Our chicken and shrimp Alfredo recipe will allow you to prepare a popular Italian signature dish that the whole family can enjoy.
We pan-sear chicken breast chunks and shrimp with olive oil and paprika to give our star ingredients an eye-catching golden-brown color. Once the toppings are ready, we stir them with al dente spaghetti and creamy white sauce—all coming together seamlessly in one pan.
Are you ready to dig your fork into this pasta goodness?
How Healthy Is Our Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
Our chefs have made some adjustments to the portion size and ingredient choices to ensure this chicken and shrimp Alfredo dish is diet friendly.
We chose chicken breast and shrimp—both low in calories and high in lean protein – for our main course. With this protein-dense pair, each serving offers 43.1 g of high-quality protein, which is up to 86% of the recommended daily value, while yielding only 504 calories.
To create a healthier version of cream sauce, we stir unsalted chicken broth and dairy products with a moderate amount of salt and oil. To be specific, a single portion contains around 570 mg sodium and 7.4 g saturated fat.
Ingredients You Will Need
You don't need to fill your shopping cart with complex ingredients to cook up a delightful chicken and shrimp Alfredo dish. Here is what you need:
- Chicken: Each cut of chicken will bring a slightly different experience in flavor and texture. Chicken breast is our go-to option for many fast-cooking recipes because it needs less prepping and cooking skills.
- Shrimp: When you make shrimp the star of the show, the size does matter—large to medium-sized shrimp are ideal for pasta, stews, and grills, whereas small-sized ones are preferred for salads. However, jumbo-sized shrimp can be trickier to portion, so we aim for medium-sized shrimp instead.
- Pasta: With its long, flat, strand-like shape, Fettuccine makes a classic choice; however, our chefs find any pasta will work fine. For convenience, we go for a pack of spaghetti that is always available in our pantry.
- Onion and garlic: The mix of caramelized onions and garlic as a flavor foundation will give your Italian-style pasta an irresistible aroma and a complex flavor.
- Chicken broth: To reduce the sodium intake, we use unsalted chicken broth in many of our recipes.
- Cheese: The beauty of Parmesan cheese lies in its delicate flavor and easy-to-melt texture. Its light, fruity and nutty notes add more character to the cream sauce.
- Dairy and flour: The combination of whole milk, heavy cream, and all-purpose flour creates a silky-smooth sauce base for many Italian pasta dishes.
- Italian seasoning: Differing from the intense flavor of Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning possesses a subtle, sweet, and earthy taste derived from dried herbs (thyme, oregano, and rosemary)
- Other spices: We also stir in garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt, and black pepper to balance the richness of the dairy-based sauce. Paprika and red pepper flakes introduce a lingering spiciness to the pasta dish.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
1. How to Store
Though many online sources may suggest keeping the leftover chicken and shrimp Alfredo in the freezer for months, we don’t see eye to eye. Leaving chicken and shrimp Alfredo or any dairy-rich pasta in the freezer is not advisable because the pasta will turn mushy, and the sauce will separate once thawed.
Refrigerating is a more efficient way to preserve this dish. Portion your leftovers into several airtight containers, and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days.
2. How to Reheat
To reheat, transfer your leftovers onto a non-stick pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, and stir occasionally for 2-4 minutes.
What to Serve With Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
- Healthy Watermelon Arugula Salad recipe
- Spinach Salad recipe
- Kale Salad recipe
- Spring Salad recipe
- Mixed Greens Salad recipe
Chicken And Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
- cook TIME 13 mins
- prep TIME 12 mins
- total TIME 25 mins
- COURSE Main
- CUISINE Italian
- SERVINGS servings
INGREDIENTS
- 10 ozskinless boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 ozpeeled shrimp from 12 oz whole shrimp
- 12 ozcooked spaghetti
- 2 ozonion diced
- 2 tbspgarlic minced
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 1 ozshredded parmesan cheese
- 4 tbspheavy cream
- 0.5 cupwhole milk
- 0.5 cupunsalted chicken broth
- 0.5 tbspall-purpose flour
- 1 tsppaprika
- 0.5 tspgarlic powder
- 0.5 tsponion powder
- 1 tspItalian seasoning
- 0.5 tspred pepper flakes
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 2 tbspparsley chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, following the packaging instructions. Quickly rinse the cooked pasta under the faucet to prevent clumping.
Place the chicken breast on a cutting board. Slice the chicken breast crosswise into 1-inch thick strips, then cut those strips into small cubes, about 1-inch thick. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken breasts.
Prepare a bowl of ice water to keep your shrimp cold during prep. Hold the shrimp by the tail and twist off the head. Next, pull off the legs and peel off the shell, but leave the tail for decorative purposes. Run a paring knife along the back of the shrimp, about 1/4-inch deep, and remove the vein.
Halve the onion and peel away the skin. Trim one end and lay the halved onion face down. Make vertical slices, 1/8 inch apart, such that you cut towards the root; leave about 1/8 inch at the end so the root stays intact. Turn the half 90 degrees and grip the root. Slice the onion horizontally again, leaving 1/8 inch at the end to keep the root intact. Chop the onion further into small, even cubes. Discard the root.
Finely mince the peeled garlic.
Finely chop the fresh parsley.
Cook:
Pan-sear the chicken breasts: Place a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, 10 oz cubed skinless, boneless chicken breast, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Stir to cook for 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the heat.
Pan-sear the shrimp: Add 1 tbsp olive oil, 6 oz peeled shrimp, and 1/2 tsp paprika to the same pan. Cook the shrimp for another 4 minutes, then remove them from the heat.
Sauté the garlic and onion: Grease the same pan with the remaining olive oil. Add 2 oz diced onion and 2 tbsp minced garlic. Stir well for 1 minute, before combining 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour into the pan. Mix well for 30 seconds.
Add the liquid, cheese, and seasonings: Pour in 1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth, 1/2 cup whole milk and 4 tbsp heavy cream. Add 0.5 oz shredded parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well for 30 seconds.
Incorporate the chicken, shrimp, and cooked spaghetti: To the cream sauce, add 12 oz cooked spaghetti, pan-seared chicken, and shrimp. Turn the heat to low, then stir to coat the pasta and toppings in the sauce for 2 minutes.
Garnish and serve: Transfer your desired portion onto a serving plate. Garnish with 0.5 oz shredded parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 2 tbsp chopped parsley. Enjoy!
NUTRITION
