Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo! This delicious creamy pasta sauce with a Cajun twist is quick, easy and tastes amazing tossed with your favourite pasta.
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This Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo recipe was an accidental creation. I intended to make my creamy chicken pasta and I discovered I didn’t have enough chicken so I added shrimp.
The Cajun seasoning was added by mistake – I intended to add garlic powder. Clearly, I was in a huge hurry and very distracted that day!
But guess what, this tasty Alfredo sauce with chicken, shrimp AND Cajun seasoning is one of the happiest kitchen accidents ever! It is so rich and creamy and absolutely packed with flavor from the Parmesan and spices.
Plus you can’t go wrong having both chicken and shrimp in the same dish. This winning combo, most famously in Paella, is perfect if you can’t decide which protein you prefer in your Alfredo pasta.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AND SHRIMP ALFREDO (WITH A CAJUN TWIST!)
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Start by seasoning the shrimp and chicken with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Be pretty spare with the salt as Cajun seasoning frequently contains salt and you don’t want to overdo it.
Heat a little butter and olive oil in a skillet – preferably a non stick one. Pan fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, flipping once, until they turn pink and set aside.
Now pan fry the chicken for about five minutes, or until nicely golden and cooked through. Add to the shrimp – we will continue with the sauce next!
Lower the heat to medium-low. Add some butter to your pan and stir in the minced garlic and tomato purée. If you happen to have sun dried tomato paste that’s a wonderful addition as well!
Add the cream, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, dried parsley and grated Parmesan. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the cooked chicken and shrimp into the sauce and heat through. Stir in half the chopped parsley, have a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Toss the sauce with your favorite pasta – I used linguine this time. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and some extra shavings of Parmesan if you like.
Recipe notes and tips
- This Cajun Alfredo sauce is super tasty but not particularly spicy. If you want a little heat you can add some dried chilli flakes when you are serving your pasta.
- Always cook your pasta in salted water otherwise it can taste bland regardless of how yummy the sauce is!
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to two days. You will need to add a splash of cream or a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce when reheating.
- Shrimp (jumbo prawns) are usually sold frozen. You can thaw them quickly by running cold water over them.
If you’ve tried this Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo recipe or any others on the blog then please leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
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Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
Ingredients
- ½ lb (225g) shrimp (jumbo prawns)
- 2 large chicken breasts diced into cubes
- ½ tbsp Cajun seasoning
- Salt and pepper , to season
- ½ tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tsp tomato purée or sun-dried tomato paste
- 2 cups (500ml) cream double / heavy
- ½ tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic granules optional
- ½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley , to garnish
- Salt and pepper to season , if needed
For the pasta
- 9 oz (250g) pasta use your favorite
- 1 tsp salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Season the chicken and shrimp with half a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning and freshly ground salt and pepper (sparingly).
- Heat a large skillet or frying pan and add half a tablespoon each of butter olive oil. Wait until the butter is foaming then pan fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, flipping once, until pink. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Pan fry the chicken for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to the bowl with the shrimp.
- Lower heat to medium-low. Add remaining butter and stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the cream and add the Cajun seasoning, garlic granules and dried parsley. Stir in the Parmesan and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the chicken and shrimp and heat through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Add half the fresh parsley.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta according to pack instructions, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce, tossing everything to combine. If you need to loosen the sauce at all then add a little of the reserved pasta water.
- Serve immediately garnished with parsley and some chilli flakes if you like a bit of heat!
Video
Notes
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Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Betsy says
Oh how I adore this recipe! My daughter found it hoping it mimicked a local restaurants Food Network winning dish. And it delivered. I am not a talented cook by any stretch of the imagination, but I have pulled it off several times. It always gets rave reviews even from my Louisiana friends. And as the recipe says, you can liberally use the Cajun seasoning- I used Slap Yo Mama(😂) and as my daughter encouraged use a really good amount!
Lucy Parissi says
Thank you 😘
Alison says
Italians never put salt in the pasta water!??..
Lucy Parissi says
Feel free to skip it at your peril
Anon says
Delicious! I added bacon bits to mine and * chefs kiss *
LeeAnn says
This dish was fabulous! Easy to make. Wonderful flavor! (We added a little more heat as suggested.) Will definitely make again! Company worthy!
Randy says
One of the best tasting receipes I have cooked. Absolutely wonderful
Lucy Parissi says
😘😘😘