Blackened Chicken Alfredo is a wonderful homemade dinner recipe your family is sure to enjoy. From the seasoned chicken to the homemade alfredo sauce, this recipe is full of flavor and love.
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No, this chicken isn't burnt- it's blackened, which is a term that means it's been cooked at high heat to darken the skin to the point of becoming a very dark brown (or almost black) color. This adds texture and flavor and seals all the juicy chicken meat inside.
Making chicken alfredo is something we do about 2 or 3 times a month. (It's far more common in our house than spaghetti) and is often included in one of our Monthly Meal Plans.
One of our favorite ways to serve up alfredo pasta is with Homemade Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce, and some well-seasoned chicken. I'll add color to the plate during the summer by serving some Instant Pot Zucchini as a side dish, but I almost always opt for Roasted Frozen Green Beans if I'm trying to pinch a few pennies.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Buzz From Readers
"TASTED SO GOOD!! I did 2x the recipe in the recipe card and it lasted for the whole week for a family of 4. I'll be making this a lot, they loved it so much!"
- Bre
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's easy to make. While there are a few dishes and different burners needed, boiling pasta, cooking chicken, and making the sauce are all very simple recipes combined into one yummy meal. This blackened chicken pasta is actually very beginner friendly.
- You can use the air fryer for the chicken. Want to save some space on the stove or simply want less effort (who doesn't?) This recipe is a stovetop version of my Air Fryer Chicken Breasts, and you can easily choose your favorite appliance to help.
- You can adapt the flavors to your own tastebuds! Add in a pinch of salt, reduce the pepper, swap out seasonings, or add in some Cajun spices. There's no limit to your creativity.
🛒 Ingredients
Milk- This is the base of the recipe. I've used unsweetened plain almond milk, whole milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. All taste delicious, but the fattier milk options do produce a more velvety texture.
Parmesan cheese- I recommend freshly shredded parmesan cheese, not the grated stuff in a green jar. Note that I have tried the green jar cheese, and it will work in a pinch, but the consistency will be different.
Seasonings- For flavor, you'll want to use paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Optionally, you can add in some cajun spice or cayenne pepper for a kick of heat.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Milk. You can choose to use regular milk, heavy cream, or even half and half to give this sauce the liquid needed for that flavorful, creamy end result.
Cream Cheese. For best results, use softened cream cheese instead of cold cream cheese. Cold cream cheese may not fully incorporate into sauces, leaving behind small white pieces that are visually noticeable but not texturally noticeable.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use chicken thighs instead of breasts. Chicken thighs are juicier, more flavorful, and often half the price of chicken breasts. They hold up well to bold seasoning and creamy sauces.
Stretch the meat. Slice the chicken thinly or dice it into smaller pieces before serving. You'll get the same flavor in every bite while using less meat per portion.
Add vegetables for volume. Toss in affordable veggies like broccoli, spinach, or frozen peas to bulk up the meal and stretch it into extra servings while adding nutrients.
Serve with cheap sides. Garlic bread made from clearance or day-old rolls and a side of frozen veggies make this Blackened Chicken Alfredo feel like a restaurant-quality meal for under $2 per serving.
🥄 Instructions for Blackened Chicken Alfredo
Step 1: In a large pot of salted water, boil your pasta noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain into a colander and rinse under cold water. Set aside. IMPORTANT: Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Set aside.
Step 2: Add the seasoning for your chicken to a small bowl (Image 1).
Step 3: Mix together to combine (Image 2).
Step 4: Sprinkle the seasoning evenly between your chicken breasts (Image 3).
Step 5: Rub well to coat all sides of the chicken (Image 4).
Step 6: Add your olive oil to a large pan and place over medium-high heat (Image 5). Let preheat until the oil is very hot. It should be sizzling or smoking.
Step 7: Add your chicken breasts to the pan, evenly spaced (Image 6).
Step 8: Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the chicken is dark on both sides (not burnt, just dark brown) (Image 7).
Step 9: Reduce the heat and add the lid to the pan. Continue to cook for several minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and the juices run clear (Image 8). This may be about 5 more minutes, but it depends upon the size of the breasts.
Step 10: When the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees F, remove the chicken and place it on a plate, and tent well with foil. This will keep the chicken warm and prevent it from drying out. Set aside until the sauce is finished.
Step 11: Add your butter to a medium sized pot over medium heat (Image 9).
Step 12: Cook until the butter has melted (Image 10).
Step 13: Add in the minced garlic and dry seasonings (Image 11).
Step 14: Stir until well mixed. About 30 seconds (Image 12).
Step 15: Add in the flour (Image 13).
Step 16: Mix again to combine. Stir until no flour clumps remain (Image 14).
Step 17: Slowly add in the milk while whisking (Image 15).
Step 18: Continue until the mixture is smooth (Image 16).
Step 19: Add in the cream cheese (Image 17).
