Effortless Chicken Carbonara Recipe

Easy Chicken Carbonara 🍝🥓 is a creamy, comforting classic made in just one pan! Featuring tender spaghetti, juicy strips of chicken, crispy bacon, and a rich Parmesan sauce, this dish comes together in about 30 minutes—perfect for a quick yet indulgent weeknight dinner. ✨🍽️

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Ingredients

12 oz. spaghetti
8 slices bacon see notes
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into very thin strips
3 cloves garlic minced
4 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Zest of 1 large lemon

For serving (optional):

Extra Parmesan cheese
Fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a wide, deep skillet over medium heat until crispy, turning occasionally. Remove to a paper towel to drain and cool. Crumble the bacon and reserve.
Season the chicken strips lightly with salt and black pepper. Add to the pan where the bacon cooked and cook over medium until chicken is cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the pasta and the reserved bacon to the pan and mix to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and Parmesan cheese together, along with a pinch of black pepper.
Add the egg mixture to the pasta and chicken mixture. Stir well, quickly and constantly, to coat the noodles (and to avoid scrambling the eggs.) Add a splash of reserved pasta water, as needed, to help the sauce adhere to the noodles.
Cook for 3-4 minutes to warm through then top the dish with lemon zest and serve immediately, with extra Parmesan cheese and black pepper if desired.

Notes

📝 Ingredient Notes & Tips

Spaghetti:
Regular or whole wheat spaghetti both work great here. You can even go for a gluten-free option if needed—just don’t forget to reserve some of the pasta cooking water to help bring the sauce together.

Bacon:
The more, the better! 🥓 Load up your pan with as much bacon as it can handle (or microwave a few slices if you’re short on space—about 1 minute per slice unless it's paper-thin). Pancetta is a great substitute if you want to mix things up.

Chicken:
Slice the chicken into very thin strips. This helps it blend seamlessly with the pasta and makes every forkful satisfying and flavorful.

🍽️ Leftovers & Storage

While delicious fresh, chicken carbonara doesn’t hold up quite as well as some other pasta dishes. The creamy sauce can lose its texture when reheated, and the bacon won’t be as crispy. That said, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave, one portion at a time.