Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Creamy, spicy, and soul-satisfying Cajun chicken Alfredo is so easy you won’t even break a sweat. Deliver a crazy good weeknight dinner to the table in 30 minutes so you have time to enjoy quality family time.
Recently, I traveled to an unnamed country, looking forward to trying their cuisine. No spices, no heat, and almost no flavor was so disappointing. A friend told me to let her know the next time I go, so she can hook me up with the ones who know where to get good food.
The first dish I prepared as soon as I got home was spicy chicken in an Alfredo sauce. It was heaven on the tongue and satisfied my craving for heat and flavor. Heavy cream may not make it healthier, but it does make it comforting, which is just as good, right?
Fast and Easy Pasta
I have to say, when life gets in the way, pasta is my go-to because dinner is on the table in 30 minutes or less. Heat up your favorite sauce (even if it comes out of a jar) and whip up the protein while the pasta cooks for a stress-free meal. In this case, it’s my homemade Alfredo sauce coming together in 20 minutes.
How to Make Cajun Chicken Alfredo From Scratch
- Cook the pasta, season the chicken, then cook it and set it aside.
- Sauté the garlic, thyme, and Creole seasoning in butter. Whisk in the cream, milk, and cream cheese, stirring until it starts to thicken. Then stir in the Parmesan.
- Add the chicken stock, and cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir in the pasta, slice the chicken, and immediately put it all on the table.
Tips and Tricks
- Slightly undercooking the pasta will keep it from overcooking from the residual heat when you add it to the sauce.
- To avoid curdling the sauce: Have all your ingredients at room temperature before starting, especially the cream and cheeses. Thicken the sauce before adding the Parmesan, and simmer it on low because high heat can cause the proteins to seize up and separate from the fat.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeover
Though Alfredo sauce is best fresh off the stove, you can successfully make it ahead of time. Cook the sauce, pasta, and chicken, then let them cool. Store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To serve, slowly heat the sauce over as low a temperature as you can. Add a splash of cream or milk to loosen it up and stir constantly until heated through. Heat the chicken at the same time in the oven, microwave, or air fryer. Add the pasta to the sauce and heat through, and serve immediately with the chicken.
I love adding chicken broth and sauteed vegetables to the leftovers for a spicy, creamy chicken soup. Heat through and enjoy.
Meal Ideas for Cajun Chicken Alfredo
A refreshingly light salad, whether a simple tossed salad or heart-healthy Greek salad, is the perfect pairing. Fresh-from-the-oven roasted vegetables are also wonderful on a chilly day. Store-bought or homemade garlic bread is a classic, then a chilled glass of Riesling and slice of carrot cake top it off.
More Exquisite Pasta Recipes to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”ySeBm122″ upload-date=”2021-07-19T04:00:00.000Z” name=”Cajun Chicken Alfredo” description=”This one-pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo is a comfortingly creamy and spicy pasta dish. It’s so easy that you don’t even have to break a sweat to make the sauce. It’s just pure cream, milk, cheese, and creole-cajun seasoning. Saucy goodness in one meal! ” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This blog post was originally published in July 2021 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce package (225g) linguine or fettuccine cooked according to package instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water
- 2 chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon (15g) Creole seasoning
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (2g) fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon (15g) Creole seasoning (salt-free)
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 2 cups (475ml) milk
- 2 ounces (60g) cream cheese
- ½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1½ cups (360ml) chicken stock or broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain, and set aside (reserving at least a cup of the pasta water. Make the chicken while the pasta cooks.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season it with salt, then rub both sides with Creole seasoning.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown for 4-5 minutes on both sides or until golden brown, and it has cooked through. Be careful so it doesn't burn. Clean the pan if any major burns occur.
- Remove chicken from the pan and keep warm by covering it with foil while you prepare the Alfredo sauce.
- In the same pan, melt the butter, then add garlic, thyme, and Creole seasoning. Stir for about a minute or until fragrant.
- Reduce the heat to as low as possible, and slowly whisk in heavy cream, milk, and cream cheese. Whisk constantly until it starts to thicken.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and mix until the sauce is smooth or until everything is well combined.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until it thickens. Adjust the thickness of the sauce with the reserved pasta water.
- Season with salt, pepper, and extra Creole seasoning. Add the drained pasta, and mix well to coat the pasta.
- Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5-7 minutes so the pasta can soak up some of the sauce. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
- Serve the pasta, top it with sliced chicken breast, and enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- Reserve the pasta water because it adds flavor and helps thicken the sauce if needed.
- Keep stirring while adding the cream and then the Parmesan to prevent curdling and clumping.
- Be careful not to let the sauce boil so it doesn’t separate.
- Please remember that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
the links to the videos don’t work! and the links look funny – there’s too much stuff in there.
How do we watch you cook?
Oh no, I’m so sorry about the broken links! Thank you for pointing that out, and I have fixed them.
In the meantime, you can watch me cook directly on my Instagram (@immaculatebites.com) or my YouTube channel (just search for “Immaculate Bites”). I post step-by-step videos, and you’ll find tons of recipes to try there.
Thank you for your patience! ❤️