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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.
The flavors are absolutely killer, but the consistency was definitely off. I used fresh Parmesan after reading reviews that the shaker type resulted in a clumpy sauce, but unfortunately it turned out wrong regardless. Still so friggin delicious and can’t wait for the leftovers but something is missing to keep the Parmesan from turning into a sticky mess!
Hey Shawna,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear about your parmesan. You really want to make sure to whisk well until it fully melts. I hope this helps for next time! xx
Made this last weekend for dinner and it was so easy and super delicious!! Surprisingly light also. Definitely agree with all the comments about using fresh shaved parm from the block. It’s the only way to go! Will absolutely make again!! 🙂
Hey Laura,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This is a fabulous recipe. I’ve made it several times and is always a crowd-pleaser (even after I cut the cream in half). The combination of spicy crispy chicken and creamy pasta is outstanding.
Hey Carrie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go and sharing your feedback!! I love to hear that it was a winner:) xTieghan
Another amazing dinner from HBH!!!
Hi Megan,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! Have a great week:) xxT
Amazing as usual! The sauce is light and has a nice kick.
Hey Rita,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was a winner! xxT
Made this the other night & it was delicious! I substituted fat free half & half for the heavy cream & didn’t miss anything.
So yummy!
Hi Teri,
Happy Sunday!! I love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out and sharing your feedback!! xTieghan
Made this tonight ahead of the Easter weekend, as it’s that ‘Friday’ feeling.
Followed the recipe to a T though used the pasta water instead of Chicken stock to make up the liquid proportion for the sauce, and this likely helped the sauce form that nice gloopy and silky consistency. Really loved the Cajun flavour to the chicken and overall kick of spice. Would certainly try again,
Louisa x
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for trying it out! ☀️xx
Wow! This was really so delicious. Made it for the first time yesterday evening, we just could not stop eating. Also thanks for the perfect cajun spice mixture ?
Hey Christine,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it. Have the best week:) xx
Delicious! I have to do gluten-free so I use Jovial brand fettuccine noodles. I also use a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up a bit in step 4 because I do whole lactose-free milk instead of heavy cream. My entire family loves this one!
Hey Kelsey,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it. Have the best week:) xx
Straightforward recipe and so yummy! It was a snowy/rainy day in Washington and my friends and I loaded up on this cheesy cozy goodnesss before watching Bad Vegan ?? Would definitely make again!
Hi Amy,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out!! ?xx
Loved this recipe! I really thought the spice kick cut down on the richness of the Alfredo.
Hey Abbey,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
I made this last evening, and this recipe’s unique flavor profile was a total hit in my house! My fiancé loved it. I didn’t have any issues with the sauce but I used heavy cream and always use fresh parm from the block. What might help someone struggling to thicken the sauce, too, is after putting the butter and garlic into the pan, work about two tablespoons of flour into in before adding the other liquids (creating a bit of a roux). Anyway, just wanted to say we loved it and thank you!
Hey Valerie,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
We really enjoyed this recipe! I had read the comments about the cheese clumping before making it, so when it was time for me to add in the cheese, I slowly added a little bit of cheese at a time I and whisked to incorporate before adding more. When you add the cheese in slowly, it allows it to melt well and does not clump 🙂 I also used freshly grated cheese.
Hey Tina,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
This was so good!
Hi Danielle,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best day:) xT
This recipe was amazing. Husband and I both loved it. Only thing we swapped was pasta for Palmini noodles… Pesty carbs! Lol. Anyway, thanks so much for sharing. Definitely will be a regular in our house. Would you happen to have a crock pot version of this or similar to share?
Hey Crystal,
Happy Sunday!! I love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out and sharing your feedback!! Sorry, I’ve never tried this recipe in the slow cooker! xTieghan
We’ve made this twice and it will definitely be in the regular rotation. We doubled the amount of sauce because well…we really love the sauce! I second all the comments about not using pre-shredded cheese. It was all I had the first time around and it was clumpy. The second time I used a block and shredded it myself. Perfection!
Hi Melissa,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best day:) xT
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious!!
The homemade cajun seasoning was really good and I like that it makes a bigger batch to use another for another time. The only change to the recipe I made was to leave out the lemon juice and to add a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch to the Alfredo sauce to thicken it up. Was a huge hit and will definitely make again!! (Used bucatini pasta and parmesan cheese that was shredded in the cheese department of our grocery store, not the packaged kind.)
Hey Kathie,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xx
This was a hit at Sunday Family dinner. It definitely has a kick “spicy”, which made it that much better.
Hey Jaime,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xTieghan