Introducing a mouthwatering fusion of flavors in this Cajun Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo recipe. Succulent Cajun-spiced chicken meets tender broccoli florets, all enveloped in a creamy Alfredo sauce that's rich with Parmesan cheese and loads of garlic. Use a premade Alfredo sauce of make my Cottage Cheese Alfredo for extra protein in the dish.
Use any leftover Cajun seasoning to make my delicious Crispy Cajun Chicken Sandwich. If you're like me, you might have a large bag of the precut broccoli florets to use up. Try my Broccoli Salad with Cranberries and Sunflower Seeds or my Broccoli Cauliflower Salad for delicious way to use the extra broccoli. Bake off just the Cajun Chicken without making the pasta part and serve it with my Cheesy Rice recipe for an easy and comforting meal to make during the week.
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Ingredients
- Chicken Breast
- Cajun Seasoning (recipe below or store-bought)
- Rigatoni (or your choice of pasta)
- Onion (Red or White)
- Broccoli Florets
- Garlic Cloves
- Chicken Broth
- Premade Alfredo Sauce
- Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Cajun Seasoning
In a small bowl, mix together all of the following ingredients to make a small batch of Cajun Seasoning.
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
How to make Cajun Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Follow these steps and everything should come together quite easily! Preheat your oven to 425F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Place the chicken breast on the prepared baking tray. Pat them dry with parchment paper. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning on both side. Bake in them in the preheated oven.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, and cook your pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta when ready and reserve.
Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Thinly slice the red onion and mince the garlic. Combine them with the broccoli.
Place a large skillet or pan on medium-high heat. Drizzle with olive oil and then add the broccoli, garlic and onion. Stir every couple minutes until the broccoli starts to get a nice roasting color.
Deglaze the veggies with the chicken broth in order to lift all the flavors from the pan. Turn the heat down to simmer, add the alfredo sauce and the Cajun seasoning to the skillet and stir.
Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and fold it in to cover in sauce. Turn off the heat, and stir in the freshly grated parmesan cheese.
The chicken is cooked when is has a minimum internal temperature of 165F in the thickest part of the breast. Remove from the oven and let them rest a few minutes before slicing them. You can incorporate the sliced Cajun Chicken into the Broccoli Alfredo, or serve them on the side.
Substitutions and Variations
- CHICKEN - Alternatively, you can use chicken thighs or legs instead of the breast. Use the seasoning in the same way, but the cooking time might be different.
- VEGGIES - This dish is a great time to add extra veggies you might have in your refrigerator or freezer. Frozen corn and/or mushrooms or even asparagus would be great to cook in the skillet before adding the sauce.
- PASTA - Use any type of pasta you prefer in this recipe, anything from medium pasta like penne, to long pasta like spaghetti or linguini.
- MILD SEASONING - If Cajun Seasoning is not your jam, you can season the chicken breast with Italian Seasoning. Instead of adding more Cajun Seasoning to the alfredo sauce, you could then add a couple tablespoons of chopped herbs like basil and/or oregano.
Store leftover Cajun Chicken
Store any leftovers of the Cajun Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo in airtight containers. Refrigerate it for 3-4 days for an easy weeknight meal prep. Since the chicken is cooked separately, it is a great idea to keep them stored apart from the pasta dish, in case you'd like to top a salad the next day. Alternatively, this dish can also be frozen in airtight containers for up to a month.
Recipe
Cajun Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Ingredients
Homemade Cajun Seasoning
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoon Dry Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 4 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 cups Broccoli Florets cut in bite sized pieces
- ¼ large Red Onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ cup Chicken Broth
- 900 ml Prepared Alfredo Sauce
- 10 ounce Uncooked Medium Pasta or about 3 cups
- ½ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
Make the Cajun Seasoning
- Combine all of the ingredients for the Cajun Seasoning in a small bowl. Whisk together until well combined and set aside.
Cook the Chicken Breasts
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place the chicken breasts on the lined tray. Pat them dry with paper towel. Drizzle olive oil on the chicken breasts and sprinkle with some of the Cajun Seasoning to cover. Rub in the seasoning and repeat on the other side of the chicken.
- Place in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches a minimum of 165F. When fully cooked, remove from the oven and set aside.
Cook the rest of the dish
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook your pasta as per directed on the packaging. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- While the chicken and pasta are cooking, start cooking the vegetables. Place a large skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat.
- Drizzle the olive oil in the pan and add the prepared broccoli, onion. When the broccoli starts to become roasted, add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes.
- Pour the chicken broth into the hot pan, in order to deglaze the pan and give an extra steam to the veggies. Turn down the heat to low.
- Add the Alfredo sauce to the pan with 2 teaspoon of the Cajun Seasoning. Stir so that the spices combine with the sauce. You may add more of the seasoning if you want more flavor and heat.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and then turn off the heat. Add the grated parmesan to the pasta dish and stir to combine.
- Once the chicken has baked and rested for a couple minutes, cut it in slices and serve on top of the pasta.
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