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This simple Lemon Pepper Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo is a favorite with everyone. Classic, creamy fettuccini Alfredo with butter, garlic, and plenty of parmesan. Then topped with crispy lemon pepper cajun chicken. Every twirl of pasta melts in your mouth and the chicken adds a nice buttery, spiciness to every bite. It’s delicious.
Sometimes you have those recipes that you just know you’re going to love. I feel like this fettuccine will be that recipe for many of you. Creamy Alfredo pasta mixed with spicy, buttery cajun chicken, it’s a combo we all can love.
Simple, but wow, so good, and the chicken really does add so much flavor. What I said above really stands true, everyone loves this dish.
The inspiration
Growing up my dad often made fettuccini alfredo on Friday or Saturday night. It was always a special night when he made it because he didn’t make it that often. Or well, just not as often as he made say tacos. My dad has made a lot of tacos.
I loved alfredo night, it always felt so fancy to me. Looking back I didn’t realize just how simple it was, especially my dad’s Alfredo. He kept his basic with lots of butter, cream, and parmesan. He also added cream cheese, which made it extra rich.
I wanted to see if I could improve on his old skool, classic pasta. We love anything involving a little cajun seasoning around here, so adding in some cajun chicken sounded perfect.
The steps
Before starting the chicken boil off the pasta.
Next, toss the chicken in olive oil, homemade cajun seasoning (my recipe is in the notes), parmesan, and a big pinch of pepper.
Sear up the chicken in a skillet with some butter until it becomes deeply golden and crisp. Then pour over some lemon juice and let it sizzle around the chicken.
Nothing fancy, but the smells coming from your skillet sure will be delicious.
Now onto the pasta, this happens really quickly.
Use the same skillet you cooked the chicken in so you get all that yummy flavor. Add in a bit more butter and some garlic. Then pour in broth and milk (you can also use cream). I like to use broth and milk to create a still creamy pasta, but a pasta that has a nice amount of sauciness to it as well. It’s also a little lighter than using all cream or milk, so the alfredo isn’t quite as rich.
Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the parmesan and pasta. I like to use linguine, but fettuccini is obviously great too.
And that’s it! Serve the chicken over steaming bowls of creamy pasta and top with additional parmesan and fresh parsley. Yummmm!
This recipe is all about the creamy sauce and that crispy cajun chicken. The sauce is buttery, a touch garlicky, and so creamy. And the crispy chicken…it’s a game-changer. Tender and delicious when thinly sliced and tossed in with the pasta.
It’s one of those chicken pasta dinners that feels like a dish you’d order at a restaurant. But it’s made at home and is even more delicious. Trust me.
Looking for other weeknight dinner recipes? Here are some favorites:
Sheet Pan Greek Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes
Cajun Garlic Butter Shrimp with Creamy Pesto Pasta
Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Popcorn Chicken
Lastly, if you make this Lemon Pepper Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lemon Pepper Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 910 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine or fettuccini
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 chicken cutlets or 1 pound tenders
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain.2. In bowl, toss together the olive oil, chicken, cajun seasoning, 2 tablespoons parmesan, and a big pinch of pepper. 3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pan set over medium-high heat, add the chicken and sear until deeply golden on both sides, 5 minutes per side. Turn the heat off and pour over the lemon juice. Transfer to a plate.4. To the same pan, add 2 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and chili flakes. Cook 1 minute, until fragrant, then pour in the broth and milk. Whisk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 1/2 cups parmesan, then toss in the pasta. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. 5. Serve immediately topped with sliced chicken and parsley.
Notes
Homemade Cajun Seasoning: mix 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Makes 3/4 cup.
I’ve tried a lot of homemade Alfredo recipes, and this one is my absolute favorite! It’s just my husband and I, so I cut the recipe in half and it’s perfect! 🙂
Hi Lori,
Amazing!! I am so glad this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best weekend! ☀️xx
Every HBH I’ve ever made is so yummy! Really loved this one, but I couldn’t give it to my kids because they don’t like spicy ?
Hey Aimee,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
I made this last night for me and my bf. The chicken turned out wonderful and we both want to make it again! The sauce was simple. My adjustments were: adjusting my Cajun mix to have a bit less salt for next time, cutting the full chicken breast in half so they were thinner, only 1tsp of chili powder (we don’t care for lots of heat), and I’d thicken up the sauce some, it was really runny for me.
Hey Keely,
Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your feedback! I am glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
Can this be made ahead of time?
Hi Carla,
Sure, I don’t see why not, just reheat on low:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Holy cow. This is one of the most delicious recipes I’ve ever made. We could not stop eating it. Wow. Super easy and ingredients I usually have on hand. This will become a staple.
Hey Jennifer,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! I hope you had a great holiday weekend!?
Hi Tieghan,
I cooked this recipe today and it was scrumptious….but the sauce never thicken, it reduced a little. I used broth and heavy whipping cream because that’s the only cream I can find and the Parmesan cheese got clumpy. I did follow your steps, please advise what I can do to avoid this again.
Thanks
Rose
Hi Rose,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Sorry to hear you had some issues. Sounds like the sauce needed to simmer a little longer. Did you use freshly grated parmesan? It’s important to use fresh cheese, not the fake stuff:) xxT
Same as Rose! Also, I wasn’t sure whether to use grated or shredded parm, so I used some of each.
Nevermind… I cooked it 5-7 more mins and it thickened plenty! Delicious!
Awesome!! Thanks for making the recipe!!
I like to use grated parm, but both are great:)
Unbelievable recipe will definitely make again
Hey Charlie,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xxT
So so good! I doubled the recipe, and I would recommend doubling the Cajun seasoning. It makes it way too salty. But still an AMAZING recipe!
** I would recommend NOT doubling the Cajun seasoning !**
Hey Emily,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
Holy cow! This is so good and super easy to make! I used tilapia instead of chicken and it turned out amazing. I’ll be making this again for sure!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xTieghan
Delicious flavoring. Step four says milk instead of cream. The ingredient list was correct. I made the error of grabbing milk over cream after reading the step so my sauce did not thicken well. I have no doubt when I redo it will be perfect 🙂
Hi Kristin,
Happy Wednesday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try and love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your feedback:) xT
This recipe (like literally every other HBH recipe I’ve ever tried) is SUCH a smash hit. Omg the chicken is mouth-wateringly delicious, and the alfredo is decadent but somehow still doesn’t feel too heavy at all. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This is a wonderful and versatile recipe! Great with chicken as written, yummy subsisting with shrimp, and a wonderful cream sauce base for a variety of pasta uses. Recently made a version with no meat, adding green and red peppers, shallot, and mushrooms. Highly recommend giving this one a try!
Hi Victoria,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This chicken is now one of our favorites! When I want a quick dinner I’ll just make the chicken by itself with some quick air fried veggies. A quick favorite 🙂
Hi Lexy,
Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit and thanks for making it! xTieghan
I cooked this the other evening, couldn’t believe how tasty this was! 5stars all the way!
Hey Rachel,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan!! im going to make this recipe for dinner tonight but only have tenders. Will they cook in the same amount of time?
Hey Amanda,
You can probably reduce your cook time slightly. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi,
This is the first recipe that I tried actually it looked so beautiful and tempting. It turned out just wonderful , chicken was so tasty and different and along with the creamy pasta the combo was awesome. My daughters’ a pasta lover. Thank you.
Hi there,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan