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This 30-minute super easy one-pot Chicken Kiev Pasta recipe takes an already delicious Eastern European classic and playfully spins it into an incredibly tasty pasta dish! With chunks of tender chicken breast and penne pasta tossed together in a creamy parmesan sauce with lots of garlic and parsley, the dish is then finished with a crunchy buttery breadcrumb topping!
Chicken Kiev Pasta Recipe
This recipe is a fun twist on chicken Kiev! But first, what is Chicken Kiev?!? In a nutshell, it’s an absolutely delicious chicken dish that comes from Eastern Europe, specifically Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. It’s composed of chicken breast that is pounded out, stuffed with a garlicky parsley butter, coated with breadcrumbs, and then fried or baked to perfection.
So when creating this yummy dish, I basically took all the best parts of crispy chicken Kiev and married them together with some comforting pasta and a delicious cheesy parmesan sauce. And on top of that, I turned this chicken Kiev pasta recipe into a one-pot meal! Just like my One Pot Sausage Pasta, the penne cooks in the same pot as everything else, which makes this a fantastic weeknight dinner option.
Not to mention, this pasta pairs well with almost any side dish! I have served it with my Mushroom Arugula Warm Salad as well as my Roasted Broccoli and it’s amazing with both! So if you love creamy pasta and chicken Kiev you should definitely give this dish a try!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Kiev Pasta
- Super Easy! The penne pasta cooks together with chicken and creamy sauce to make this amazing one-pot chicken Kiev pasta dish! So there is very little cleanup making this recipe a fantastic quick and easy weeknight dinner.
- Chicken Kiev Cheesy! Full of tasty chunks of chicken and penne in a buttery garlic parsley cream sauce and then garnished with a crunchy breadcrumb topping this dish is the perfect fusion of chicken Kiev and pasta.
- Crowd Pleaser! This amazing creamy chicken pasta makes a fantastic family meal as well as a potluck favorite. You can even serve this incredible dish in a fancy bowl for a party.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pasta
- Olive Oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil for the most flavor.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter to control the amount of added salt unless a recipe states otherwise.
- Chicken – You’ll need boneless skinless chicken breasts. However, you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs or even turkey breast if you prefer.
- Garlic Powder – Needed to season the sautéed chicken. Garlic powder adheres to the meat better than fresh garlic.
- Dried Parsley – Used to add some flavor to the sauteed chicken along with the garlic powder.
- Fresh Garlic – Fresh minced garlic cloves are the best choice. Store-bought jarred garlic will work, but it’s not quite as good and sometimes bitter due to preservatives.
- Onion – I like to use brown onion, but any type you have on hand is fine.
- Salt – Seasons the dish and boosts all the flavors of the different ingredients.
- Black Pepper – Use fresh ground black pepper if you have it on hand.
- Penne Pasta – I used penne pasta, but you can use any bite-size shape of pasta you like.
- Chicken Broth – I always use low-sodium or no-sodium chicken broth to avoid over-salting the dish. You can also use vegetable broth if you like.
- Milk – Any type of milk you have on hand will work perfectly including plant-based varieties.
- Fresh Parsley – Fresh chopped herbs are always best and parsley adds yet another layer of flavor and a bit of color to the dish.
- Parmesan Cheese – Adds a layer of yummy cheesiness to the pasta. Use a better quality parmesan for the best results.
Topping
- Butter – Needed to make the delicious buttery breadcrumb topping.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – You should use panko-style breadcrumbs for this recipe. Their texture is ideal and adds a lovely toasty crunch.
- Garlic Powder – Adds a little extra flavor to the breadcrumbs.
- Dried Parsley – In this recipe, dried parsley works best for the topping.
This creamy chicken pasta is a simple one-pot meal! Once the chicken is sautéed, the pasta goes into the same pot to cook, and about 15 minutes later dinner is served!
Sauté The Chicken
To begin, you need to cook the chicken. So first pat the chicken dry with some paper towels to remove the excess moisture and then season all the pieces with the garlic powder and dried parsley.
