If you love saucy alfredo pasta, then you will fall in love with this Blackened Chicken Alfredo! The grilled blackened chicken is tossed in a creamy alfredo sauce full of spices, green onion, and sun-dried tomatoes.
For more amazing pasta recipes, you should try this tasty Rasta Pasta and Cajun Chicken Pasta.
Table Of Contents
Blackened Chicken Alfredo Recipe Details
Chicken Alfredo is always a favorite and I love the way the blackened chicken gives this dish a huge flavor boost. You’ll love how this dish tastes, but also how easy it is to make.
- TASTE: Spicy blackened chicken brings a little heat to this alfredo dish. And the sun-dried tomatoes and green onions add lots of flavor that works well with the richness of the sauce.
- TEXTURE: Creamy alfredo sauce, juicy chunks of chicken, and al dente pasta make this dish a delightful mix of textures.
- TIME: This Blackened Chicken Alfredo recipe is so easy to follow, with simple ingredients. This pasta tastes amazing and is a breeze to make.
- EASE: This whole dish is done and ready to serve in less than an hour.
What You’ll Need
- For the chicken- Boneless skinless chicken breasts, Salt, Pepper, and Cajun’s Choice blackened seasoning.
- For the alfredo sauce- Unsalted butter, Green onion, Sun-dried tomatoes, Dried basil, Garlic powder, Salt, Pepper, Heavy whipping cream, and Parmesan cheese
- Pasta- Mini farfalle pasta, or any other bite-sized pasta.
How to Make Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Season and cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and blackened seasoning. Then grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. When fully cooked, allow the chicken to cool and then cut it up into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Make the alfredo sauce. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat and add in the sliced green onion, chopped sun dried tomatoes, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. After about 2 minutes, add in the whipping cream. Bring the heat down to low and let simmer, then add the Parmesan cheese.
- Mix the chicken and pasta in. Remove the alfredo sauce from the heat and add the parmesan cheese, cubed chicken, and cooked pasta. Stir and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Check the chicken for doneness- To avoid overcooking the chicken, cook it just until the internal temperature is at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can check with an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Let the chicken rest before cutting- To keep the chicken moist, allow it to rest and cool slightly before cubing so the juices don’t run out and leave you with dry meat.
- Be careful using lower-fat substitutions- If you choose a reduced-fat milk or less butter, you may upset the balance of the alfredo, leading to clumpy and broken sauce. It needs some fat to hold together and have a smooth, creamy texture.
- Cook the pasta al dente- Since the pasta is going to be added to the simmering alfredo sauce, slightly undercook it from your preferred doneness. The heat of the sauce will cook it a little bit more.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Pan-fry the chicken- If you don’t have a grill, cook the blackened chicken on a greased frying pan instead. Cook on both sides until the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Substitute a different pasta- This Blackened Chicken Alfredo tastes great with any other bite-sizedpasta, too. You can try other pasta types, or gluten-free pasta if you prefer.
- Make it dairy-free- Substituting the butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese for oil, full-fat coconut milk, and nutritional yeast (respectively) will give you a dairy-free version.
- Add other vegetables and proteins- Blackened shrimp would be so good with this alfredo sauce, or add some cherry tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, bacon, or whatever you like.
FAQs
Blackening is a cooking technique that requires heavy seasoning on meats or fish and then cooking in butter or oil. Although the outside may look charred, it is merely a crust that has formed.
Sure thing! Make the sauce and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Store for up the 4 days. Then, reheat the sauce in a saucepan over low heat. Make sure to stir constantly to avoid the sauce from curdling and separating.
You can either buy a premade jar of blackened seasoning or make your own by combining 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika, 1/2 tablespoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
Serving Suggestions
This Blackened Chicken Alfredo is so versatile, it will go with almost anything. Here are a few yummy ideas though:
- Meats: Serve this with another protein, like Ribeye Steak, Air Fryer Shrimp, or Cedar Plank Salmon.
- Salad: Start the meal with this Easy Antipasto Salad (low carb) or Spinach Pomegranate Salad.
- Sides: Garlic Asparagus, Stuffed Mushrooms, or Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli would go great alongside this dish.
- Bread: Focaccia bread and herbed bread dipping oil are delicious with chicken alfredo!
