Cajun Chicken Alfredo (Printable)

Spicy Cajun-seasoned chicken combined with creamy Alfredo sauce and fettuccine pasta. A Southern-Italian fusion comfort dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Pasta

04 - 12 ounces fettuccine or linguine pasta

→ Alfredo Sauce

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1.5 cups heavy cream
08 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
11 - 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How-To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 0.5 cup pasta water and drain remaining water. Set aside.
02 - Pat chicken breasts dry and rub evenly with Cajun seasoning.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, reaching internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from skillet, rest 2-3 minutes, then slice into strips.
04 - In the same skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in heavy cream, whisking constantly, and bring to gentle simmer without boiling.
05 - Stir in Parmesan cheese, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Simmer 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens. Add reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time if sauce becomes too thick.
06 - Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss well to coat with Alfredo sauce. Add sliced Cajun chicken and toss again.
07 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The creamy Alfredo tames the Cajun heat just enough to keep everyone at the table happy.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, which almost never happens with cream sauces.
  • You can dial the spice up or down depending on who's eating.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water, it's the only thing that will loosen a too-thick sauce without breaking it.
  • Let the chicken rest after cooking or you'll lose all those flavorful juices to the cutting board.
  • Keep the heat at medium when making the Alfredo, high heat will cause the cream to break and turn grainy.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan, the pre-shredded kind won't melt smoothly into the sauce.
03 -
  • Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before seasoning so they cook uniformly.
  • Taste the sauce before adding salt, the Cajun seasoning and Parmesan already bring plenty.
  • If you love heat, add an extra pinch of cayenne directly to the Alfredo sauce for a deeper burn.
  • Use tongs to toss the pasta in the sauce, it coats more evenly than a spoon.
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