Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Creamy Chicken Pasta is seeping in onion, garlic, and zesty lemon flavors with a rich sauce. Plus, it’s ready in just about 30 minutes!
Ever crave something simple and objectively delicious?
That, for me, is zesty, creamy chicken pasta.
Extra garlic, a generous amount of lemon zest, and a whole lotta creamy sauce.
I make Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Creamy Chicken Pasta using a few basic ingredients for a downright comforting meal that comes together in 30 minutes or less.
One of my favorite parts about this recipe is I typically always have all of the ingredients on hand.
I stockpile dry pasta noodles, always have chicken in the freezer, onion, garlic, and lemons are timeless staples in my house, and my pantry is continuously well-endowed with canned coconut milk.
Whenever the craving for chicken pasta strikes, you’ll have this tool in your tool shed to whip out at a moment’s notice!
Let’s dive into the details.
Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Pasta:
Gluten-Free Pasta Noodles: Pick your favorite pasta noodles for this creamy pasta recipe. I love Jovial Brown Rice Fusilli, but any pasta shape will work.
Avocado Oil: Used for sautéing the onion and browning the chicken, avocado oil has neutral flavor and a high smoke point, making it ideal for high temperature cooking. You can use olive oil, coconut oil, or your favorite cooking oil.
Onion & Garlic: Those two ingredients that bring rich flavor to every dish! Onion and garlic are paramount in adding flavor to this simple pasta recipe.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: The protein star of the show. Boneless skinless chicken breasts add a protein infusion to the dish, making it a balanced meal. You can easily use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer them.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The creamy dairy-free sauce is made with full-fat canned coconut milk. Be sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk, not light coconut milk or coconut milk from a carton, as nothing beats the creaminess of the canned.
All of the sauce gets absorbed by the noodles so if you love your pastas with extra cream sauce, use two cans of coconut milk instead of one! If you go this route, feel free to increase the amount of zest, lemon juice, and garlic.
If you don’t like coconut milk and you eat dairy, you can replace it with 2 cups of heavy cream. Just be sure the cream doesn’t come to a full boil.
Lemon Zest & Lemon Juice: The lemon zest is everything here! It can be tempting to skip it, but trust me, you’re going to love how vibrant it makes this pasta! If you don’t own a zester, you can use the fine side of your regular cheese grater. Lemon juice also brings that acidic counterbalance to the otherwise creamy pasta dish.
Basil (Optional): Fresh basil give a nice herby zing to the recipe, leveling up the freshness and flavor. You can also go with fresh parsley or skip the fresh herbs altogether.
Sea Salt: The level of salt we enjoy is so individualized! Be sure to add sea salt to taste. If you feel the pasta tastes bland, it is likely because it needs more salt.
Optional Additions:
- Parmesan Cheese
- Kalamata Olives
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Capers
- Artichoke Hearts
Any of the above optional ingredients will bring a powerful flavor to the pasta!
How to Make Chicken Pasta:
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Note: I typically cook it 2 minutes less than the package says to ensure the noodles turn out al dente. Drain the noodles and set them aside until you’re ready to use them. You can cook the noodles and the sauce for the pasta at the same time.
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and chicken breast and allow the chicken to brown for a few minutes before stirring. Continue cooking another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the chicken has browned substantially but isn’t fully cooked.
Add the coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sea salt to the skillet and stir well. Bring the sauce to a full boil and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through. Note: If you’re adding anything else, such as parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, etc., do so now.
Stir the cooked noodles into the sauce until everything is well-combined.
Taste the pasta for flavor and add more sea salt, lemon juice, and/or garlic powder to taste.
More Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes:
- Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta
- Rigatoni Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
- Chicken Sausage Pesto Pasta
- Pumpkin Feta Pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta
Enjoy this healthy chicken pasta!
30-Minute Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Creamy Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 12 ounces gluten-free pasta noodles
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- ½ yellow onion finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped
- 1 15-oz can full-fat coconut milk
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice to taste
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Note: I typically cook it 2 minutes less than the package says to ensure the noodles turn out al dente. Drain the noodles and set them aside until you’re ready to use them. You can cook the noodles and the sauce for the pasta at the same time.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and chicken breast and allow the chicken to brown for a few minutes before stirring. Continue cooking another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the chicken has browned substantially but isn’t fully cooked.
- Add the coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sea salt to the skillet and stir well. Bring the sauce to a full boil and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through. Note: If you’re adding anything else, such as parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, etc., do so now.
- Stir the cooked noodles into the sauce until everything is well-combined.
- Taste the pasta for flavor and add more sea salt, lemon juice, and/or garlic powder to taste.
Nutrition
I can’t seem to find a 15 oz can of full-fat coconut milk. Will 13.5 oz be okay?
Hi Kailey! 13.5 ounces will work just great too! Happy cooking 🙂
Can I meal prep this?
Hi Kailey! For sure 🙂 I use it for meal prep and I find it keeps really well for 5+ days.
Had to correct my email.
Stella
I made this dish for my granddaughter since she’s allergic to dairy. We loved the lemony flavor and so delicious!!! One thing is for sure – be sure to add some veggies or your fave additions, like sun dried tomatoes. I say this only cuz if you serve just meat and noodles, it looks plain and uninviting. So delicious! I threw in some zucchini. Next time I’ll add asparagus and use chicken thighs. Quick and easy to make. Hubs and granddaughter say it’s a keeper.
Ooh, I love the idea of adding sun-dried tomatoes and zucchini! Thanks for sharing!
o m g This has me drooling just reading it! I strongly suspect this is going to be made within the next 24 hours and be going into regular rotation! Best of all there is nothing I would need to swap out for me (strictly non-dairy thanks to an allergy) or my best friend with whom I share a lot of dinners (no ‘hot’ spices). Yummy winna winna chicken dinna!
I hope you love it, Sylvia!! It’s been one of my favorite comfort foods lately…I also like adding sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives to it! 😀 xoxo