Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Blackened chicken gives creamy Alfredo pasta a savory edge that's easy to look forward to. The seasoned slices sit over pasta wrapped in garlic cream sauce. Start with a forkful that catches both, then enjoy the way the bold chicken and mellow sauce work together.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- Cajun · American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Warm the chicken first
The chicken only needs a short time in the skillet because it's already blackened and cooked. Heat it through, slice it, and keep it aside so it stays ready for topping the sauced pasta.
2. Let the sauce boil briefly
After the sauce is whisked smooth, bring it to a rapid boil for just 1-2 minutes. It may look a little loose at first, but it thickens more as it cools off the heat.
3. Sauce first, chicken last
Toss the pasta with the Alfredo before adding the sliced chicken on top. That keeps the pasta evenly coated and leaves the blackened chicken as the stronger, spiced bite at the end.
Get to know the ingredients
Use cooked blackened chicken
This is built for leftover blackened chicken, whether that's breast, thighs or tenders. Since it's already seasoned, the skillet step is about warming it through rather than cooking raw chicken.
Soften the cream cheese
Softened cream cheese whiskes into the cream and parmesan more easily. Add it with the rest of the sauce ingredients and keep whisking until the Alfredo is smooth.
Grate the parmesan fresh
Freshly grated parmesan is called for here, and it goes straight into the skillet with the cream and cream cheese. Whisk until the cheese melts into a smooth sauce before turning up the heat.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Once the sauce comes off the heat, toss it with the cooked pasta right away, then finish with the sliced blackened chicken. The Alfredo will keep thickening as it sits, so coat the pasta while it's still loose and glossy.
A little more help as you go
A pasta shape note
Fettuccini works well, but the recipe leaves room for another dried pasta too. Cook it by the package directions, then use it as the base for tossing with the Alfredo.
Add-ins can go in with the toss
Try add-ins like steamed broccoli, peas, Cajun roasted vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, or sautéed peppers and onions. Toss them in with the pasta and sauce if you're using any.
A few questions you might have
Can I start with raw chicken?
The directions use blackened chicken that's already cooked, so stick with that here. The skillet step only heats it for 1-2 minutes per side before slicing.
Why remove the chicken before making the sauce?
Taking it out gives you room to build the Alfredo in the same skillet without overhandling the sliced chicken. It goes back on at the end as a topping.
Do I need to save pasta water for the sauce?
No pasta water is used in these directions. The sauce is made from butter, garlic, cream, cream cheese, parmesan and seasoning, then boiled briefly to thicken.
How do I use frozen peas as an add-in?
Put frozen peas in the bottom of the colander, then drain the pasta over them. After that, toss them in with the pasta and Alfredo sauce.
What should the sauce look like before I take it off the heat?
Whisk it smooth first, then heat until it rapidly boils. After 1-2 minutes of boiling, remove it from the heat. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Any more cooking tips?
This recipe is made to use with leftovers from our blackened chicken. Any of our blackened chicken recipes will work well, including: Blackened Chicken Breast Blackened Chicken Thighs Blackened Chicken Tenders Add ins: If you want to change it up a bit, you can also add some of these to the Blackened Chicken Alfredo. Just toss them right in with the pasta and sauce! Steamed broccoli Peas- Add the frozen peas to the bottom of the colander and drain the pasta over them to cook them perfectly. Cajun Roasted Vegetables Sun dried tomatoes Sautéed mushrooms Sautéed peppers and onions
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: easyfamilyrecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
