This Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta is DELICIOUS! It’s an easy, homemade dinner that delivers the big, bold flavors of Cajun spiced chicken with creamy cheesiness from a simple, from scratch alfredo sauce, and it will only take you 20 minutes to get on the table! Kids love a creamy pasta dinner and the adults will love the touch of flair from flavorful chicken. It’s a meal the whole family can enjoy together, and it’s easy to customize with add ins and sides!
Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta – The EASY Way!
I’ve always had a personal love for a bowl of creamy fettucine alfredo. Even now it’s always comforting and tastes great, and kids gobble it up, no arguments to be heard! This homemade Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta is a version that we all really love. The combination of Cajun spices and my never-fail, ultra creamy alfredo sauce is SO good that you’ll want to whip this recipe out all the time.
It’s great for weeknight dinners because it only takes 20 minutes to make. But I also love it as a quick, homey, but really flavorful meal to serve to company – feel free to boast a little, they’ll be so impressed that you made such a tasty meal entirely from scratch!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Quick & Easy – A 20 minute meal is always a win on busy nights, plus it only dirties two pans! Make the sauce in the same pan as the chicken for more flavor!
- Extra Delicious – Alfredo is amazing all on it’s own, but add in those smoky, spicy Cajun flavors of blackened chicken and it becomes next level delicious.
- Customizable – Want to add some broccoli or spinach? Go for it! There are lots of ways to make this your own.
- Family Friendly – It’s not hard to convince kids to eat creamy, cheesy pasta! The alfredo also tones down the heat of the chicken which is great for small children. Use my blackening seasoning blend to season the chicken, and you even can adjust that to your family’s tastes too!
- Great for Company – A big bowl of pasta with a side or two always makes a meal guests are happy to share. Add a sprinkle of fresh parsley and grated parmesan over top and you’ve made a meal that looks and tastes gourmet in 20 minutes.
What to Serve with Blackened Chicken Alfredo
Since this dish has the classic flavors of Cajun spices and creamy, parmesan alfredo, it will pair well with many of your favorite traditional or Southern side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Sheet Pan Garlic Roasted or Cajun Roasted Vegetables – These are hands off while you make the pasta.
- Green Salad – Mixed greens with tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots, radishes, and a light Italian dressing or Red Wine Vinaigrette would be healthy and tasty.
- Bread – simple Garlic Bread, Cheesy Bread, or a Homemade Cornbread would all be great.
- Broccoli Bacon Salad or a Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad are easy, healthy, make-ahead sides.
- Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts – Try them classically, or with one of my 5 different custom flavor options.
- Roasted Green Beans – The garlic or parmesan flavor options would be perfect.
- Sautéed Spinach – Feel free to mix it right in for a quick veggie addition!
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Recipe Notes
This Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta recipe is as simple as promised! Just 20 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Dried pasta – You can use any pasta you like, but we prefer a long noodle like spaghetti. Choose flat fettucine to make a blackened chicken fettucine alfredo as an updated version of the classic. If you want a low-carb option, feel free to use zoodles too!
- Blackened Chicken – I designed this recipe to use up leftovers when we make a big pan of my blackened chicken tenders, blackened thighs, or blackened chicken breasts. You can definitely make the chicken fresh for this recipe too.
- Cream Cheese – I recommend using either full fat or low-fat cream cheese to make your alfredo sauce. Avoid non-fat options because they just don’t melt as nicely and we want that ultra creamy sauce!
No matter which you choose, pull it out of the fridge right away when you start cooking. You want it to be softened when making the sauce. - Butter – You can use either unsalted or salted with equally tasty results for this recipe.
- Parmesan – Even though pre-shredded cheese CAN melt, I recommend grating it yourself for the creamiest sauce possible. Sometimes the pre-shredded varieties have a coating to prevent clumping…which will also stop it from melting correctly!
- Heavy Cream – Feel free to use half and half if you’d like to lighten it up. The sauce will be thinner, but just as delicious.
- Italian Seasoning – I love my homemade Italian seasoning blend, but you can use a pre-mixed option if you have one.
- Fresh Garlic
- Salt & Pepper
Recipe Tips
- Cube the cream cheese – Chopping the cream cheese into cubes will help it melt much faster and smoother, saving you some cooking time and stirring. I like to chop it up as soon as I pull it from the fridge, before I even start cooking, because it also helps it soften much faster. That way it’s ready for the sauce when I am!
- Double it! – If you’re just using up some leftover chicken, this recipe makes the perfect amount. But, if you’re cooking for company (or want to create leftovers for lunches!) then feel free to make more sauce and pasta than I’ve called for.
- Use one pan – One really easy way to infuse the alfredo sauce with extra yummy flavor is to use the same pan to make the sauce as you do to blacken the chicken as you do to make the sauce. All those leftover Cajun spices will infuse right in!
- Mind the heat – Searing the chicken fresh requires high heat, but the sauce is better when made over low heat until the very end. So if you’re cooking the chicken same night, let the pan cool to a lower temperature before adding the butter and garlic.
That will stop the butter from browning and also make sure the cheese melts smoothly instead of curdling. Then, at the very end, you can turn it back up to bring the sauce to a boil and thicken it. I definitely recommend you check out all my tips on my homemade alfredo recipe if it’s your first time!
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use leftover chicken– We often have this as a leftover meal for our blackened chicken, and it makes it easy to stretch dinner from the night before into another full meal. You can easily fill two days on your weekly meal plan by planning for both.
- Use a jarred alfredo– I love, love, love my homemade version, but life is busy! Use a jarred alfredo if that’s what gets a yummy meal on your family’s table.
- Make it ahead– You can cook the chicken and make your alfredo sauce 3-5 days ahead so all you have to do is reheat them and boil pasta for a quick dinner.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli– Steam, blanch, or roast broccoli while you cook your pasta, then mix the cooked florets in with the sauce and pasta before serving.
- Blackened Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo– Season both shrimp and chicken with the blackening seasoning and cook in a hot skillet until done. Continue with the recipe as directed, topping the finished pasta with shrimp and chicken to serve.
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo with Roasted Veggies– Make a batch of my Cajun roasted veggies while you cook the rest of the recipe as directed. Add them into the pasta and sauce, then toss to coat. Serve with the chicken sliced over top.
Blackened Chicken Alfredo Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this blackened chicken alfredo recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
More Easy Pasta Dinner Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Chicken Taco Tortellini Skillet
- Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti
- Cheeseburger Pasta
- Meatball Pasta Bake
Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried pasta, can use fettuccini or other pasta
- 16 ounces blackened chicken breast, or blackened chicken thighs or tenders
For the Alfredo Sauce
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta per package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the blackened chicken and cook on each side 1-2 minutes until heated through. Remove from skillet, slice the chicken, and set aside.
- In the skillet, heat the butter and pressed garlic until it begins to bubble and becomes fragrant.
- Add the cream, cream cheese, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.
- Turn the heat to medium high and continue to heat stirring occasionally until it begins to rapidly boil, and allow to boil for 1-2 minutes. Then remove from heat. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Assemble by tossing pasta with alfredo sauce then top with sliced chicken.
Recipe Notes
- Blackened Chicken Breast
- Blackened Chicken Thighs
- Blackened Chicken Tenders
Add ins:
If you want to change it up a bit, you can also add some of these to the Blackened Chicken Alfredo. Just toss them right in with the pasta and sauce!- Steamed broccoli
- Peas- Add the frozen peas to the bottom of the colander and drain the pasta over them to cook them perfectly.
- Cajun Roasted Vegetables
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Sautéed peppers and onions
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