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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 love this recipe! I’ve subbed in shrimp and/or zucchini noodles and it is fantastic every time. I didn’t really care about the cheese clumping like others have said but will have to try half and half. I’ll add corn starch to thicken the sauce but that’s about it. Doesn’t really matter since the sauce and seasonings are delicious!
Hey there,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
This was delicious! The only swap was Half and Half instead of heavy cream. Turned out great and my cheese didn’t clump. The chicken was very flavorful and it was an easy meal to make. Perfect cozy meal. Will definitely be making again!
Hey Tracey,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xx
Made this tonight and it was so so good. I did not have issues with the sauce clumping after adding the Parmesan and used a pre-grated tub. My only critique is I wish there was a little more sauce volume wise but that’s only because it was so good. Thank you!
Hey Lindsey,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
The flavors were very good! The only problem we ran into was adding the Parmesan into the sauce. It just clumped up into a big mess. It still tasted great but I would be careful on the type of cheese you use
Hey Mia,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! Sorry about the parmesan, make sure to use freshly grated! Have a great weekend! xx
Very delicious hearty meal. I substituted shrimp for the chicken (I didn’t have chicken thawed) it was on point!
Thanks!
Hey Tammie,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! xx
This looks so good! Do you have any suggestions for vegetable and bread sides to serve with it?
Hey Jocelyn,
Here are some ideas for you:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/salted-honey-butter-parker-house-rolls/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-butternut-squash-and-pomegranate-salad/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/fried-brussels-sprouts/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Same as another reviewer the Parmesan cheese clumped up on me after adding the noodles. I used freshly grated cheese too. I also routinely make my own Alfredo sauce but wanted to try something different, and have never had this happen before. Aside from the clumping cheese, the sauce was very soupy. I am thinking that the liquid ratio is off, possibly not adjusted for us “flatlanders”? I will stick to my own sauce in the future.
Hi Monica,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. All of the measurements are correct here:) xxT
I would love to try this recipe! My boyfriend is allergic to dairy/eggs. Any recommendations to try to replace the heavy cream? We use vegan parmesan for cheese. Thanks!
Hey Amy,
I would try using a dairy free milk that you both enjoy or coconut cream. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xT
Oh my goodness! Hands down my favorite pasta I’ve ever made. Everyone ate a ton and I’ll be dreaming about it until I make it again. Soooo sooo sooo good.
Hey Mollie,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for trying it out! xx
This dinner is a must make!! Absolutely delicious!!! My only comment is that it was a tad spicy. Any tips for how to have a little less heat?
Hi Liz,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for sharing your review and making it! Just reduce the cajun seasoning. xxT
Anyone have a clue why my Parmesan would clump together in a gross way at the end? It looks awful… where did I go wrong? I did use bag Parmesan not fresh
Hi Natalie,
Thanks for trying the recipe, so sorry to hear about your parmesan…unfortunately it’s the bag:) You want to use freshly grated parmesan. I hope this helps! xx
Soooo good!! The chicken recipe alone will definitely become a staple. Because it would be good with so many things. But the recipe as a whole was a definitely a crowd pleaser!
Hey Monica,
Amazing! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great Monday! xTieghan
I’m sorry but there’s no way there are only 425 calories per serving, is that a joke? I just added it up myself and it came to 925 calories per serving, over double what you claim. I’ve noticed this issue in many of your other recipes as well. This might not matter to someone your size but including such incorrect nutritional information is misleading and potentially dangerous. Why include it at all if it’s so off?
Hey Sarah,
I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
I cannot say enough complimentary things about this recipe. Super easy, super delicious, and super easy to tweak the level of spice if you’re cooking for kiddos or the spice adverse. I am now preparing this almost weekly. I use coconut milk instead of heavy cream and the flavor is wonderful. I made a huge quantity of the cajun seasoning and now have it ready to go in my pantry so I can whip this up quickly on a weeknight. Thank you!
Hey Brett,
Amazing! Thanks for sharing your feedback and making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed:) Thanks for your kind message! xx
We made this recipe tonight and my family loved it! 2 little kids imcluded!
Hi Jessica,
Happy Monday!! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review:)
This has been a favorite recipe in my family! And my first I have tried from here. I have to make more chicken than calls for cause it tastes so good and goes quick. This one didn’t have leftovers in my family!!!
Hi Mandy,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was a winner:) Have the best week! xx