Next, heat both the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven or large skillet. Then add the chicken to the hot oil and saute it until it’s no longer pink and starts to brown.
Add The Onion And Garlic
After you’ve sautéed the chicken, add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot and cook it together with the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onion has softened up a bit. Then sprinkle everything with a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
Cook The Pasta
Now, let’s start turning this dish into a one-pot pasta! Add the uncooked penne to the Dutch oven along with the chicken broth and milk. Then stir everything together and bring it to a boil. Next, bring the heat down to a simmer and cook the pasta for about 15 minutes or until it’s done, while stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if needed.
Finish The Dish
Once the penne is cooked, stir the freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley in the pasta mixture. Make sure to evenly distribute the cheese into the dish so that it doesn’t clump together. Yet, do this gently so that you don’t squish the penne.
Make The Topping
With the pasta ready, it’s now time to make the delicious topping! First, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a skillet. Now, stir in the panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Then cook the mixture until it’s golden and crispy.
Assemble The Dish And Serve
To finish the dish, sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over the pasta. Now, serve the chicken Kiev pasta with a fresh salad and some homemade Garlic Bread if you like.
What Can I Add To The Pasta
Anything you like! But I suggest not adding it until after the dish is cooked. The best bet is to toss any additions in when you add the parmesan cheese at the end. Some good options would be steamed broccoli, fresh baby spinach, sautéed zucchini, and sautéed mushrooms.
What Types Of Pasta Can I Use?
I used penne pasta and love how the sauce fills the tubes and ridges of it. Ziti would be my second tubular-shaped pasta choice along with rigatoni. But you can use any bite-sized shape of pasta you like for this one-pot pasta recipe including gluten-free varieties.
Expert Tips
- Brown the chicken well. You really want to cook the chicken breast properly before adding the other ingredients. All those little brown bits on the bottom of the Dutch oven produced when sauteing the chicken add layers of flavor to the dish.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Set a timer after you add the pasta to make sure you don’t forget and overcook it. Keep in mind that pasta continues to cook for a few minutes even after being removed from the heat.
- Use quality ingredients. This simple pasta dish will have a lot more flavor if you use high-quality butter with at least 80% fat content, a better parmesan cheese, fresh garlic cloves, and fresh chopped parsley.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, simply mix them with a few tablespoons of water to add some moisture, then cover them with plastic wrap, and heat in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power.
You can also reheat leftovers in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat. It’s also possible to freeze chicken Kiev pasta for up to 4 months in an airtight container. Then just let the leftovers thaw out overnight in the fridge before reheating them. Yet, this dish does hold up all that well when frozen.
Other Delicious Pasta Recipes To Try
- Creamy Garlic Butter Spaghetti
- One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
- One Pot Spaghetti
- Pasta Alla Norma
- Pasta Pomodoro
- Pasta Fagioli
Chicken Kiev Pasta
Video
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 pound chicken breasts skinless and boneless, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 ounces penne pasta uncooked
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup breadcrumbs preferably Panko
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Add the oil and butter to a Dutch oven or large skillet and heat over medium heat. Season the chicken with the garlic powder and dried parsley then add to the pot and cook until no longer pink and starts to brown.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften a bit. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the penne pasta, chicken broth and milk to the pot, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked, stirring occasionally. Add more liquid if needed.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
- Add the tablespoon of butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of dried parsley. Cook until crispy and golden.
- Sprinkle breadcrumbs over pasta and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Brown the chicken well. You really want to cook the chicken breast properly before adding the other ingredients. All those little brown bits on the bottom of the Dutch oven produced when sauteing the chicken add layers of flavor to the dish.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Set a timer after you add the pasta to make sure you don’t forget and overcook it. Keep in mind that pasta continues to cook for a few minutes even after being removed from the heat.
- Use quality ingredients. This simple pasta dish will have a lot more flavor if you use high-quality butter with at least 80% fat content, a better parmesan cheese, fresh garlic cloves, and fresh chopped parsley.
