Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo, an easy dinner recipe with fettuccine, chicken, shrimp, veggies, and a simple homemade Cajun Alfredo sauce. Hearty and delicious, this tasty dinner is great for the family or special occasions.
Need an easy and delicious dinner idea this week? Give this Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo a try! It takes my Homemade Alfredo Sauce recipe and pairs it with your favorite pasta, chicken, shrimp, veggies, and Cajun seasoning.
I love putting Cajun seasoning on all sorts of things. We sprinkle it on our potatoes, meat, fish/seafood, sauces/dips (even put some in our popular Boom Sauce sometimes), burgers… you name it.
What is Cajun Seasoning?
So like everything, Cajun seasoning can vary quite a bit depending on the brand (or if you make it yourself). It can include spices such as red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, thyme, celery seed, cayenne, and paprika.
It’s generally on the spicy side, but if you use just a little it’s not too spicy. Use a lot, and definitely can feel the heat! The heat level though can vary between brands as well, so I always suggest using just a little Cajun seasoning at first then add more if you’d like.
You can easily change up a lot of the ingredients with whatever you have around the house including precooked chicken (or see my How to Make Shredded Chicken) that you may have leftover.
I used my Homemade Alfredo Sauce, but you could also use this Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese if you’d prefer.
Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo Ingredients
- Fettuccine pasta or your favorite kind
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Chicken, boneless skinless breasts
- Shrimp
- Cajun seasoning (I use McCormick’s but you can use your favorite brand)
- Butter
- Garlic
- Heavy Cream
- Parmesan cheese, good quality freshly grated
How to Make Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
- MAKE PASTA. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to box directions for al dente.
- COOK CHICKEN & VEGGIES. Meanwhile, cook onion, pepper, and chicken in a large nonstick skillet (or skillet sprayed with nonstick spray or a little olive oil) over medium heat for about 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are just about soft and chicken starts to brown and nearly cooked through. Add shrimp and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until chicken and shrimp are cooked through. Set aside.
- MAKE ALFREDO SAUCE. Place a large pot over medium heat. Melt butter, then stir in minced garlic cloves. Cook about 1 minute or until garlic is soft and fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Slowly add the heavy cream to the saucepan, whisk until cream comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 3-5 minutes or until it starts to thicken.
- COMBINE. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning until smooth and thick. Add more Cajun seasoning as desired. Stir in onions, peppers, chicken, shrimp, and drained cooked pasta. Serve immediately.
(Full printable recipe card is at bottom of post.)
Serving Suggestions
- I’d suggest topping the pasta with a little fresh chopped parsley and/or freshly grated parmesan cheese before serving.
- For best results, serve right away. Alfredo sauce generally tastes better when it’s fresh and not reheated.
- This pasta dish would be great with a salad and/or homemade bread like these homemade Fluffy Buttermilk Chive Biscuits or this easy Beer Bread.
- A side vegetable would also be delicious with this pasta such as steamed broccoli or even these Italian Green Beans or Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Or add a little Cajun seasoning to your favorite green veggie!
Quick Tips for Best Results
- I would recommend serving this pasta dish right away. You can reheat leftovers, but they might not be as delicious. Still good though!
- Use any kind of pasta you’d like, but make sure you adjust the pasta cooking time as needed.
- Be sure the chicken and shrimp are thoroughly cooked before mixing with the pasta.
- Cajun seasoning can vary quite a bit and some are spicier than others so you may need to adjust the amount to your personal taste.
- If you like a lot of pasta and/or sauce, you might want to double either or both in the recipe. Some people may find the serving size a bit on the small side. Likewise, if you prefer A LOT of sauce, you may want to double the sauce recipe. Personal preference.
Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo FAQ
How should I store the Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo pasta?
It’s best served immediately after making, but if you have leftovers, cover, and store in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze the Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo?
I would not recommend freezing this one. The sauce can change consistency a bit when frozen and defrosted.
How long will the pasta last?
Leftovers if well covered should last at least a few days.
Substitutions?
Instead of chicken and shrimp you can use your favorite protein/meat. Likewise, instead of the onions and peppers you can use or add your favorite vegetables. Be sure to adjust the cooking times as needed. You can even use precooked chicken.
Can I use low-fat ingredients?
I would not recommend using low-fat cream or cheese for the Alfredo sauce. You can, but your sauce may not be as thick.
What else can I add to this recipe?
You can add additional proteins/meats or vegetables.
What should I serve the Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo with?
See more serving suggestions above, but I would serve this pasta dish with a simple salad and/or maybe a simple side vegetable.
Didn’t turn out, what went wrong?
Some people have issues with the Alfredo sauce when using low-fat dairy or low-quality cheese.
Can I make this vegan, vegetarian, low carb, or gluten-free?
Vegan – You can try vegan dairy and cheese in this dish, but results could vary quite a bit.
Vegetarian – Omit the chicken and shrimp. You could use a vegetarian meat substitute if you’d like.
Low-Carb – Swap out the pasta for a lower carb pasta, zoodles, or spaghetti squash.
Gluten-Free – Swap out the pasta for gluten-free pasta, zoodles, or spaghetti squash.
Other Cajun Recipes You May Enjoy
- Cajun Potatoes – Easy side dish with Cajun flavor.
- Cajun Meatball Stew – I could go for a big bowl right now!
- Cajun Pork Tenderloin – Simple dinner idea!
Hope you enjoy this delicious Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo. Tell me in the comments how you changed it up!
You may also like my Chicken Spinach Alfredo and Buffalo Chicken Alfredo!
Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fettuccine pasta (or your favorite pasta)
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 cup bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
- 1/2 pound large shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning divided (to 3 teaspoons for more spicy)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to box directions for al dente.
- Meanwhile, cook onion, pepper, and chicken in a large nonstick skillet (or skillet sprayed with nonstick spray or a little olive oil) over medium heat for about 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are just about soft and chicken starts to brown and nearly cooked through. Add shrimp and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until chicken and shrimp are cooked through. Set aside.
- Make Alfredo sauce. Place a large pot over medium heat. Melt butter, then stir in minced garlic cloves. Cook about 1 minute or until garlic is soft and fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Slowly add the heavy cream to the saucepan, whisk until cream comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 3-5 minutes or until it starts to thicken.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning until smooth and thick. Add more Cajun seasoning as desired. Stir in onions, peppers, chicken, shrimp, and drained cooked pasta. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition:
(Nutrition data is provided when available for informational purposes only and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. For the most accurate information please calculate based on specific ingredients and brands you use as well as any changes you made to the recipe. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician and any nutritional information provided should only be used as a general guideline and estimate.)
About Lisa Huff
Lisa Huff is a Cookbook Author, Freelance Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Blogger/Writer, and award-winning home chef. She loves creating unique recipes from healthy to decadent including cocktails, appetizers, main dishes, dessert recipes and more and has appeared on various shows, publications, and websites.
I love creamy pasta recipes and this one looks great! Chicken and shrimp is a super surf n turf combo!
Yum! This sauce sounds perfect with shrimp. I love how easily it comes together and all the tips you included.
This alfredo recipe is a go-to! The shrimp and chicken are the perfect combination and give this pasta so much flavor.
I love that this recipe uses both chicken and shrimp – yum! The cream sauce is absolute perfection too!