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.
One Pot Wonder Cajun Chicken Alfredo Recipe
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.
Whitney Fullmer says
July 13, 2015 at 9:26 AMI don’t normally leave comments on recipes, but I just wanted to let you know that I made this for my family and it was a huge hit! I cooked the chicken beforehand, and used 1% milk and it turned out great. I’ll be for sure adding it into my monthly rotation. Could you use whole wheat noodles instead? I’m wondering if that has ever been tried.
Thanks so much again!
Ashley says
July 22, 2015 at 4:03 PMThis was a fantastic recipe! Made this for dinner tonight, my boyfriend & I loved it. Not too spicy at all, I’d actually add some extra Cajun seasoning next time. My only suggestions would be to add more noodles because there’s more chicken than noodles, & then obviously accommodations for more sauce with more noodles.
Heather says
September 30, 2015 at 6:41 PMI have always been “ok” with chicken Alfredo. Decided to make this for my family tonight and it was delicious! I doubled the pasta, liquids and added a little more Cajun seasoning. Absolutely in love with this Alfredo! Thank you for this recipe!
Jennifer says
October 29, 2015 at 6:44 AMI made a similar chicken alfredo dish last night that had asparagus. Would definitely try this but I would double the pasta and add veggies like asparagus and broccoli. And I’d definitely sear the chicken first to get a better flavor. Love the cajun idea. Can’t wait to try!
Sierra says
January 4, 2016 at 6:10 PMexcellent! I added a lot more cajun spice because we like things spicy, it was full of flavor!
Amanda Finks says
January 21, 2016 at 10:40 AMWonderful Sierra! I’m so glad you liked it!
Raj says
January 4, 2016 at 9:33 PMI will be honest. You need WAY more broth to cook the pasta and I made the mistake of putting too much cheese. Otherwise it was YUM. Needed to increase the cajun spice, but overall I will make it again. Thanks! 7/10
Wendy says
January 10, 2016 at 6:47 PMMade this tonight. Delicious and easy!
Amanda Finks says
January 21, 2016 at 10:43 AMOh great Wendy! I’m so glad you liked it!
SallyJoJo says
January 12, 2016 at 4:30 PMTried and loved it! So simple and easy to prepare. I used leftover rotisserie chicken and since I didn’t have any cajun spice, found a recipe and threw one together. Thanks so much for posting, I’m going to be on a One Pot Wonder kick now! 🙂
Amanda Finks says
January 21, 2016 at 10:45 AMGreat Sally! I’m glad you are having a good experience with the one pot wonders!
Krystle says
January 27, 2016 at 11:56 PMI stumbled across your peg about a week ago. I made this today. I was so glad to find an alternative to using heavy cream. I really enjoyed this! It was delicious. My husband thought so too! Thanks!
Amanda Finks says
February 13, 2016 at 2:38 PMThank you so much Krystle! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
PandoraFlora says
April 25, 2016 at 3:58 AMI can totally understand why this recipe is popular, because it is totally amazing! i have tried it out in family night, totally delicious!
Pete Gonzales says
April 25, 2016 at 7:13 PMMaking this right now
Sharon says
July 26, 2016 at 8:09 PMMaking this tonight for he second time. The family LOVES it!! Thanks!
heather says
November 3, 2016 at 5:47 PMLOVE 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!!!
Pam says
February 2, 2017 at 8:52 PMI’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!
Brittany says
April 1, 2017 at 4:30 PMThis is one of my favorite dishes! My fiance loves it as well, he’s always asking for me to make it. Great recipe.
Alyssa says
April 6, 2017 at 5:27 PMI’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!
Rossana says
August 28, 2017 at 10:13 PMThis 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!!!
Melissa D. says
December 18, 2017 at 9:51 AMHow 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.
Deb says
March 19, 2018 at 3:53 PMI 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!
Kim says
April 2, 2018 at 6:28 PMI cooked shrimp on the side instead of adding chicken and used half and half instead of milk….. AMAZING!! Will definitely be making this again!!
Emily Peterson says
April 26, 2018 at 9:42 AMAnyone used grated Parmesan cheese? Wondering if I should use that or shred some Monterey Jack or cheddar instead…
Dawn says
April 16, 2019 at 11:51 AMThis recipe is FANTASTIC!!! My whole family loves it and asks for it often!