The creamy American-Italian fettuccine Alfredo is garlicky, rich, and of so delicious! Combine creamy Alfredo sauce with Cajun seasoning and you have an incredibly flavorful sauce with a nice kick from the Cajun spices. Add some juicy shrimp and tender chicken and you have a tasty dish that incorporates two proteins that are quick and easy to make. This simple-to-make Creamy Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Shrimp recipe is very complex when it comes to flavor but is so quick to make, it can easily become a weeknight staple for an easy dinner recipe! 

If you are looking for more Alfredo sauce recipes, then check out our Spicy Calabrian Chili Alfredo Sauce with Trottole Pasta or the classic Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms (No Cream).

American vs Italian Alfredo Sauce?

American style Alfredo sauce was born out of necessity. When Italian immigrants couldn’t get the rich Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and full-fat butter easily found in their home country, the traditional fettuccine Alfredo sauce, or fettuccine al burro, just wasn’t as good.

The major difference between the two versions is the Americanized version uses cream to add body to the sauce, while the Italian counterpart relies on the cheese, butter, and pasta water to create a creamy emulsion. Now that we all have access to the wonderful products from Italy, either version can be made with ease (find our traditional Alfredo recipe here).

While we love the Italian version, there is a special place in our stomachs to enjoy the American version with the garlicky creamy sauce as well.

What makes this Alfredo sauce Cajun?

In a single word, SPICE! We wouldn’t say this dish is exceptionally spicy, but we use our homemade cajun seasoning to flavor the shrimp, chicken, and the sauce. We’ve tried dozens of cajun spice mixes that are readily available, but we decided to make our own with the spices and ratios that we like best!

Use your favorite version of Cajun seasoning for this recipe, or give our Cajun spice blend a try. 

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Chicken and Shrimp is a fantastic protein combo
• The Cajun spices pack a nice spicy punch!
• Super quick and easy to make
• The creamy Alfredo sauce has an irresistible flavor!
• Requires just a few easy to find ingredients

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this creamy Cajun pasta recipe:

• Chicken: We prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. You can also use chicken tenders or chicken thighs if that is your preference.
• Shrimp: Use the size you like best for this Cajun shrimp Alfredo recipe. We like U16 (about 16 shrimp per pound or around an ounce each). The shrimp need to be peeled and deveined. 
• Olive Oil: We like to sautè the chicken and shrimp in olive oil. 
• Unsalted Butter: This is what makes the sauce rich and buttery!
• Garlic: A few fresh garlic cloves add a lot of flavor to the sauce.
• Heavy Cream: Use pure heavy cream without additives for best results here.
• Cajun Seasoning: We make our own Cajun seasoning and love it, but use your favorite Cajun seasoning blend (or try our homemade version). The Cajun seasoning is the heart of the dish’s flavor.
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
• Parmigiano Reggiano: The authentic Parmesan cheese is the best to use in this dish, so seek it out and grate it fresh! Pre-grated cheese often has additives to prevent it from clumping that will make it grainy when incorporated into a sauce. So buy a wedge of cheese and grate it yourself for best results.
• Pasta: We make our own fettuccine from scratch, but you can certainly use dried from the store. Simply cook dried store-bought fettuccine to al dente following the package directions. 
• Green Onions: A perfect garnish for this pasta dish is thinly sliced green onion tops. We also added fresh garlic blossoms (chive blossoms work too) but these are just an added touch since we grow them in our garden and they are blooming this time of the year.

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are a few common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Chicken Breasts: Although a boneless skinless chicken breast is our preference, you can also use chicken thighs, chicken tenders, or even a different winged protein, such as turkey, quail, or pheasant make great substitutes.
• Shrimp: We love spicy shrimp in this Cajun pasta, but you can elevate this dish further with small lobster tail meat for an even more delectable dish! Read HERE for cooking lobster tail meat for pasta.
• Parmigiano Reggiano: Instead of Parmigiano Reggiano, you could certainly use a younger Italian pecorino (sheep's milk cheese) or authentic Grana Padano. 
• Cream: You can use whole milk instead of heavy creamy, but this will make the sauce thinner, so consider letting it simmer for longer if it is thinner than you prefer.

How to Make Creamy Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Shrimp

This recipe is so quick and simple to make. We cook the shrimp and chicken first and then make the sauce. Once the sauce and pasta are done, the proteins are warmed back up in the sauce and tossed with the pasta! Easy and delicious!

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this dish

• Large pot to cook the pasta
• Large nonstick skillet to cook the chicken and shrimp as well as to make the sauce
• A whisk

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook the Chicken and Shrimp

• Season the chicken and shrimp with Cajun seasoning and kosher salt. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken first until the internal temperature is 160°F (approximately 4-5 minutes per side). Set aside while you cook the shrimp. Cook the shrimp in the same pan, adding a bit more olive oil if needed. Depending on the size of the shrimp, they will only take a couple of minutes per side over medium heat. Remove the shrimp and wipe the pan. Set the chicken and shrimp aside and slice the chicken right before adding it to the sauce.

Step 2: Start the Water for the Pasta

• Fill a large pot with water and heat over high to bring to a boil while you make your sauce.

Step 3: Make the Sauce

• Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add the butter until it melts. Next add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant without letting it develop any brown color - about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the cream, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Once it simmers, turn the heat to medium low, stirring often, and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Finish the Sauce with Cheese and Proteins

• Remove the pan from the heat until it stops simmering. Whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese and put it back on the stove on low heat, whisking constantly for 1 minute until the sauce is smooth. Cook for 2 more minutes then taste and add salt if needed. Turn the heat off and stir the sliced cooked chicken and shrimp into the creamy Cajun sauce.

