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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.
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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
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
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Great idea but far too much salt and parm. Those two flavors were so overpowering and I only used half the recommended amount of parm. Will try it again but definitely tweak those a bit.
Hi there,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry you found it to be too salty. xTieghan
Enjoyed this dish. I used her Cajun seasoning. I used light cream and simmered the sauce a bit to reduce. I added linguine over low heat for a few minutes then turned off heat and added Parmesan. It was a smooth sauce.
If you add cheese in hot sauces it clumps….to address some of the complaints in comments. Will make again.
I have a 4 out of 5 because I thought the recipe would have specified this heat and cheese for new cooks
Hey Maggie,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
The flavor was amazing but I had a rough time with the cheese clumping! Wondering if there is some trick I don’t know about for that. I used raw milk with high cream level and shredded the parm into large shreds
Hey Dani,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. Next time, I would try shredding the parm into small shreds, make sure the sauce is bubbling and really whisk well when adding the cheese. I hope this helps! xx
This came together quite quickly and I didn’t have buy a single ingredient! And really yummy flavor! It put me in mind of the dish I order when we go to Outback Steakhouse, the Queensland Chicken and Shrimp pasta. Shrimp would be a great addition to this dish.
Hey Noell,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Better then a restaurant! I used medium shells for pasta as that is all I had, came together quickly and looked good enough to serve to company. Loved that the sauce was not to heavy and had just a hint the lemon and Cajun seasoning for just a bit of tang. I will definitely make again!
Hey Sarah,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
I made this for my family last night…they called it “spectacular”. I don’t eat pasta or chicken myself, but the recipe looked good and based on their reviews I’ll definitely make it again. It was pretty simple; I love the one pan recipes!
Hey Catherine,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Great recipe
Chicken could use a little less of the Cajun seasoning, since there’s Parmesan as well there’s plenty of salt
I only used a smidge over one tablespoon and that was still too salty!
Hi Bill,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
Absolutely delicious! Zero issues with the cheese clumping.
Hey Amanda,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
Everyone in my family loved this recipe so much- even my 1 and 3 year olds! Definitely will be added to our usual rotation of dinners. Thank you so much!
Hey Heather,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
This recipe was an absolute hit tonight. We loved the balance of the cajun spices and lemon against the cheese and cream. Fettuccini Alfredo can get so heavy but those flavors gave it the perfect lift and acidity. It was surprisingly easy and quick to make.
Hey Hayley,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
Subbed for salmon which I roasted in the oven using the same seasoning recipe and made the pasta per the recipe to accompany and delicious! Once salmon done I topped the pasta, added some more cheese and fresh parsley and voila! Love the cajun flavor and the pasta was creamy and consistent but not heavy and drowning in sauce. Great recipe.
Hi Erin,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
A total win for dinner tonight! I used your cajun seasoning leaving out the cayenne and chili flakes for my picky eaters. Still packed full of flavor that was just right. Added 2oz cream cheese to the sauce for extra creaminess while still keeping it light. The family enjoyed it so much they asked for it again tonight. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Hey Denise,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
Made this tonight so delicious!! The cheese did clump when I added the pasta?? However the family said I could make it weekly they loved it with cheese clumps.
Hey Barb,
Happy Wednesday!! Lol well I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xx
Love this recipe! Im vegetarian, so I used sweet earth chik’n instead of chicken and it was awesome. I also used milk instead of heavy cream since that’s what I had on hand. The sauce turned out great, it was definitely on the lighter side for an Alfredo, which I liked because it seemed a lot healthier. The Cajun flavors combined with the sauce were perfect. Will definitely make this regularly!
Hey Erica,
Happy Wednesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xx
We made this with chicken breasts sliced accordingly. It was delicious as well as spicy. Will definitely make this again. The pasta sauce didn’t thicken much but this wasn’t an issue. I didn’t have parsley but didn’t need it. If you like spicy, this dish is for you. I’m not sure kids would like it this spicy however.
Hey Carolyn,
Happy Wednesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xx