Try this Blackened Chicken Alfredo for dinner tonight! Making alfredo sauce from scratch is both incredibly easy AND totally worth it. The flavors achieved from only a few pantry staples is amazing. Top it off with this super flavorful Blackened Chicken and you’ve made something really special in under 30 minutes!
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How to make blackened chicken
Using just a few spices from the cupboard you can transform boring chicken into something really spectacular. Pressing spices on the side of chicken and then cooking over high heat will intensify the flavors and give it a perfect “char” while keeping the inside tender and moist.
In a small bowl mix together 1 teaspoon each paprika, cumin, onion powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. This will make a VERY spicy chicken, which we like, but feel free to cut the cayenne down (or cut it out completely) for your tastes or for your kids.
We butterfly the chicken because it will cook chicken breasts more evenly as well as create much more surface with spices and therefore give the chicken more flavor. To butterfly a chicken breast, simply hold the breast with one hand and slice along the side of the chicken with a large knife almost all the way through. Then open it up and flatten.
Ingredients for simple Alfredo sauce
I have all of these ingredients in my pantry and I bet you do too! That’s the best part! Garlic, butter and flour make the roux. Use any milk you have on hand, but whole milk will give it the richest flavor. Fresh parmesan cheese will definitely give the best flavor, but in a pinch, you can use the stuff in the green canister. Last, add a few spices and give it a stir. So delicious and truly simple to throw together.
- Butter
- All-Purpose Flour (or gluten free flour blend)
- Minced Garlic (I like to use the pre-minced garlic in a jar for recipes like this)
- Chicken Stock (low sodium is best)
- Milk
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne (optional for lots of heat)
How to make Alfredo sauce in under 10 minutes
Make a garlic roux. A roux is just a fancy French word for mixing butter and flour, then adding liquid. The butter and flour mixture will thicken the sauce and makes a creamy, smooth sauce for pasta.
After cooking the butter and flour, add chicken stock and milk while whisking. Allow the sauce to thicken for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and spice. DONE!
And there you go, you just made an amazing dinner in under 30 minutes! This meal is perfectly delicious on its own, but if you want to go all out, start off the meal with Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini and make this Italian Salad with Warm Apricot Dressing.
Love this easy weeknight blackened chicken alfredo recipe? Try these other easy meals!
Make Ahead Grilled Steak and Blue Cheese Salsa 
Amazing Make Ahead Olive and Artichoke Chicken
Blackened Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
Blackened Chicken
- 1 teaspoon each: paprika, cumin, onion powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- 2 chicken breasts about 1.5-2 pounds
Alfredo Sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour or gluten free flour blend
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup whole milk or 2%, or dairy free alternative
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese fresh, not out of the plastic container
- 1/2 teaspoon each: salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes optional
- 16 ounces fettuccine pasta noodles or your favorite gluten free noodles
Instructions
- Put on your pasta pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Butterfly chicken by slicing chicken breast in half lengthwise along the side and spreading open (like a butterfly).
- Mix spices together and rub into both sides of butterflied chicken.
- Heat olive oil in skillet (that has a lid) on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until hot.
- Add chicken to skillet and cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Be sure to cover with a lid to keep oil from splattering.
- Remove chicken when cooked through to 165°F.
- Remove chicken from skillet. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2" strips and set aside.
- Pasta water should be boiling by this point, cook your noodles according to the package directions.
Alfredo Sauce
- While noodles cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and garlic. Heat for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Using a whisk, add flour and stir for 30 seconds.
- Slowly add broth and milk, making sure to break up any flour clumps.
- Allow to thicken while stirring periodically so it does not burn. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in parmesan, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Pour alfredo sauce over cooked pasta and top with sliced chicken.
- Top it off with more parmesan and minced parsley for some added color. ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
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