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Forget the jarred sauces and frozen meals – this blackened chicken alfredo pasta is an easy homemade recipe that will wow the whole family! Not only is this blackened chicken alfredo bursting with flavor, but it’s a total crowd pleaser and a satisfying meal.
Tender white meat chicken gets a zesty blackened crust from a combination of spices like paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. It’s served over fettuccine or penne pasta coated in a lusciously creamy alfredo sauce made with fresh parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and a touch of that signature blackening seasoning.
This is one of my favorite pasta dinner recipes, modeled after my super popular Cajun Shrimp Pasta. I’ve made my garlic infused Alfredo sauce and homemade pasta so many times that I wanted to take it to the next level with tender bites of blackened chicken using my homemade Cajun seasoning blend!
And if you love recipes with a Cajun or Creole flavor, be sure to check out my Seafood Gumbo, Crawfish Étouffée, or Instant Pot Jambalaya.
Why This Recipe Works
- Pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness ensures quick, fool-proof cooking time
- Using a screaming hot skillet creates that signature blackened crust
- The Cajun spice level can be customized to your taste
- Infusing the homemade alfredo sauce with blackened seasoning amps up the Cajun notes
- Using reserved pasta water to thin the sauce creates a luscious, velvety texture
This easy pasta dinner checks all the boxes – it’s packed with protein, has a kick of spice, delivers ultimate cheesy comfort, and is ready in under an hour. The bold flavors and creamy alfredo sauce are sure to have everyone going back for seconds!
How to Make Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Here’s a quick overview of the cooking process, or scroll down for the full recipe card:
Step 1: Cook pasta in salted boiling water. Be sure to reserve half to one cup of salted pasta water just before you drain the pasta in case you need to thin the sauce.
Step 2: Flatten the chicken. While pasta is cooking, smash or roll the chicken breasts in between two pieces of plastic wrap until they are about 1/2 inch thick.
Step 3: Coat both sides of the chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning mix.
Step 4: Cook the chicken. In a large sauté or cast iron pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. When oil is super hot, add the seasoned chicken breast. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes or until browned. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and loosely tent with foil.
Step 5: Add butter and garlic to the pan and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook until the butter is infused with the garlic, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream, stir, and allow to come to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Finish sauce. After the cream sauce has simmered, remove the pan from the heat and add in the finely grated parmesan cheese and teaspoon of Cajun seasoning.
Step 7: Add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce.
Step 8: Stir to combine and thin with reserved pasta water, if needed.
Add the sliced chicken along with any juices that may have accumulated on plate. Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips for Perfect Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Bring chicken to room temp before cooking for quickest, most even results.
- Use olive oil or butter to sear the chicken and get the blackened, crispy exterior.
- Customize the heat level with more or less cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes.
- In order to get the parmesan to melt instantly, grate it from a block using a microplane.
- You can even start with rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked chicken tenders for an ultra-quick shortcut.
- No matter which way you make it, this blackened chicken alfredo is restaurant quality yet totally homemade and budget-friendly. It’s sure to become a new comfort food favorite!
How to Reheat Leftovers
Gently rewarm the pasta and sauce together on the stovetop in a covered pan over low heat.
You can also reheat in the microwave in one minute increments at 50% power.
You always want to reheat pasta recipes with cream sauces with a “low and slow” process.
FAQs
That’s up to you! Adjust the amount of cayenne and black pepper to taste. Start with less if you prefer a milder heat.
Blackening seasoning is a spicy Cajun/Creole blend usually containing paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, and thyme. It’s used to create a blackened crust.
Absolutely! Fettuccine, linguine, or penne all work great with this creamy alfredo sauce. Use your favorite.
Easily thin it with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water or milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
It’s best freshly made, but you can prep the components ahead. Cook the sauce and pasta separately and reheat gently when ready to serve.
Garlic bread, a fresh salad, or roasted veggies would all pair nicely on the side.
You can substitute the chicken with shrimp, scallops, steak, pork tenderloin, or chicken thighs.
