Cajun Chicken Alfredo | Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe

This healthy Cajun Chicken Alfredo is a family favorite dinner recipe at my house. It’s a spicy take on classic chicken alfredo that’s also 21 Day Fix approved. No heavy cream or cream cheese in this lightened up alfredo!

If you’re looking for a quick and easy healthy alfredo sauce, give this recipe a try! I love that the chicken is what makes this dish spicy, so you can use the homemade alfredo sauce in other meals, too.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we like to make our recipes easy for anyone to follow. In this post we have detailed cooking instructions for different kitchen appliances as well as recipe tips and healthy eating plan nutritional information. If you’d like to get straight to the recipe, simply scroll down to the easy to print Cajun Chicken Alfredo recipe card!

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts: chicken is a low fat, high protein staple in most healthy eating lifestyles.
• Olive oil
• Cajun seasoning: cajun seasoning has a bold spicy flavor. We enjoy this recipe as it’s written, but it’s easy to adjust the spice level if you prefer more or less heat.
• Water
• Whole grain pasta: Whole grain pasta is lower in calories, but higher in fiber, and other micronutrients than its more refined counterparts.  
• Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese adds a slightly salty and nutty flavor. Grab a wedge of fresh and grate it yourself.
• Cottage cheese: Be sure and grab 2% cottage cheese. It will help lower the saturated fat and calories without over-processing, like in the fat-free varieties.  
• Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is an excellent way to make this alfredo super creamy while increasing the protein. Cross my heart, you can’t taste it.
• Garlic powder
• Pepper
• Salt: optional and to taste

Instant Pot Directions

1. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, then press the adjust button until “more” is selected under the display.
2. Coat the chicken with olive oil and Cajun seasoning.
3. When the Instant Pot reads “HOT” sauté the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side to make them crispy. Set chicken aside.
4. Add 3 cups of water to the Instant Pot and deglaze the pan.
   Deglazing is simply adding liquid to a hot pan to loosen any cooked bits at the bottom. Take a spatula to help scrape up the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add pasta to your Instant Pot and give it a quick stir. 
6. Place a trivet on top of the pasta and then set the chicken on the trivet so it does not touch any water.
7. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing.
8. Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
9. While the pasta is cooking, blend together the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic powder and pepper to make your alfredo sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
10. When the pressure has fully released from your Instant Pot, remove the chicken and slice it.
11. While the pasta is still hot, stir in the parmesan cheese and your blended alfredo sauce. Mix until the parmesan cheese is melted.
12. Serve warm and top with the sliced chicken.

Stove Top Directions

1. Coat your chicken breasts with olive oil and Cajun seasoning.
2. Heat a large skillet on high heat on the stove.
3. When the skillet is hot, sauté the chicken on each side for 2-3 minutes until it gets crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the water to the skillet and deglaze your pan.
   Deglazing is simply adding liquid to a hot pan to loosen any cooked bits at the bottom. Take a spatula to help scrape up the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add pasta to the water and give a quick stir.
6. Move the chicken back to the pot and set on top of the pasta.
7. Bring the water in the skillet to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium low, so that the liquid keeps simmering. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and chicken are cooked through.
8. While the pasta is cooking, blend together the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic powder and pepper to make your alfredo sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
9. When your chicken is cooked through, remove and slice.
10. Pour your alfredo sauce and parmesan cheese over the pasta and stir until it’s combined.
11. Serve warm and top with the sliced chicken.

Slow Cooker Directions

1. Coat your chicken with olive oil and Cajun seasoning.
2. Heat a large skillet on high heat on the stove. When the skillet is hot, sauté the chicken on each side for 2-3 minutes, until it gets crispy. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the water and chicken to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. Add the whole grain pasta during the last 30 minutes of cook time.
4. While the pasta is cooking, blend together the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic powder and pepper to make your alfredo sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
5. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the slow cooker and slice.
6. While the pasta is still hot in the slow cooker, mix in the parmesan cheese and blended alfredo sauce.
7. Serve while still warm and top with the sliced chicken.

Recipe Tips

• To make this a low carb chicken alfredo, swap the pasta for zoodles.
• If you want to reduce your yellows/carbs but don’t love the idea of zucchini noodles, you can use 1 ½ cups of water and cook only 6 ounces of pasta. This will change your 21 Day Fix container counts to 6Y for the entire recipe, or 1Y per serving.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

Serves: 6
Chicken and Pasta Counts:
Entire recipe: 8R, 2 tsp, 12Y, 2B
Per serving: 1 ⅓ R, negligible teaspoon, 2Y, 1/3B

21 Day Fix Alfredo Sauce Counts:
Entire recipe: 2R
Per serving: ⅓ cup = 1/3R

Total Recipe Counts:
Per serving: ¾ cup chicken, 1 cup of pasta and ⅓ cup alfredo sauce = 1 ⅔ R, 2Y, ⅓ B

2B Mindset

This is a great lunch recipe! You can use the chicken separately for dinner if you make it with zoodles instead!

