Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Tender chicken and a luscious sauce with a kick—this Cajun chicken Alfredo has it all. A few ingredients and half an hour is all you need to make dinner.

Course Chicken Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword alfredo recipes, cajun chicken recipes, chicken alfredo recipes, Chicken Pasta Recipes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 834kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

16 ounces ziti
1/4 - 1 cup reserved pasta water
1 pound chicken breast cut into 1-inch chunks
2 1/2 teaspoons cajun seasoning divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion chopped
1 tablespoon garlic minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel undrained
4 ounces cream cheese cubed, and at room temperature
1 cup parmesan cheese shredded or grated
2 tablespoons parsley minced
salt + black pepper to taste to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook pasta (16 ounces) according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and dry the pasta pot. Set aside reserved pasta water.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl toss the cubed chicken (1 pound) with 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning until evenly coated.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring, until one side is browned on each side and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Remove any oil from the pan.
Melt butter (2 tablespoons) in the skillet then saute onion (1 cup) and garlic (1 tablespoon) over medium-low heat until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle flour (2 tablespoons) over vegetables and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in cream (2 cups) and (1 can) Rotel until smooth.
Return skillet to medium and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir cream cheese (4 ounces), parmesan (1 cup), and Cajun seasoning (1 1/2 teaspoon), and simmer gently until the cheese has melted.
Add pasta and chicken to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Thin out sauce, as needed, adding reserved pasta water, a little at a time (you likely won't use the whole 1 cup). Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Garnish with parsley (2 tablespoons) and serve.

Notes

Reserved Pasta Water: The starch in the pasta water helps thicken the sauce and it also helps the sauce cling to the pasta.
Pasta Shape: If you want a different pasta shape, feel free to switch out the ziti! I love this sauce with fettuccine, bow tie, or rigatoni. Just use good Italian pasta.
Turn Up The Heat: If you want to spice this up, I suggest you add cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce.

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