When a restaurant classic comes home, tastes this good, and only takes 30 minutes to make, we call that a dinnertime win. This Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta comes fully loaded with flavor thanks to juicy, perfectly cooked pan-seared chicken, a rich and creamy, Cajun-spiced alfredo sauce, and a mix of hearty peppers and onions. It all sits atop a bed of fettuccine for the ultimate comfort food pasta dish!
Love pasta recipes? Bookmark this Cajun Shrimp Pasta for next time!
INGREDIENTS FOR CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA
- Chicken Breasts | You'll need one pound (about 2) boneless, skinless chicken breast. You can also make this recipe with Blackened Shrimp if you'd like!
- Seasoning | As far as seasoning goes, use either a store-bought seasoning mix, like Tony's Creole Spice Blend, or make your own Blackened Seasoning!
- Vegetables | For the veggies, a colorful mix of red and green bell peppers, yellow onion, and garlic are all you need.
- Flour | This recipe calls for all-purpose flour, which serves as the thickener for the sauce.
- Half-and-half | Half-and-half (in combination with the flour) makes for a smooth and creamy base for our Cajun Alfredo Sauce. However, if you're counting calories (or would like to get a little more indulgent) feel free to sub in heavy cream or whole milk in its place.
- Parmesan Cheese | You absolutely cannot have Alfredo Sauce without the Parmesan. Freshly grated cheese will have more flavor, but if you're short on time and need to go with the pre-packaged stuff, be sure to get a good, high-quality grated Parmesan (not the shredded stuff).
- Pasta | While fettuccini and linguine are probably the most common pasta options for this dish, you can use whatever you like best or have on hand. Farfalle would be another great option for serve with Cajun Chicken Alfredo!
- Garnishes (optional) | If you want to take your pasta dish to the next level, garnish it with fresh diced tomato, green onions, and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese before serving!
HOW TO MAKE CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA
Cajun Chicken Alfredo is a quick-cooking, delicious dish to make at home, and can be done in just six simple steps! Below is a quick overview of the recipe, but any questions you might have about this recipe? Rest assured. They'll be answered in depth below!
- Cook the Pasta
- Pound Out the Chicken
- Season the Chicken
- Pan-Sear the Chicken
- Add the Vegetables
- Make the Sauce
STEP 1 | COOK THE PASTA
Before you begin with the chicken, get your pasta water going in a large pot over high heat on the stovetop. Then, proceed with the recipe while waiting on the pasta water to boil!
Once the water has reached a boil, add the fettuccini or linguine and cook according to package directions.
STEP 2 | POUND OUT THE CHICKEN
When it comes to the chicken in this Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta, the first thing you'll need to do is pound out the breasts. Pounding out the chicken ensures that it cooks evenly, and you won't end up will undercooked chicken on one end and overcooked chicken on the other.
To pound it out, place it in between two sheets of wax paper or in a gallon-sized, ziptop bag. If using the ziptop bag, be sure you press the air out of it before sealing. Then, using a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat pounder, pound out the meat so it is an even ½" in thickness.
If you don't want to mess with pounding out the chicken, season the chicken as directed and use this Blackened Chicken Recipe instead.
STEP 3 | SEASON THE CHICKEN
Before you season the chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel. Removing the excess moisture from the exterior of the chicken will ensure a better sear and also allow the oil to stay put, which will in turn allow the seasoning to stay put!
Once the chicken has been patted dry, drizzle it with oil and rub it all over the chicken breasts, then sprinkle with the Cajun or Blackened seasoning and rub all over once more until the spices evenly coat the chicken.
STEP 4 | SEAR THE CHICKEN
Now that all that prep is out of the way, it's time to cook! Add the oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and allow it to come to temperature. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for about 5-to-6 minutes on the first side. Then, flip and cook for about 3-to-4 minutes more. Set it aside to rest.
STEP 5 | ADD THE VEGETABLES
If the pan is looking close to dry on the bottom, add anywhere from an additional 1-to-2 tablespoons of oil. Then, add the sliced onion and bell peppers. Stir to coat in the oil and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring every so often until the vegetables have softened.
Once the veggies are al dente, add in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.
STEP 6 | MAKE THE SAUCE
Here comes the best part: The Cajun alfredo sauce! The sauce begins with a sprinkle of flour. Just sprinkle it over the vegetables and stir. Once the flour is added, you'll bring in the half-and-half, taking care to add it just one big splash at a time and stirring well after each addition. Do this until all of the half-and-half has been added.
Add the Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and the additional Cajun or Blackened seasoning, stir and allow to come to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for about 5 minutes more.