Step 20: Stir occasionally until melted into the mixture and it begins to thicken (Image 18).
Step 21: Add in the parmesan cheese (Image 19). Stir together until blended. Remove from heat.
Step 22: If the sauce is too thick, add in reserved pasta water a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency (Image 20).
Step 23: Slice your chicken breasts into thin pieces.
Step 24: Plate your pasta and top it with alfredo sauce. Add some sliced chicken to the top and serve warm.
Enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- You can move the pans around. If necessary, you can temporarily remove the hot skillet of chicken from the burner for a minute or two to prevent burning.
- Salt can be added to taste to the alfredo sauce, meaning you add salt until it tastes good. If you salt the pasta water, you might find you need less salt.
- Tip to keep the pasta from sticking. After cooking the pasta for this blackened chicken alfredo recipe, rinse it under cold or cool water to halt the cooking process and prevent clumping. Rinsing also removes starches from the noodles, which would otherwise cause them to stick together as they cool.
❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
Storage: Store leftover Blackened Chicken Alfredo in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Keeping the chicken, pasta, and sauce together helps preserve flavor and makes reheating easier.
Alfredo sauce made with cream cheese can also be stored separately in the fridge for up to 1 week and reused for other dishes like as a sauce for Air Fryer English Muffin Pizza or Pizza Dough In a Bag!
Reheating: For a single serving, microwave on a plate for 1-2 minutes. For larger portions, reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often. Add a splash of milk or water to loosen the sauce if it thickens or the pasta seems dry.
Make Ahead: You can cook the chicken and pasta ahead of time, store them separately, and combine with freshly warmed sauce just before serving. This helps maintain texture and prevents overcooked noodles when reheating later.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
This Blackened Chicken Alfredo recipe would be perfect for serving alongside some Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli, Frozen Garlic Bread in Air Fryer, or Garlic Parmesan Roasted Green Beans.
- Instant Pot Steamed BroccoliRecipe $1.55 / Serving $0.39
- Air Fryer Frozen Garlic BreadRecipe $2.24 / Serving $0.28
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Green BeansRecipe $4.54 / Serving $0.76
- Iceberg SaladRecipe $5.00 / Serving $0.83
❓ Blackened Chicken Alfredo FAQs
Food that is blackened isn't actually burnt, as you'd imagine. Instead, it's just very deep golden in color. It's cooked in a skillet, grill, or oven and the outside has become seared due to hot temperatures, resulting in a darker color on the outside.
They're actually very similar seasoning blends, as they both have almost the same ingredients and amounts. For that reason, the terms are often interchanged.
This recipe is not spicy (my kids prefer it that way), but for a more "traditional" blackened seasoning, add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the chicken spice rub. Traditionally, the blackened spice blend is a savory blend with a kick of heat.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Ragu Spaghetti Sauce RecipeRecipe $9.14 / Serving $1.14
- Southern Baked SpaghettiRecipe $6.70 / Serving $0.55
- 3 Ingredient Spinach Artichoke Mac and CheeseRecipe $8.82 / Serving $1.10
- Instant Pot Chicken SpaghettiRecipe $10.38 / Serving $1.74
🐝 If you tried this blackened chicken alfredo, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Blackened Chicken Alfredo
Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- water, for boiling
- salt, to taste
- 1 pound dry pasta noodles - ($0.98)
Blackened Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts - ($3.40)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - ($0.14)
- 1 teaspoon paprika - ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder - ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning - ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper - ($0.02)
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper, optional
Alfredo Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter - ($0.37)
- ½ teaspoons garlic, minced - ($0.03)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning - ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder - ($0.08)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper - ($0.02)
- salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - ($0.01)
- 2 cups whole milk - ($0.40)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed - ($0.93)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded - ($1.48)
Instructions
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain and rinse pasta under cold water. Set aside.
- Season chicken. In a small bowl, mix paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning if using. Rub seasoning evenly over chicken breasts.
- Cook chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add chicken and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until dark and well-seared. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
- Start sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Stir about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Thicken. Stir in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk until fully combined and smooth.
- Finish sauce. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese until smooth, then remove from heat. Thin with reserved pasta water as needed.
- Assemble. Slice chicken into thin strips. Plate pasta, spoon Alfredo sauce over top, and finish with sliced chicken. Serve warm.
Notes
- Substitutions. Whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream all work. Softened cream cheese blends more smoothly.
- Cooking Tips. If chicken browns too quickly, briefly remove the pan from heat. Season Alfredo sauce to taste before serving.
- Reheating. Reheat single servings in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. For larger portions, reheat gently on the stove with added milk or water.
- Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Alfredo sauce alone keeps up to 1 week.
Nutritional Information
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Bre says
TASTED SO GOOD!! I did 2x the recipe in the recipe card and it lasted for the whole week for a family of 4. I’ll be making this a lot, they loved it so much!
Nicole Durham says
I'm so happy to hear that!