Step 5: Cook Pasta

• Add some salt to the pot of boiling water (about 2 tablespoons for every 6-8 quarts of water), and cook the pasta following the package directions until al dente. If using fresh homemade pasta, cook for 2 minutes. Right before the pasta is done, remove a cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside.

Step 6: Assemble the Dish

• When the pasta is done, drain, and transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce. Stir thoroughly to coat the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin - a tablespoon at a time. Garnish with green onions and serve!

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• Spice it up (or down). You can add more or less of the Cajun seasoning if desired to make it extra spicy or quite mild. You can also add more crushed red pepper flakes to give it more heat. Or omit the Cajun spices altogether for a classic creamy Alfredo sauce without any Cajun seasoning.
• Veg it up. Adding blanched vegetables in small amounts can make the dish quite nice as well. Peas, soybeans, red bell peppers and small broccoli florets are good options.
• Gluten Free: ​Use a gluten free pasta in place of the fettuccine if you need a GF option.

Storage

How to store leftover Alfredo sauce and pasta:

• It’s best to store the leftover sauce with chicken and shrimp separately from the pasta and remake pasta fresh to re-serve so that you don’t overcook the pasta and make it mushy. The sauce with the chicken and shrimp will keep in a sealed airtight container for 5 days in the refrigerator.

How to reheat Alfredo sauce?

• Although this recipe isn't the best as leftovers because the sauce breaks down, you can reheat fettuccine Alfredo on the stovetop in a saucepan over very low heat. The sauce will start to separate at higher temperatures so keep it low and stir or whisk often until the sauce is hot.

Can you freeze Alfredo sauce?

• Not recommended. The sauce will certainly break and become oily when thawed and reheated.

Troubleshooting

Too thick, too thin, and seasoning are the only issues you could potentially encounter and they’re all easy to fix.

• Sauce too thick? It’s always a good idea to pull a cup of the starchy pasta water out of the pot right before it’s done and reserve it just in case the sauce is too thick. Just add some of the reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
• Sauce too thin? If the Alfredo sauce is too thin (rarely will this happen) you can make a quick slurry of cornstarch (1 tsp) plus cold water (2-3 tsp) and mix well with your finger or a fork until combined. Add it to the sauce, stir and make sure you bring it to a simmer. Never do this before adding the cheese! Once you add the cheese, the sauce will always thicken up quite a bit. So if it is still thin after the cheese is added, you can make and add the slurry.
• Adjust the seasoning: As for seasoning, we highly recommend not adding the salt until the very end and do it to taste. Parmesan cheese is salty and what you use will not be exactly what we use. Not to mention you may like things more or less salty than we do as well! So wait until all the ingredients have been added to the sauce then adjust the salt to taste as needed.

What to Make with Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo

A side of steamed vegetables to lighten things up is always great with this delicious recipe, but so is garlic bread or some crusty bread to soak up the sauce left in the bowl!

If you want to make a nice side salad, consider making our Fresh Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette (5-minute Salad Dressing).

What Wines Pair with Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo

A dry rosé - especially from Provence, France - is especially good with this dish because of the spicy Alfredo sauce. Other options for white wine are sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, and pinot grigio for whites. Chianti Classico or a zinfandel that isn’t too fruity are good bets for red wines.

FAQ

Related

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Pairing

These are our favorite desserts to serve with this recipe:

📖 Recipe

Cajun Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Shrimp

A creamy Cajun spiced fettuccine Alfredo recipe with chicken and shrimp that is perfect for any night of the week!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Cajun, Italian-American

Servings 4 people

Calories 1048 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Large pot
• 1 Large nonstick skillet
• 1 whisk

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 2 chicken breasts (medium) boneless and skinless
• 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ¾ cups Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated
• Kosher salt to taste
• 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
• 4 green onions sliced thin, green parts only

Instructions

 

• Season the chicken and shrimp with 2 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add olive oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken first until the internal temperature is 160°F (approximately 4-5 minutes per side). Set aside while you cook the shrimp. Cook the shrimp in the same pan, adding a bit more olive oil if needed. Depending on the size of the shrimp, they will only take a couple of minutes per side over medium heat. Remove the shrimp and wipe the pan. Set the chicken and shrimp aside and slice the chicken right before adding it to the sauce.
  1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 chicken breasts, 1 lb shrimp, 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Fill a large pot with water and heat over high to bring to a boil while you make your sauce.
• Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add the butter until it melts. Next add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant without letting it develop any brown color - about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the cream, the remaining 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Once it simmers, turn the heat to medium low, stirring often, and cook for 5 minutes.
  6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 garlic cloves, 1 ½ cups heavy cream, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• Remove the pan from the heat until it stops simmering. Whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese and put it back on the stove on low heat, whisking constantly for 1 minute until the sauce is smooth. Cook for 2 more minutes then taste and add salt if needed. Turn the heat off and stir in the shrimp and sliced chicken.
  1 ¾ cups Parmigiano Reggiano, Kosher salt
• Add some salt to the pot of boiling water (about 2 tablespoons for every 6-8 quarts of water), and cook the pasta following the package directions until al dente. If using fresh homemade pasta, cook for 2 minutes. Right before the pasta is done, remove a cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside.
  8 ounces fettuccine pasta
• When the pasta is done, drain, and transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce. Stir thoroughly to coat the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin - a tablespoon at a time. Garnish with green onions and serve!
  4 green onions

Nutrition

Calories: 1048kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 68gFat: 66gSaturated Fat: 40gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 460mgSodium: 1556mgPotassium: 950mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3363IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 690mgIron: 3mg

Keyword 30 minute meals, Cajun recipes, Chicken, creamy pasta sauce, italian dinners, shrimp, spicy

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

​See more guidelines at USDA.gov.