HOW TO SERVE CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA
Before serving, slice your chicken into ½"-strips, taking care to cut the chicken against the grain. Then, you can either add it back to the sauce or simply top off your pasta with it for an extra fancy presentation.
Either way, combine your pasta and Cajun alfredo sauce, then incorporate the chicken whichever way you like, and top the whole shebang with fresh, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Cajun Chicken Alfredo goes extremely well with Homemade Garlic Bread or our über easy recipe for Texas Toast, and if you'd like to round it out with something green, a nice House or Ceasar Salad would be great!
TIPS FOR PERFECTLY COOKED PAN-SEARED CHICKEN
If you're hoping to score a batch of perfectly cooked chicken for this Cajun Chicken Alfredo recipe, the tips below will most definitely help you along the way:
- Take care to pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. The excess water on the outside of your chicken will keep your chicken from developing that beautiful, golden-brown exterior.
- Use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, avocado, or vegetable oil.
- Be sure the oil and pan have had adequate time to heat before adding the chicken. Usually, about three minutes is all you need.
- Allow the chicken to set out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This will take the chill off of it and help with even cooking.
- Don't skip pounding out the chicken breasts. This step also helps a great deal when it comes to even cooking.
HOW TO TELL WHEN THE CHICKEN IS COOKED THROUGH
Not sure if your chicken is fully cooked through? There are a few ways to tell. Properly cooked chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F. This can be quickly determined by using an instant-read thermometer.
You can also tell if your chicken is done by slicing into it. If the juices run clear when cut, it's ready to eat!
WANT TO THIN OUT THE SAUCE?
Pasta sauces can be tricky at times because if the mix of sauce and noodles sit too long, the noodles have a tendency to absorb pasta sauce.
If you find yourself wanting more sauce for your Cajun Chicken Alfredo just before serving, there are multiple ways to thin out the mix! The first is to think ahead and reserve some pasta water. If you need it, you'll have it, if you don't, just toss it! You could also add warmed milk or cream to the sauce.
There are two things to keep in mind when stretching the sauce: (1) Add no more than two tablespoons of liquid at a time until you've reached your desired consistency, and (2) you might need to add a pinch or two more of both salt and Cajun seasoning to the sauce to amp the flavors back up. Again, start small. You can always add more, but you can't take it away once it's in!
HOW TO STORE CAJUN CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA
If you end up with any leftovers, transfer the pasta to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-to-4 days.
If you'd like to freeze your leftovers, once your Cajun Chicken Alfredo has cooled, you can transfer it to a large, freezer-safe zip-top bag, taking care to press out any excess air. Store it in the freezer for 2-3 months. For quicker thawing, lay the sealed zip-top on a flat surface and freeze it this way.
You could also freeze leftover pasta in a freezer-safe, airtight storage container, just be sure there is not a ton of room for air to circulate at the top as this will increase the chances of freezer burn.
5 MORE SOUTHERN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Crawfish Pie
- Easy Shrimp Etouffee
- Boiled (Steamed) Shrimp
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- New Orlean's-Style Crawfish Etouffee
A quick and easy Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta Recipe with juicy, pan-seared chicken, sautéed bell peppers and onion, and a creamy, Cajun Alfredo sauce.
- 3 tablespoons avocado or canola oil, separated
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, separated
- ½ green bell pepper seeded and sliced into ¼" strips
- ½ red bell pepper seeded and sliced into ¼" strips
- ½ yellow onion sliced into ¼" strips
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups half and half
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¾ package (about 9 ounces) Fettuccini, Penne, or Rigatoni pasta cooked according to package directions
- 2 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 4 green onion sliced
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Place the chicken between 2 sheets of wax paper or in a gallon-sized ziptop bag with the air pressed out of it and sealed. Use a rolling pin or the flat side of meat pounder to pound out the chicken so that it is an even thickness of about a ½".
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Transfer the chicken to a work surface and pat dry with paper towels. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and rub all over. Then, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of Cajun or Blackened seasoning and rub all over to adhere. Do not touch your eyes and take care to wash your hands.
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Add the oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and bring to temperature. Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Then, turn and cook for about 3-4 minutes more. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
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Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Add the diced peppers and onions and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.
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Sprinkle the flour over the softened vegetables and stir to coat. Add the half and half one big splash at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition.
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Reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a simmer, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, as well as ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning and the salt. Remove from the heat.
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Slice the chicken into ½"-thick strips, add to the sauce. Serve over pasta, and garnish with fresh diced tomatoes and sliced green onions, if desired.
Recipe Video
