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Want to enjoy an epic dinner? Make this blackened chicken Alfredo, which, other than being delicious, is easy to prepare in just 30 minutes!
What is Blackened Chicken?
Blackened chicken is a Cajun cooking method where the meat is rubbed with blackened seasoning, a mix of herbs and spices that adds an incredible flavor. When you cook the chicken, this seasoning creates a delicious, slightly charred crust over the meat.
Easy Blackened Chicken Alfredo Recipe
If chicken and pasta are always a winner for dinner, then this blackened chicken Alfredo is going to blow everyone away with its juicy chicken and a creamy and well-seasoned sauce that coats all the pasta!
Since I'm a cook-once-eat-twice kind of gal, I reuse leftovers for terrific thermos lunches the next day or store chicken leftovers to build a delicious Blackened Chicken Salad. So, yes, you will thank me for doubling the recipe!
Ingredients
While you can buy the blackened seasoning, the homemade recipe linked here is not as spicy, making this meal family-friendly. What else do you need? Chicken breasts and your favorite pasta. Add garlic, chicken broth or stock, heavy cream or half & half to make the sauce creamy, and Parmesan cheese for serving. Delish!
How to Make Blackened Chicken Alfredo
I know the pictures are making you drool! Here is what you need to make to turn this amazing blackened chicken Alfredo into a 30-minute family meal you’ll want to enjoy often:
- Cook the pasta
Once ready, reserve pasta water, drain, and set the pasta aside. - Cook the chicken
Butterfly the chicken breasts for quicker and even cooking, season, and cook the seasoned chicken in the pan for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove it from the pan onto a plate, leaving any remaining bits in the pan for extra flavor. - Make the sauce
While butter melts, scrape the tidbits. Add the remaining seasoning and the garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the liquids and bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer the sauce for an additional 3 minutes. - Combine
Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine with the sauce. If it's too thick, slowly add a little more of the reserved pasta water to thin it out to a consistency of your liking. - Add chicken & serve
Slice the chicken breasts into slices and toss into the pasta right before serving.
Is Blackened Chicken Alfredo Spicy?
Blackened seasoning makes this chicken Alfredo tasty and slightly spicy, but not too much. The spiciness of this dish depends on how much cayenne pepper the blackened seasoning has. If you make it at home, you can customize it to your taste.
What to Serve with Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Pasta, protein, and a creamy sauce make a perfect combo that can get even more nutritious when served with delicious sides like spicy green beans, an everyday side salad, roasted asparagus, or popovers!
Blackened Chicken Alfredo (Family Friendly)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettucine pasta, or your favorite
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons blackened seasoning, divided
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup heavy cream or half & half
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese, more for serving
Instructions
Cook the pasta:
- Bring water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package directions. Once ready, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain, and set the pasta aside.
Cook the chicken:
- On a flat surface, pat dry the chicken breasts. Slice them through the middle to butterfly them into 4 pieces. Distribute 1 ½ teaspoons of seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place the chicken breasts on the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts over, and cook for another 4 minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan onto a plate and leave any tidbits on the pan for extra flavor.
Make the sauce:
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt it while scraping the tidbits with a spatula. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning onto the pan and the chopped garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, ½ cup of reserved pasta water (save the other half cup if you want to thin out the sauce later) and the heavy cream or half and half. Bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer the sauce for 3 more minutes to incorporate.
Combine:
- Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine with the sauce. If it's too thick, slowly add a little more of the reserved pasta water to thin it out to a consistency of your liking.
- Slice the chicken breasts into slices and toss into the pasta right before serving.
Jill says
This recipe was out of this world good. My family loved it.
Jennie says
This sounds delicious! I’ve never had blackened seasoning but I’m eager to try your recipe for it. I can’t handle really spicy food so I’m glad you have a family friendly version. I do have a question though. You mention sautéing garlic with the blackened seasoning for the sauce, but I don’t see how much garlic to add. Am I just overlooking it?
Laura Fuentes says
Great catch, Jennie! Just 1 clove. I hope you enjoy this blackened chicken alfredo recipe!
Trish says
This recipe is confusing. It says it’s an alfredo, but the sauce is red. You can clearly see chunks of tomato, yet the recipe doesn’t list tomato as an ingredient. Am I missing something?
Laura Fuentes says
Thank you for catching that! I uploaded the wrong images to the post. Now, it’s the correct chicken alfredo pasta.