You can find the Weight Watchers version here.

Looking for more healthy pasta recipes?

• Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• Crack Chicken Pasta
• Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
• Homemade Hamburger Helper
• Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese

Printable Cajun Chicken Alfredo Recipe

4.85 from 20 ratings

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Cajun Chicken Alfredo | Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Created by: Becca Ludlum

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Approximate Serving Size: ¾ cup chicken, 1 cup of pasta and ⅓ cup alfredo sauce

Servings 6 servings

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This cajun chicken alfredo is a healthy dinner recipe the whole family will love. It's a spicy take on your favorite chicken alfredo recipe! This healthy alfredo sauce recipe is super versatile so you'll want to keep it on hand for all your pasta dishes!

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Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Instant Pot Trivet
• Vitamix Blender

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 lbs. chicken breast
• ▢ 2 tsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 tsp cajun seasoning
• ▢ 3 cups water
• ▢ 4 cups whole wheat pasta
• ▢ ⅔ cup cheese parmesan
• ▢ ¾ cup cottage cheese 2%
• ▢ ¾ cup Greek yogurt 2%, plain
• ▢ 2 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Instant Pot:

• Turn the Instant Pot to saute, then press the adjust button until “more” is selected under the display.
• Coat the chicken with olive oil and Cajun seasoning.
• When the Instant Pot reads "HOT," saute the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side to make them crispy. Set the chicken aside.
• Add 3 cups of water to the Instant Pot and deglaze the pan.

  Deglazing is simply adding liquid to a hot pan to loosen any cooked bits at the bottom. Take a spatula to help scrape up the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add pasta to your Instant Pot and give it a quick stir.
• Place a trivet on top of the pasta and then set the chicken on the trivet so it does not touch any water.
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 5 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
• While the pasta is cooking, blend together the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic powder and pepper to make your alfredo sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
• When the pressure has fully released from your Instant Pot, remove the chicken and slice it.
• While the pasta is still hot, stir in the parmesan cheese and your blended alfredo sauce. Mix until the parmesan cheese is melted.
• Serve immediately and top with the sliced chicken.

Stove top:

• Coat your chicken breasts with olive oil and Cajun seasoning.
• Heat a large skillet on high heat on the stove.
• When the skillet is hot, sauté the chicken on each side for 2-3 minutes until it gets crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Add the water to the skillet and deglaze your pan.

  Deglazing is simply adding liquid to a hot pan to loosen any cooked bits at the bottom. Take a spatula to help scrape up the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add pasta to the water and give a quick stir.
• Move the chicken back to the pot and set on top of the pasta.
• Bring the water in the skillet to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium low, so that the liquid keeps simmering. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and chicken are cooked through.
• While the pasta is cooking, blend together the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic powder and pepper to make your alfredo sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
• When your chicken is cooked through, remove and slice.
• Pour your alfredo sauce and parmesan cheese over the pasta and stir until it’s combined.
• Serve warm and top with the sliced chicken.

Slow Cooker:

• Coat your chicken with olive oil and Cajun seasoning.
• Heat a large skillet on high heat on the stove. When the skillet is hot, sauté the chicken on each side for 2-3 minutes, until it gets crispy. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Add the water and chicken to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. Add the whole grain pasta during the last 30 minutes of cook time.
• While the pasta is cooking, blend together the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic powder and pepper to make your alfredo sauce. Set aside until ready to use.
• When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the slow cooker and slice.
• While the pasta is still hot in the slow cooker, mix in the parmesan cheese and blended alfredo sauce.
• Serve while still warm and top with the sliced chicken.

Notes

Recipe tips

To make this a low carb chicken alfredo, swap the pasta for zoodles. 

If you want to reduce your yellows/carbs but don’t love the idea of zucchini noodles, you can use 1 ½ cups of water and cook only 6 ounces of pasta. This will change your 21 Day Fix container counts to 6Y for the entire recipe, or 1Y per serving. 

Healthy eating plans

Serves: 6

 

21 Day Fix
Chicken and Pasta Counts:

Entire recipe: 8R, 2 tsp, 12Y, 2B

Per serving: 1 ⅓ R, negligible teaspoon, 2Y, 1/3B

 

Alfredo Sauce Counts:

Entire recipe: 2R

Per serving: ⅓ cup = 1/3R

 

Total Recipe Counts:

Per serving: ¾ cup chicken, 1 cup of pasta and ⅓ cup alfredo sauce = 1 ⅔ R, 2Y, ⅓ B

Nutrition

Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 495mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 538IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 4mg

Make This Recipe?

Make sure to follow on Pinterest @bludlum and on Instagram @beccaludlum