Let cool completely then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
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Equipment
- sauté pan or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
To cook the pasta:
- 8 ounces pasta
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
To cook the chicken:
- 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning see note below
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Alfredo Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups parmesan cheese finely grated, see note below
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning see note below
Instructions
- Cook 8 ounces pasta in salted boiling water. Be sure to reserve half to one cup of salted pasta water just before you drain the pasta in case you need to thin the sauce.
- While pasta is cooking, smash or roll the chicken breasts in between two pieces of plastic wrap until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Coat both sides of the chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning mix.
- In a large sauté or cast iron pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. When oil is super hot, add the seasoned chicken breast. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes or until browned. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and loosely tent with foil.
- Add butter and garlic to the pan and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook until the butter is infused with the garlic, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream, stir, and allow to come to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
- While the cream mixture is simmering, slice the chicken into thin strips or small bites.
- After the cream sauce has simmered, remove the pan from the heat and add in the finely grated parmesan cheese and teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Add the cooked and drained pasta. Stir to combine and thin with reserved pasta water, if needed.
- Add the sliced chicken along with any juices that may have accumulated on plate. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Cajun seasoning blend: Highly recommended you make my Cajun seasoning blend as a store bought version might be too salty.
- Chicken breasts: Pound or roll the chicken breast to create a thin, even thickness but also to break down the tissue. This makes the cooking process faster but also makes the meat fork tender. Anytime you’re cooking meat, the best practice is to allow it to come to room temperature before cooking. So, if time allows, let your chicken sit at room temperature for about an hour before making this recipe.
- Chicken Cooking tip: Ensure the oil is hot in the pan before you add the chicken. Any time you’re trying to get a good sear on meat, you have to ensure the oil is hot enough to seal the outside of the meat with a nice crispy outer layer without burning it. This is a skill every home cook should learn to perfect.
- Resting time: As with most meats, I highly recommend allowing the meat to rest for a few minutes after cooking. This allows the juices in the chicken to redistribute. Also, any juices that accumulate on the plate can be added back to the final pasta dish.
- Pasta cooking tip: Whenever you add pasta to a dish where you will continue to cook, or even warm, it in a sauce, you want to ensure your pasta is cooked al dente as it will continue to cook once added to the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: In order for the cheese to melt instantly in the sauce, you must grate it from a block using a microplane or you must finely mince pre-grated cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!
I rarely cook meat at home and this was my first experience with rolling meat. Looking at the marred, smooshed flesh, I thought there was no way this could be right, all my work at the gym made me too strong for this task. I thought about throwing it away and making it vegetarian alfredo night but didn’t want to waste the animal. After sauteing the seasoned goo mess I was proud that it actually resembled food and with the kitchen tongs in hand, I did a happy dance in front of the stove. This may have been a meat cooking turning point for me. It was so delicious and flavorful and perfect. The sauce was certainly fresher and more luscious than any alfredo I’ve ever tried before. I went back for thirds. Thank you for sharing your outstanding recipes.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. I added chopped broccoli to the pasta water and it was a delicious addition. I finshed the chicken in the oven while making the alfredo sauce. Thanks for the great recipe.
So easy & delicious!!!
WOW. Just, WOW. Super easy and WAYYY better than restaurant Cajun chicken pasta. I baked it for 12 minutes with a smattering of Italian cheese. Totes will make again! Thank you so much for an awesome recipe!
Do you rub the cajun spices on the chicken, put in the alfredo sauce, or both?
both
This recipe is amazing. So yummy. I added mushrooms.
Delicious. And hit the spot. I liked the homemade Cajun recipe because I could control the spiciness. As I don’t like to much spice. Maybe I can try to get my kids to try this, but until then I have great leftovers just got myself.
This recipe was amazing! I cooked it for my family who all commented it was better than Olive Garden! I pounded the chicken and coated it with Cajun seasoning the night before and doubled the recipe. I used fresh graded cheese. Thank you for sharing this amazing dish!
Excited to try this with chicken. I made your Cajun seasoning with shrimp yesterday and we loved it so much putting it on chicken tonight! Thanks
One of the best Cajun pasta recipes we have tried! Easy and delicious!
OMG!! Whole family loved it!! This is definitely a keeper!!