Creamy cajun chicken fettuccine alfredo is a perfect meal for any weeknight. You can make a homemade cajun alfredo sauce and tender chicken in the slow cooker, then add cooked fettuccine noodles to complete the dish.
If you are looking for a plain chicken alfredo recipe, try my crockpot chicken alfredo recipe.
This slow cooker Cajun chicken fettuccine was one of those recipes that changed after the ingredients were bought. I had planned to make a dish called chicken lazone, but decided to add a few more Cajun seasonings, then add pasta and Parmesan cheese to the pot at the end of the cooking time, along with the cream.
Cajun chicken alfredo pasta is a great spicy recipe for pasta night! This pasta has a bit of a kick to it, mainly from the cayenne. It was a nice change from my regular pasta recipes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken – Use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this dish. They shred up perfectly.
- Seasonings – Make a homemade cajun seasoning blend with cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. You can add more cayenne pepper for a bolder cajun flavor.
- Chicken broth – This is the base of the sauce and will help keep chicken breast moist during the cooking process.
- Heavy Cream – Makes the dish creamy and helps thicken it, don’t use half and half or milk.
- Parmesan Cheese – This adds flavor to the creamy alfredo sauce. You can use shredded parmesan cheese or grated parmesan cheese.
- Fettuccine Noodles – A classic noodle for cajun chicken pasta.
Step One – Add the chicken broth to the slow cooker. Add the seasonings to the chicken broth and stir. Add the chicken breasts to the broth.
Step Two – Add the onion on top of the chicken.
Step Three – Cook on low for 6 hours.
Step Four – Shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker.
Step Five – Add the heavy cream.
Step Six – Add the cooked and drained fettuccine noodles and a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.
Step Seven – Stir gently.
Step Eight – Add additional parmesan cheese, parmesan, paprika, and parsley (or oregano) on top—Cook for an additional 20 minutes. Serve the alfredo pasta with salad and bread sticks.
Variations
- Shrimp – Add shrimp 15 minutes before the cooking time is done. Shred the chicken, add the cream and noodles and cook for the 20 additional minutes still. Make sure the shrimp is cooked through.
- Andouille sausage – You can add one pound of sliced andouille sausage at the beginning of the cooking time.
- Penne Pasta – You can use penne pasta instead of fettuccine noodles for a heartier noodle.
Recipe FAQs
You can use two teaspoons of cajun spice seasoning (such as Tony’s Chachere’s Creole Seasoning) instead of the different seasonings in this dish. Don’t add any more, for it can be on the salty side.
Cayenne pepper loses its potency the longer it’s been on the shelf, or it can sometimes not be as spicy as other brands. You can add additional cayenne pepper after the dish is done cooking for more cajun spice.
You can add a block of cream cheese to this dish instead of heavy cream. You can add it at the beginning of the cooking time or microwave it for 30 seconds before adding the dish at the end of the cooking time.
To make this a complete meal, add steamed broccoli or frozen peas to the pasta just before serving.
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Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Fettuccine
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 small white onion diced
Add at the end:
- 1 lb. fettuccine noodles cooked according to package directions
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese divided
- dried parsley or oregano for garnish
- paprika for garnish
Instructions:
- Add the chicken broth to the slow cooker, add the cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir.
- Add the chicken breasts and flip them around in the seasoned chicken broth to get the seasonings on the chicken.
- Sprinkle the onions over the chicken and broth.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- After the cooking time is done, shred the chicken with two forks right in the slow cooker. Add the heavy cream.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta and a ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir.
- Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan cheese. I added a touch more paprika and also parsley flakes to the top of my pasta to make it look pretty. Cover and cook for 20 more minutes. Cooking for a bit longer helps the sauce thicken from the gluten in the pasta.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
- To make this a complete meal stir in steamed veggies into the pasta with the noodles at the end of the cooking time.
- You can add a block of cream cheese to this dish instead of heavy cream. You can add it at the beginning of the cooking time or microwave it for 30 seconds before adding the dish at the end of the cooking time.
- Cayenne pepper loses its potency the longer it’s been on the shelf or it can sometimes not be as spicy as other brands. You can add additional cayenne pepper after the dish is done cooking to taste.
- You can use two teaspoons of cajun spice seasoning (such as Tony’s Chachere’s Creole Seasoning) instead of the different seasonings in this dish. Don’t add any more, for it can be on the salty side.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Lori H. says
I had high hopes for this as we LOVE chicken fettucine alfredo. But the sauce was super thin – it didn’t stick to the noodles at all. I had read other reviews and added a bit less liquid, but it didn’t help. We didn’t care for the blend of seasonings – it left a really funny aftertaste. I threw most of it away and won’t be making it again.
Annie says
Very good, would make this again but I would halve the salt. Was too salty for me. I added 2 crushed garlic cloves and some sugar to counteract it. I also cooked the fettuccine until it was 25% done, then added it to the crock pot to finish cooking.
Anonymous says
Good recipe overall. We missed the last step of 20 minutes more cooking time, but ended up doing it in the pasta pan anyway because the sauce was too runny.
Definitely double up the spices, we were probably closer to tripling them by the time we were done. Also half again the permesan cheese.
Chelsea says
Is it okay to cook longer than 6 hours? Around 8-9? Only because I like to do slow cooker meals during the week with work so we don’t have to do so much cooking in the e evenings.
Sarah Olson says
I think it may be ok for 8, hard to tell without trying.
Joan says
How about using Mostaccioli or penne pasta instead of fettuccine
Pristine says
what all could I substitute the heavy cream with?
Sarah Olson says
You can do cream cheese or even sour cream
Carla Jordan says
Be careful with the cream cheese. I used it in a recipe that called for low for 6 to 8 hours and the cream cheese soured.
Hattie says
This recipe is a favorite in my house. I add extra spices like garlic powder, onion powder, creole seasoning, and old bay seasoning. I use more cayenne because I really like it spicy. I also add bell peppers in the last hour of cooking. Finally, when adding the cheese, I add a lot more than what the recipe calls for.
Michael says
I agree we would have liked it more spicy. How much did you put in of each spice you added? I like the idea with the peppers!
valette says
Would the heat tempature and time be the same for an instant pot?
diane fye says
I’ve made this a few times & loved it! But do think I could substitute Kraft shredded Parmesan in the bag instead of the powder shaker?
Renee says
I only have cut up chicken breasts..would I still cook it for 6 hours on low?
Sarah Olson says
You probably could get away with 5 hours on low.
Brittany Ganyo says
Stupid question… Do you put the chicken in the crock pot raw? Beginner cook here
Sarah Olson says
Not a stupid question!! Yes, for this recipe you put the chicken in raw.
Margaret says
Not enough sauce for me. Slightly bland but still very good. Needs a tiny bit of tweaking for our house. Thank you!
Mariann says
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! Will make again but might use more spices, wasn’t spicy enough for us.
Jamie says
What would be the adjustment on time if I’m not using chicken or any other meat?