Make This Blackened Chicken Alfredo in Advance
Make ahead: You can make this Blackened Chicken Alfredo ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Just warm it on the stovetop, stirring constantly and adding a little cream if there’s been any separation in the sauce.
Storing: Store this pasta dish in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: To freeze this pasta, place it in a freezer-safe container and it will keep for 3-6 months. Make sure it is frozen within 2 hours of being made. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge. For the best texture, freeze the sauce and chicken separately, and make the pasta fresh when serving.
More Tasty Pasta Dishes!
- Cheesy Baked Orzo
- Chicken Scampi Pasta
- Creamy Rigatoni with Chicken and Mushrooms
- Baked Feta Pasta- TikTok Viral Recipe
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta (VIDEO)
Full Recipe Instructions
Blackened Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 box of mini farfalle pasta or any other bite-sized pasta
- 1 tbsp Cajun’s choice blackened seasoning
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 bunch green onion
- ½ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 qt whipping cream
- 1 ½ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season chicken breast to taste with salt, pepper, and blackened seasoning. Grill for about 3-4 on each side. If you don't have a grill, you can cook the chicken on a greased frying pan as well.
- After the chicken is fully cooked, and cool down, chop it into 1 inch cubes and set aside.
- Thinly slice the green onion and chop the sun dried tomatoes into small pieces.
- In a large skillet, heat butter over medium high heat and add in the green onion, sun dried tomatoes, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Once the green onion and sun dried tomatoes have been cooking for about 2 minutes, add in the whipping cream. Bring the heat down to low and add the Parmesan cheese once the sauce comes to a simmer.
- Mix in the cubed chicken and stir every few minutes.
- Make the pasta according to the package. Then drain out the water and mix the pasta into the sauce.
Notes
- How to make homemade blackened seasoning.
- How to pan-fry the chicken instead of grilling it.
- How to make it ahead of time, store, and freeze it.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on Mar 2, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
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Sawyer says
I noticed that there seems to be another spice in the photos other than the four listed for the sauce.
Dina says
Hi Sawyer, are you referring to the blackened seasoning? I belive that is listed in the ingredients list.
Sawyer says
Do you add any cajun seasoning to the sauce or is it just the chicken?
Dina says
Hi Sawer, you can add extra cajun seasoning to the sauce as well. I usually do 🙂
Valerie conklin says
How to reheat after refrigerating
Dina says
Hi Valerie 🙂 You can really heat it up any way you prefer. In a saucepan or skillet, or even a microwave. It comes down to preference. I hope you love this recipe! 🙂
Patricia says
I loved it! I cut the recipe in half & it still came out perfect!
I did not add the pasta in the pan with the chicken & sauce, can I freeze it? I know Alfredo sauce does not always reheat well so I was hoping….
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Patricia! So happy that you love this blackened chicken alfredo recipe 🙂 Regarding freezing the sauce, yes you can freeze it. Just place it in an airtight container and keep it frozen for up to 6 months. To reheat it you want to heat it on low heat in a sauce pan. 🙂
Sara Kilker says
Very good! I substituted broccoli for the sun-dried tomatoes. I did the chicken on our George Foreman grill.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Sara for your feedback! I am so happy to hear that you loved this blackened chicken alfredo recipe 🙂 That is the great thing about recipes, you can adjust them to anyone’s liking! 🙂
Tiffany Crawford says
I won a cooking contest with this recipe! I omitted the sun dried tomatoes and added fresh tomatoes at the end. Sauce was super simple and tasted delicious! Thanks for sharing!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for your kind review Tiffany!
Jake Cannon says
As a college student, I do not get many home cooked meals but i made this and it was phenomenal!
simplyhomecooked says
Thanks Jake! Glad this pasta dish was a winner for you.
Austin says
Great recipe!!! Cooked it with my girl friend it was super simple and ended up great!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Austin, glad you and your girlfriend enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Lily says
So good. This is definitely a repeat recipe! Thanks!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind review Lily!
Anna says
Turned out great, thanks Dina!
admin says
That’s awesome Anna 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
Natalie says
Mmm this looks delicious!!
admin says
I believe you’ve tried this Natasha 😉
Anna says
OK, I’m going to try making this tonight. It looks delicious!
Where did you get this blackened seasoning?
admin says
I bought it from Fred Meyer. I believe most grocery stores carry it. Its usually next to the meat department instead of the isle with all the spices.