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Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo

Name: Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine; 2 chicken breasts (cut into 1" pieces); 1/2 pound shrimp (I used 31/40 size) (thawed & peeled); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 tablespoon + 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning ((use a low or no salt variety)); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 cup heavy/whipping cream; 4 ounces cream cheese (I used 1/2 block of Philly); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese; Salt & pepper (to taste)

Published September 4, 2020 / Updated September 4, 2020 / 40 Comments

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This Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo recipe has a flavorful creamy Cajun parmesan sauce that smothers tender pan-fried chicken and shrimp. Great with fettuccine or your favorite pasta!

If you can't make up your mind whether you want shrimp or chicken, this chicken and shrimp pasta is right up your alley. 😉 Why not do both?

You may also like my Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo or this Easy Shrimp Alfredo.

Despite having two different proteins in this dish, it's actually pretty straightforward to make. Everything except the pasta is cooked in one skillet. First, the shrimp, then the chicken, then the sauce. You then add everything back in and voila... you've got one tasty Cajun Alfredo sauce. It doesn't take long at all since shrimp cook super fast, and the chicken is cut into small pieces and doesn't need much time either.

The Alfredo sauce is based on my Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce but with the addition of Cajun seasoning. My Alfredo sauce has the classic combo of butter, cream, and plenty of parmesan, and I also add cream cheese for a few reasons - it helps thicken it up fast, makes it extra silky, and the tanginess offsets some of the heaviness that cream sauces have. The result? Something you'd eat at a restaurant.

Recipe notes & tips:

You could use cooked/rotisserie chicken if you have some on hand! In that case, I would reduce the olive oil to 1 tablespoon (that's plenty to cook the shrimp), and stir it in right at the end so it doesn't get overcooked.
This recipe is flavorful, but I would not consider it particularly spicy. If you want to kick the spice up a bit, add some crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
The cream cheese should be very soft, so I don't recommend skipping the softening step.
I recommend using a low or no-salt variety of Cajun seasoning because the quantity used in this recipe will make it too salty otherwise. My favorite Cajun seasoning is made by Tony Chachere's (I've worked with Tony Chachere's but this post isn't sponsored). They have a delicious no-salt Cajun seasoning you can use (their regular is delicious too, but I wouldn't recommend it for this recipe).
I suggest using the largest skillet you own... it just makes cooking the recipe a lot easier, and if you give the chicken pieces a bit of space, they will brown nicely vs. steam.
There's nothing like grating your own parmesan cheese. It's tastier and melts better. I always keep a block in my fridge and I use this grater (mine is a slightly older model).

More Cajun-inspired recipes to try:

This is total comfort food right here, so you may want to serve this pasta dish with a side salad... or go all out and make some garlic bread. 🙂

Questions about this chicken and shrimp Alfredo? Let me know in the comments below!