Easy Chicken Carbonara

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

Why we love this recipe

This is one of those recipes that comes to your rescue when you have a horde of hungry people in your house and you are fresh out of supper ideas.

This very thing happened to me recently, and so I did what I usually do when that happens: I had a look in my fridge for inspiration.

I had eggs.  I had pasta.  I had a couple of lonely-looking frozen chicken breasts.  I had bacon.  I had a hunk of Parmesan cheese.

I was ready for an easy chicken carbonara!  Which is basically your regular carbonara – pasta, eggs and bacon – but with the added deliciousness (and protein!) of chicken along with some parmesan cheese and a little white wine.

You can also toss in a veggie or two if you like…sometimes I add peas, or sprinkle it with chopped scallions. Honestly, whatever is in your fridge is going to be perfect.

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

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, 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

You can take this pasta a step further by stirring in some veggies (we like peas in ours!) and or sprinkling some chopped scallions or chives on top.