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Cajun chicken alfredo with broccoli in a silver skillet.
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Cajun Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli

One of my most popular restaurant copycat recipes, Cajun Chicken Alfredo gets an extra punch of flavor from broccoli, homemade cajun seasoning, and a creamy homemade Alfredo sauce. All of this can be yours after just 10 minutes of prep time!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 909kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Remove pasta and reserve pasta cooking water in the pot.
  • Return pasta cooking water to boil. Add broccoli and blanch until just tender and bright green, about 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately drain and plunge in to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and set the color.
  • Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of the chicken generously with cajun seasoning. In large skillet, heat oil until shimmering.
  • Add chicken to skillet in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until the temperature on an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer clean baking sheet or oven-safe plate, cover with foil, and place in oven to keep warm.
  • Clean skillet if desired (see note 2). Return skillet to stove and melt butter until foaming over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Whisk in wine to deglaze the pan. Simmer until sauce has reduced by half, about 2 minutes (your pan is hot at this point so it should go pretty quickly).
  • Whisk in cream and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Fold in parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper).
  • Return pasta to skillet and toss gently to coat. In skillet or in a large warmed bowl, pile broccoli on top of pasta, top with chicken, and garnish with more parmesan cheese.

Video

Notes

  1. Penne pasta: Or another medium-cut pasta variety, such as fusilli, farfalle, mafalda, cavatappi, or rigatoni.
  2. Chicken breast cutlets: To use chicken breasts instead of cutlets, butterfly chicken breasts completely in half to make cutlets.
  3. Homemade Cajun seasoning: To make this spice blend recipe, in a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons paprika, with 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon thyme, and 1 tablespoon onion powder. You can also buy a store-bought mix; either way, you’ll just need 2 to 3 tablespoons, depending on your spice preference.
  4. Dry white wine: Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc; take your pick. For an alcohol-free option, use ½ cup vegetable broth or chicken broth instead.
  5. Yield: This chicken Alfredo recipe makes six generous entree-sized servings. With protein, vegetables, a starch, and dairy in the mix, it's practically a one-bowl meal. Add a side of breadsticks, if desired, to complete the restaurant copycat experience.
  6. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 909kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 777mg | Potassium: 793mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4663IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 552mg | Iron: 3mg