This blackened chicken alfredo recipe consists of pan-seared spice-rubbed chicken served over a creamy Cajun alfredo sauce with pasta.
I'm a huge fan of blackened food, from blackened shrimp to blackened cod.
It is just so easy. You use a combination of spices you have in your pantry then just quickly cook the protein and you have a dish loaded with flavor.
Now instead of just chicken, I decided to kick it up a notch by serving it over some pasta tossed in a Cajun alfredo sauce. The end result is one of the most delicious and comforting meals you can eat.
By blackening and quickly cooking the chicken, you get a juicy and tender chicken full of flavor. Make no mistake, after one bite of this blackened chicken alfredo, you will quickly gobble up the rest!
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Ingredient Notes
- Blackening seasoning - the combination of the spices, sugar and dried herbs creates a blackened coating on the chicken when cooked.
- Chicken - by pounding the chicken breasts, you help tenderize it and make a juicy meal.
- Alfredo sauce - it is a traditional alfredo sauce consisting of butter, cream and cheese but you add a little bit of the seasoning for more flavor.
- Pasta - when I think of alfredo, I think of fettuccine which is what I use.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up the ingredients you use. Some variations include:
- I like making my own blackening seasoning, but you can use store-bought Cajun seasoning. Emeril's Essence is my go-to.
- I use chicken breasts in this recipe, but chicken thighs work just as well.
- I mentioned above that fettuccine is what I use, but other pastas like spaghetti, bucatini or angel hair all work.
Step-by-Step Photos
Combine the spices, herbs and sugar in a small bowl and then rub 2 tbsp of the seasoning into the chicken, making sure it is coated.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet and cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until blackened and cooked through. Remove and set aside and then in the same skillet, lower the heat and add the butter and cream. Simmer for 2 minutes before adding the garlic and remaining seasoning.
Add 1 cup of the cheese and mix until melted through before adding the cooked pasta and tossing in the remaining cheese. Slice the chicken and serve over top the pasta.
FAQs
No. Every grocery store sells blackened seasoning, but it really is easy to make on your own.
Food that is grilled just means it is cooked on a grill, over coals, gas or flame. Food that is blackened is coated with a traditional Cajun seasoning and then on very high heat, usually a cast iron skillet.
You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
While heavy cream is best, you can use sour cream, Greek yogurt or cream cheese and mix with some chicken stock or milk to get the right consistency.
Homemade alfredo sauce will clump up when the sauce is overcooked which leads to curdling or a grainy consistency. You need to remove it from the heat once the cheese has melted and pasta has been tossed in.
This fettuccine alfredo recipe is one of those dishes that should be served immediately. Alfredo sauce dries out as it cools and the pasta will clump together.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Take the time to pound the chicken as it helps tenderize it and makes it fork tender.
- Salt the water when boiling the fettuccine so it seasons the pasta.
- Cook the fettuccine until just underdone so you can finish cooking it in the sauce.
- Save some pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- You can also use store-bought alfredo sauce if you want to skip the homemade version.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you’ve tried this blackened chicken alfredo recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Blackened Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
Blackening Seasoning
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Alfredo
- 12 oz fettuccine
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the fettuccine according to package directions.
- In small bowl, combine the light brown sugar, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, thyme, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Rub 2 tbsp of the seasoning into the chicken, making sure it's entirely coated. Reserve the remaining seasoning for later.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until blackened and cooked through. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, lower the heat to medium and add the butter and cream. Simmer for 2 minutes before whisking in garlic and remaining blackening seasoning.
- Add 1 cup of Parmesan to the sauce and mix until melted through. Add the cooked fettuccine to the sauce. Toss a couple of times and add the remaining cup of Parmesan, tossing to combine.
- Slice the chicken and add to pasta. Top with some Italian parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- Take the time to pound the chicken as it helps tenderize it and makes it fork tender.
- Salt the water when boiling the fettuccine so it seasons the pasta.
- Cook the fettuccine until just underdone so you can finish cooking it in the sauce.
- Save some pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
- You can also use store-bought alfredo sauce if you want to skip the homemade version.
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