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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.
Tiegan!!! I am obsessed with ALL of your recipes. I have yet to make one that isn’t a HUGE hit. I love love love your tastes. Thank you for adding a delicious end to every single one of our days❤️
Tieghan, sorry for the misspelling
Hi! Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xT
SO good, SO easy! I made this for our New Years Eve dinner ❤️ The leftovers were also delicious!
Hi Marie! Thank you SO much! Always love to hear when a recipe is a success! Hope you have an amazing New Year! xT
Made this tonight for the family, per request. And it came out fantastic. Super rich and creamy, I did add extra Cajun seasoning since I wanted it to be pronounced. And then just garnished the plate with fresh Basil leaves that tasted beautiful with the dish. Another recipe to save and make again.
Thank you so so much Sarah! xT
Hi, I don’t have chicken stock. Can i use water for the sauce?
Hi Cassidy,
The broth is going to add a lot more flavor, but of course water will work. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
I added too much red pepper flakes so it was a bit too spicy and too much salt in the Cajun spice! Other than that it was so delicious !!!
Hey Chantelle,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it turned out well for you:) Sorry about the spice!! xx
Absolutely delicious & so easy to make! 🙂
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Have a Happy Halloween! 🙂 xT
Hi Tieghan! I love this recipe, it’s one of my favorites! I’ve had a problem getting the sauce to thicken, though. Even if I have it simmering on the stove for awhile, it seems much too liquidy to me. But, by the time I’ve finished dinner, some 20 minutes or so later, it’s thickened up a lot more. I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong, maybe not adding enough cheese, or if there’s something I can add to help speed up the process? Thanks for all you do!
Hi there! Hmm I would maybe turn the heat up a little bit to thicken the sauce! xT
Do you think this would work with cubed chicken breast too, or maybe chicken breast sliced in half? How would you recommend cooking it with chicken breast instead of cutlets?
Hi there! Yes, that should work fine! Just cube your chicken and then use the same spices to season your chicken! 🙂
Should I use heavy cream or milk for the sauce?
I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Natalie! I would recommend using heavy cream so you get a nice creamy sauce! Hope this helps! xT
This was so good and quick and easy to make.
Thank you so so much for giving the recipe a try! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
I made this recipe and it was so good! My family all loved it. The only change I made was that I used Emeril’s Cajun seasoning as I already had it on-hand. I will definitely make your seasoning when I have the ingredients! The sauce was perfect and not clumpy at all and the recipe came together pretty quickly which is a big plus for me. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hey Sally! So happy to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for giving it a try! xT
Hi Teighan!
I made this recipe tonight and it was super delish. The only issue I had was my sauce was clumpy. Actually it was the cheese that clumped up. I grated it myself fresh and I’m not sure what happened but it balled up. The sauce wasn’t very creamy but yet still very tasty. Any tips? Love all you recipes girl! And I love that you reply to your fan base. Take care! 😊
*Tieghan (Typo)
Hey Laurie,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe and appreciate your notes and feedback! Sorry to hear about the clumps! Were all of your ingredients at room temp? That usually helps!! xT
Loved this recipe! Definitely one of my favorites, I will say that about half way through I got tired of standing at the stove and just threw them in the oven. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference and it was way less time consuming!
Hi Jen,
Perfect!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! Happy Mother’s Day!💐
Second time making this and both times my parm clumped? Can’t understand why – using fresh – help! Still sooo 🤤
Hi Renee,
Thanks for making this recipe!! So sorry to hear about the parmesan, are you grating it yourself? That is key!! I hope this helps! xT
I made this using fresh Parmesan and it didn’t stick to the chicken and clumped in the sauce. Chicken was delicious though!
I made this recipe tonight, and it was amazing! Thank you!
Hey Amy,
Happy Wednesday! ⛅️🌈 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe worked well for you and I appreciate you giving it a try! xx