One pot wonder Cajun chicken alfredo is a lightened-up copy-cat version of a similar dish from Red Lobster. It’s pasta and chicken in a spicy alfredo sauce.
Red Lobster has a Cajun chicken linguini alfredo that my husband likes to get when we eat there. It’s got pasta and chunks of chicken in a garlic parmesan alfredo sauce that’s been kicked up with Cajun spices. It’s delicious, don’t get me wrong. But, the calorie count on that dish is through the roof.
I came up with my own version of this creamy pasta dish. But, I made it with much fewer calories and fat than the original. And, it’s a one pot wonder. So, all the ingredients, even the pasta, get cooked together in one pot.
One pot wonder Cajun chicken alfredo has pasta and chunks of chicken in a spicy alfredo sauce, like the original. But, this is a lightened up version that’s simple to make at home.
I’ve come up with several one pot wonder recipes over the past year and there are a few things I’ve learned along the way.
My previous one pot wonder recipes make a lot of food. While you can reheat these pasta dishes, they’re just not as good reheated as when they’re fresh. So, this recipe calls for half the pasta of previous recipes.
Also, you can add everything to the pot at one time, including the raw chicken. But, the chicken tastes better when you sauté it first. This process adds about 5 minutes of cooking time to the recipe. But, I think it’s totally worth it.
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One Pot Wonder Cajun Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite size chunks
- 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning I used Weber N’Orleans Cajun
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk I used 2%
- 8 oz. dried fettuccini pasta half of a 1 pound box
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large pot (or large high sided skillet). Place over medium-high heat for two minutes. Add the chicken and the Cajun seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic. Cook 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add the broth and milk. Break the pasta in half and add it to the pot. Cover and bring to a rapid, rolling boil, stirring occasionally. *Note: Watch the pot carefully during the beginning of the cooking process as milk tends to boil over easily.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the pasta simmer, covered, for 8-13 minutes. Stir every 2-3 minutes to prevent sticking. Cook until there is ¼ to ½ inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out all of my great chicken recipes.
Fool proof, delicious and easy. This has been my family’s favorite go -to pasta since the original publishing of this recipe almost 10yrs ago in 2014! I came back to the recipe today, as my husband has requested we have this for dinner tonight for his birthday meal. Five stars! It’s also easy to adapt and add veggies change the seasoning- make it your own, or keep it the original, either way you WILL be happy.
Made it today. Will definitely be making again
This recipe is absolutely delish! Thank you so much for helping me add something new to the rotation. This is the 3rd recipe of yours I’ve tried in the last week and they’ve all been so incredibly good. Thanks a billion
Instead of cream I used a can of cream of mushroom soup and added a little extra water. Flawless
This doesn’t make enough for a family. I would suggest doubling it.
This is now one of my families go to meals and if anyone is looking for a easy but delicious recipe I send them this recipe. We add broccoli to ours for a lil extra veg.
Tastes great and easy to make. Thanks so much!
One of my family’s favorites!!
This recipe is FANTASTIC!!! My whole family loves it and asks for it often!
Anyone used grated Parmesan cheese? Wondering if I should use that or shred some Monterey Jack or cheddar instead…
I cooked shrimp on the side instead of adding chicken and used half and half instead of milk….. AMAZING!! Will definitely be making this again!!
I adapted this recipe with my own flare, I used cream of chicken soup with half and half to make the sauce, then added cayenne pepper peas and parmesan cheese at the end. Yummy is not even the word!
How spicy is this dish? Half the family loves the spice but the other half not so much. Was wondering if I need to scale back and if so, about how far to keep the flavor but not overpower.
This was delicious! My friend told me it was an awesome recipe. I modified it to meet our diet restrictions. I used Shiitake mushrooms and dried porcini mushrooms (what I had on hand) instead of chicken and subbed milk with almond milk. I used not chikn boullion, though I’m sure mushroom broth or veggie broth would work well too. Used vegan parm. It was amazing. You would never guess it was vegan. THANK YOU!!!
I’ve made this several times and it never fails to satisfy me! I just made it and I was out of Parmesan so I used shredded cheddar and it was sooooo creamy and delicious! Love this recipe and so does my husband! Thanks for sharing it with us!
This is one of my favorite dishes! My fiance loves it as well, he’s always asking for me to make it. Great recipe.
I’ve had this recipe pinned for a while, but finally made it tonight. It is delicious!!! And my family seems to agree! Going to check out more one pot wonders now. Thank you!
LOVE this recipe! i use fat free half and half instead of milk. also, adding 1-2 oz. of light cream cheese is a fabulous addition (have done it both ways and both are good, but obviously w/cream cheese it’s creamier!). to make it kid-friendly, i wait till it’s on my plate to add the cajun seasoning. also i’ve found that adding steamed broccoli to the bowl is delicious too. all around 5 stars! and only one dirty pot is OUTSTANDING!! thanks for the recipe!!!
Making this tonight for he second time. The family LOVES it!! Thanks!
Making this right now