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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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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.
This post was originally published on March 7, 2022
Made tonight and it is delicious! But I’m not a very experienced cook and couldn’t get the sauce to thicken, tips?
Hi Tracey,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try!! Was there anything you may have adjusted? It may have just needed to simmer a bit longer:) xTieghan
Loved it! The Cajun spice is yuuum! Was a hit at our house!
Hey Penny,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Hi ,this looks amazing & I will definitely try for my family however I’m vegetarian… How would I go about making the fettuccine Alfredo?
Would it still work to just skip the whole chicken bit?
Love your posts & recipes they’re really comforting this winter for me.
Hi Leah,
Yes, just skip the chicken. Here are some other recipes you may enjoy too:
https://fett-weg.today/one-pot-creamy-penne-alfredo/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/cherry-tomato-fettuccine-alfredo/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/brussels-sprout-and-bacon-fettuccine-alfredo/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I made this yesterday. Absolutely delicious. I’ve already passed the recipe on to my “gourmet cook gals”. Once again, your mixture of flavors was so delicious. I’m actually making this again tonight. Thank you Tieghan for another fabulous meal!
Hi Michele,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
This was really delicious. I don’t know if the lemon came through enough to really make a difference but it was a much much better version of Chili’s Cajun Chicken Pasta. I did have some problems with the sauce but I think it was because I tried to cut the recipe in half. Next time I’ll still cut the pasta in half but make all the sauce…who doesn’t want more sauce? The chicken was crispy and had lots of flavor. The pasta was divine. I served it with roasted asparagus. I only diverted from the recipe by using dried parsley since I didn’t have fresh and adding a splash of heavy cream to the sauce to make it a little richer. Divine.
Hi Melinda,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
In video you add lemon juice after removing chicken, but the recipe reads to add lemon juice and then remove chicken? I followed the recipe and then watched video on insta. Just wondering which is correct or does it matter. My sauce was a bit brown.
Hey Angelique,
Either one is totally fine to do:) I hope you loved the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xx
What % milk do you use? Always whole or will another work?
Hi Emily,
I like to use whole milk, but use what you like!! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan
Looks and sounds delicious. This will be my dinner tonight ??
Hi Mitra,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
Where would you add the cream cheese? That sounds like a wonderful addition!
Hi Laura,
I would add with the milk, make sure it is room temp and whisk it right in. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xx
Made this tonight! So good!
Hi Natasha,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
This will be a staple recipe in our home. My husband is picky and eats smaller portions, but he went back for 3rds with this one! I did have trouble getting the sauce to thicken. I ended up putting flour and Parmesan in with the sauce instead of directly putting the cheese into the pasta. 5 stars!!
Hi Megan,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
Very tasty but my sauce didn’t thicken… also my cheese melted clumpy.. any advise?
Made this tonight and added some chopped kale during the sauce-simmering step for a bit of green. The Cajun spice mix is very good! I do feel like it needed the richness of cream instead of milk, as the sauce wasn’t creamy like alfredo should be. Still tasty though! I’ll definitely make it again.
Hi Melanie,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
I had the same issue. Was wondering what I did wrong that my cheese clumped up after I added in the cooked pasta. Thanks!
Hi Colleen,
Cheese can sometimes clump if it is super cold and then added to a hot pot.
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear about the cheese. Did you grate your own cheese and make sure it was at room temp? That really helps prevent the clumping which will help to thicken the sauce. I hope this helps for next time!! xx
Any suggestions for making this for kids who SADLY despise spice?
If making your own cajun seasoning using her recipe, just omit the cayenne pepper. I have to do this for a spicy-hating daughter, and then add spice individually for the rest of us.
I don’t quite understand step #3 of the instructions . Do you pour the lemon juice over the chicken in the pan leaving the juice in the pan and then go onto step #4 adding the butter, the broth, the milk, etc?
Hi Karen,
You are going to pour over the lemon juice and then remove the chicken from the pan before moving to step 4. I hope this makes sense!! xTieghan
Hi Mal,
I would skip the red pepper flakes and then reduce the cajun seasoning. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Do you put the spice mixture on the chicken before you sear the chicken?
Step 2; “In bowl, toss together the olive oil, chicken, cajun seasoning, 2 tablespoons parmesan, and a big pinch of pepper.” Perhaps part of this step was missing from an earlier version of the recipe.
Hi Lu,
Yes, you will do that in step 2. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try or have any other questions!! xx
Have you ever tried this recipe with a milk alternative like almond milk?
On other Alfredo recipes she’s mentioned that she loves using coconut milk sometimes. ? She says you can’t taste the coconut.
Hey Lynn,
That will work well for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan
Hi Tiegan, what about coconut milk vs. Regular milk?
Hi Sheila,
Coconut milk will work for you!! Let me know if you give the recipe a try:)