy! Serve with freshly made bread along with Bread Dipping Olive Oil and Mixed Bean Salad for a delicious dinner combination.
    5 from 131 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 594kcal
    Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

    Ingredients 

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ pound fresh mushrooms - sliced
    • 1 sweet onion, large - diced, about 1 cup but if the onion is large it'll be more like 2 cups which will work fine
    • 3-4 chicken breasts, about 2 pounds - diced, chicken tenders work great too
    • 4 tablespoons butter
    • 3 tablespoons cream cheese
    • 4 cups half and half
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 cup parmesan cheese - freshly grated, plus more for garnish when serving
    • 1 cup sliced pepperoncinis - add an additional ¼ cup for more spicy flavor and some for garnish on each serving
    • fettuccine pasta - or any pasta of your choice, about 1 pound

    Instructions

    Cook Onions and Mushrooms

    • In a large skillet on the stove add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat on medium high heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add sliced onion and mushrooms and cook until softened and the onions have started to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

    Cook Chicken

    • Remove onions and mushrooms from the pan, place in a dish and cover to keep warm. In the same large skillet, place diced chicken breast, season lightly with a little salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned. Remove from pan, add to the dish with the onions and mushrooms, keep warm.

    Make Alfredo Sauce

    • In the same skillet melt butter, add cream cheese and stir until melted. Mix in half and half, garlic powder, salt, pepper and add parmesan cheese. Stir until it begins to thicken. This is an Alfredo sauce. Whisk frequently over medium heat. It takes about 10 minutes until it starts to thicken.

    Simmer then Serve

    • Add the chicken, onions and mushrooms back into the skillet with the sauce, stir to combine then add sliced pepperoncinis. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes while your pasta cooks. The sauce will continue to thicken.
      Drain the pasta and serve with large spoonfuls of the sauce on top of each serving.
      Garnish with more freshly grated parmesan cheese.

    Notes

    Not in a spicy mood? Leave the pepperoncini peppers out or swap them for sliced red or green peppers instead. Please note, the calories and nutrition calculated for this recipe do not include your serving of pasta. Want to make a red sauce next time? You'll love how easy it is to make Tomato Cream Sauce, ready in just 20 minutes. 
    Calories: 594kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 30gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 979mgPotassium: 782mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1344IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 466mgIron: 1mg

    Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database, so they’re just a rough estimate not an exact science.

    Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment below or @crinkledcookbook on Instagram, snap a photo and tag it #crinkledcookbook

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      5 from 131 votes (124 ratings without comment)

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    1. Julie says

      January 26, 2023 at 2:02 am

      5 stars
      This spicy chicken Alfredo is perfect for my family weekend lunch. I love the spicy ness of the chicken with the creamy Alfredo sauce. thank you!

      Reply
    2. Keri says

      January 25, 2023 at 10:31 am

      5 stars
      This spicy chicken alfredo is such a great recipe. I have always loved the creaminess of Alfredo sauce, but it's a bit bland for me. I love it now that I can spice it up. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        January 28, 2023 at 9:08 am

        That's what I love about this recipe too Keri, it has just the right amount of "kick."

        Reply
    3. Andréa Janssen says

      January 25, 2023 at 8:36 am

      5 stars
      Yummie, this chicken Alfredo was so delicious. The whole family loved it! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    4. Rob says

      January 25, 2023 at 8:16 am

      5 stars
      This chicken Alfredo is such a delicious dinner. And my guests even said that the sauce was like what they have at great restaurants! Great recipe.

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        January 28, 2023 at 9:10 am

        I love hearing that! Thank you Rob.

        Reply
    5. Gloria says

      January 25, 2023 at 7:50 am

      5 stars
      I love the fact the alfredo has a bit of a kick. The perfect pasta dinner for date night. Great with a glass of white wine.

      Reply
    6. Mama Maggie's Kitchen says

      August 01, 2021 at 3:22 am

      5 stars
      Oh my word! I need this in my life.

      Reply
    7. Erin Gierhart says

      July 30, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVE the caramelized onions in this pasta! Great flavor!

      Reply

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