Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
Creamy Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo combines blackened chicken tenders and juicy shrimp in a rich parmesan cream sauce over pasta, ready in just 40 minutes.
A Cajun Twist on Classic Alfredo
If you love creamy pasta but crave a little heat and smokiness, this Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo Recipe is about to become a weeknight favorite. It takes everything you already love about a classic chicken with alfredo sauce recipe and turns the volume up with blackened, spice-crusted chicken tenders and plump shrimp, all tossed in a velvety parmesan cream sauce. It is comfort food with personality, and it comes together in well under an hour.
This is one of those shrimp dinner recipes main dishes that feels special enough for a Friday night but is genuinely simple enough for a Tuesday. Think of it as a hybrid between a Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo Recipe and a Creamy Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo, giving you the best of both proteins in one skillet.
Before we get cooking, the right tools and ingredients make a real difference here. A heavy bottomed skillet helps the chicken get a proper sear instead of steaming, and freshly grated parmesan (not the shelf-stable canister kind) melts into a much silkier sauce. A good quality Cajun seasoning blend also goes a long way toward getting that authentic blackened flavor without any guesswork.
Why This Recipe Works
The secret to a great Cajun Shrimp and Chicken Alfredo Recipe is layering the spice. Seasoning the chicken and shrimp directly, rather than just the sauce, means every bite carries that smoky, peppery Cajun flavor, not just the top layer of cream.
- Two proteins, one pan: Chicken tenders and shrimp cook at different speeds, so we sear them separately to avoid rubbery shrimp or undercooked chicken.
- Fond is flavor: Those browned bits left in the skillet after searing the meat become the flavor base for the sauce.
- Real parmesan, added slowly: Whisking cheese in gradually keeps the sauce smooth instead of clumpy or greasy.
Chef's Tip: Pat your shrimp and chicken completely dry before seasoning. Excess moisture is the number one reason home cooks end up steaming their protein instead of getting a nice seared crust.
A Few Ingredient Notes
This recipe is also incredibly kid-friendly if you dial back the Cajun seasoning a bit, which makes it a great addition to your rotation of shrimp recipes for kids. For the chicken, tenders work beautifully here, but this is also a smart answer to the age-old question of what to cook with chicken tenders when you want something more exciting than a basic breading.
A few swaps worth knowing about:
- Pasta: Fettuccine is classic, but penne or linguine both hold the sauce well too.
- Cream: Heavy cream gives the richest, most stable sauce. Half and half will work in a pinch, but the sauce will be noticeably thinner.
- Spice level: Most Cajun blends include cayenne, so taste yours first and adjust the amount if you are cooking for sensitive palates.
Ready to make it? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
Creamy Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo combines blackened chicken tenders and juicy shrimp in a rich parmesan cream sauce over pasta, ready in just 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 12 oz fettuccine pasta, or linguine
- 1 lb chicken tenders, cut into bite-sized strips
- 3/4 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
- 2 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning, divided, store-bought or homemade
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic, minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
Instruction
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Pat the chicken strips and shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss the chicken with 1.5 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning and toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon in separate bowls.
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
In the same skillet, add the shrimp and cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
Reduce the heat to medium and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
Whisk in the parmesan cheese a handful at a time until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce needs loosening.
Return the chicken and shrimp to the skillet and gently toss everything together until warmed through.
Garnish with fresh parsley and extra parmesan, then serve immediately.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large skillet
- Tongs
- Whisk
- Colander
Notes
Serving and Storage Tips
This dish is hearty enough to stand entirely on its own, but a simple side salad or garlic bread rounds out the meal nicely. A squeeze of fresh lemon over the top right before serving also brightens up all that richness beautifully.
As for leftovers, this Alfredo Sauce Recipe Shrimp lovers will appreciate keeps well in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. The sauce will thicken as it chills, which is totally normal, just reheat it gently on the stove with a splash of milk or cream to loosen everything back up. I would avoid freezing this one, since cream based sauces tend to separate and turn grainy once thawed.
Chef's Tip: If you are meal prepping, keep the sauce and pasta separate from the shrimp until you are ready to eat. Shrimp can turn rubbery when reheated twice, so adding it fresh at the final reheat keeps the texture just right.
However you serve it, this Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo brings bold, restaurant-quality flavor to your own kitchen without any complicated techniques. Once you make it, do not be surprised if it becomes a permanent fixture in your dinner rotation.
