One Pot Cajun Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

This One Pot Cajun Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo is so creamy, decadent, and full of Cajun flavor! Tender chicken coated in cajun spices, blackened broccoli, and al dente pasta coated in a deliciously creamy Alfredo sauce. It’s an easy weeknight meal and ready in one hour! 

Zesty Cajun spices AND a luscious cream sauce? Pasta night just got a lot more flavorful. This Cajun chicken pasta Alfredo recipe tastes better than your favorite restaurant version!  

We really love creamy pasta recipes here at Lauren From Scratch! Whether its tomato based like Creamy Bolognese or Spicy Vodka Sauce, or cream based like the Best Ever Mac and Cheese, creamy pastas are a fan favorite. Even better when they are a one pot meal (like One Skillet Chicken and Orzo Pasta) because no one really likes doing dishes, right!?

Being raised in New Orleans, I also love some good Cajun recipes! A few of my favorites are Cajun Honey Butter Salmon and Cajun Shrimp Cocktail. Both made with my Homemade Cajun Seasoning Recipe!

If you’d love to try another creamy Cajun pasta, try Creamy Cajun Andouille Sausage Pasta made with a Cajun favorite – andouille sausage. If you’d like to try a different version of Alfredo sauce, try Cajun Salmon Alfredo, or Roasted Garlic Alfredo. There are so many delicious pasta recipes to try!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• One pot meal, so less dishes!
• Easy recipe, and ready in an hour
• Creamy, rich, and decadent sauce with cajun spices
• Pro tips included to avoid mushy broccoli and overcooked pasta!

Equipment needed

My kitchen favorites

microplane

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kitchen scale

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skillet with lid

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measuring spoons

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2 cup measuring cup

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garlic press

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Ingredients & Substitutions

Broccoli – Fresh broccoli, cut into bite sized florets. Save time by buying pre-cut broccoli, or chop it up yourself. 8 ounces equals about 3 cups of broccoli florets. 

Shallot – You can substitute for a small yellow onion if needed. 

Garlic – I recommend mincing it yourself from fresh garlic. The flavor is always better than store bought minced garlic!

Parmesan cheese – If possible, go for authentic Parmigiano Reggiano. Always buy a block and freshly grate it yourself. This recipe calls for 2 ounces of finely grated parmesan, which should be very fluffy and light in texture. It should be about 2 cups if you don’t have a kitchen scale. 

Cajun seasoning – Cajun seasoning is made of a mix of garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried herbs and other spices. It should be readily available in the spice aisle at the grocery store. You can make your own homemade Cajun seasoning with this recipe.

Heavy cream – This creamy pasta is made with heavy whipping cream. You can swap for half and half if you need to, but it will be more watery and less creamy. 

Dried penne rigate pasta – Penne pasta works well for this recipe since there are lots of cavities to soak up all the creamy sauce! Other shapes that will also work well are cavatappi (tubular corkscrews), orecchiette (“little ears”), rotini (corkscrews), gemelli (twists), conchigliette (shells), or farfalle (bowties). Of course fettuccini Alfredo is a classic combination! 

See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step By Step Instructions

STEP 1: PREP

Chop and dice your veggies, and finely grate 2 ounces of parmesan cheese with a microplane. Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and toss with cajun seasoning. 

PRO TIP: I like to start with half the amount of Cajun seasoning first, then add more later if needed. Different seasoning blends have different levels of saltiness and you don’t want the final dish to be over-salted. 

STEP 2: SEAR

Heat a skillet (with a fitting lid) over medium-high heat until fully heated. Add a little olive oil and sear chicken until browned on the outside and cooked through. Add chicken in a single layer to help it brown better. 

PRO TIP: Add a splash broth, water, or (my favorite) white wine to the pan to deglaze it if anything starts sticking. Scrape up any browned bits (fond) on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. 

Remove cooked chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Next add broccoli florets into the same pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, allowing broccoli to brown on some sides. Stir occasionally. 

PRO TIP: The step of browning the broccoli is not totally necessary, but I always include it. Searing the broccoli adds an extra layer of flavor to this dish which I love.  

STEP 3: STEAM

Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan with broccoli and cover. Let broccoli steam for about 2 minutes, until slightly softer, but still firm. Remove broccoli and set aside with chicken. 

STEP 4: SAUTÉ

Turn heat to medium-low and melt butter. Sauté shallots in the butter until becoming translucent and just starting to caramelize. Then add in garlic and cook until fragrant while stirring. 

STEP 5: BOIL

Carefully pour in chicken stock, heavy cream, dried pasta, and stir. Cover and bring up to a simmer, then cook for about 5-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot and stir occasionally so nothing sticks and the pot doesn’t boil over. A glass lid makes it easier to watch. Slightly offset the lid if pasta continues to boil over. 

PRO TIP: To avoid overcooked pasta in a one pot recipe like this, always check the pasta box’s directions! Every pasta has different cooking times, so cook to just under al dente according to package directions. I usually subtract a minute or 2 from the box recommendations. The pasta will continue to cook while the sauce simmers. 

STEP 6: SIMMER

Remove the lid and add chicken with any juices back into the pan along with the broccoli and parmesan. Stir and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Do a final taste test and add more Cajun seasoning, salt, or black pepper if needed. Chop parsley while the sauce is simmering. 

PRO TIP: Creamy sauces like this one will thicken as they cool, so remove your pan from the heat a little before the sauce reaches your desired consistency. 

STEP 7: SERVE 

Serve this creamy Cajun pasta warm topped with additional parmesan cheese and parsley.

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Troubleshooting

Sauce is too thick – If your sauce comes out too thick, you can add a little more cream, milk, or chicken broth to loosen it up.

Sauce is too thin – If your pasta sauce is too thin, simmer on low while stirring until it reduces to your desired consistency. Reminder that this sauce will thicken as it cools. 

Sauce breaks – The best ways to prevent breaking a sauce are to heat the cream slowly, don’t let it boil too rapidly, and stir occasionally while it cooks. If the sauce does break, add a splash of cream and whisk vigorously. 

Pasta is undercooked – When cooking a one pot pasta like this, you want to time everything right so the pasta doesn’t end up over or undercooking. If the pasta is still needs some more time cooking, and your sauce is already the right consistency, add a splash of water and let it simmer a couple of minutes longer.

Storage & Reheating

How to store leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

How to freeze:  I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. 

How to reheat: My favorite way to reheat creamy pastas is on low heat in a skillet with a splash of cream, chicken broth, or water.

To reheat in the microwave, add a splash of cream, chicken broth, or water and stir. Then microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until fully heated. If you microwave it all at once, the sauce may break causing it to be oily. 

See this post on How to Reheat Alfredo Sauce for all the best ways to reheat this dish!

Variations & Substitutions

• If you are using half and half in place of heavy cream, you will need to simmer it longer for the sauce to reduce and thicken. Because of this, add the broccoli in at the end once your sauce has already reduced so the broccoli doesn’t become mushy. It is also best to under cook the pasta by a few minutes so the pasta does not become overcooked. 
• You can also lighten this dish up slightly by using 1 cup of heavy cream, and 3 cups of chicken stock. This will be less of a classic Alfredo sauce, but make a thinner sauce. 
• Add more veggies! Diced red, orange, or yellow bell peppers would be a great option. Add these in with the shallots. A few handfuls of spinach would also be good. Add spinach in at the end while the sauce is simmering. 
• Stir in a few cloves of roasted garlic for next level garlicky flavor!

Frequently Asked Questions

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