The Best Chicken And Shrimp Alfredo (Made Easy with Cream Cheese)

Chicken and shrimp Alfredo is an Italian classic that’s become an American favorite. It’s perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a family dinner.

• Save

This Alfredo recipe isn’t just easy to make but creamy, cheesy, and packed with everything we love: pasta, chicken, and seafood, making it the perfect meal for any dinner occasion.

This is one of the best Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo recipes you’ll find online so give it a shot. And again, it’s super easy to make. Make sure to print the recipe and comment below.

What makes this a good recipe?

• Everyone likes it: Well, it’s a fan favorite. Everyone likes chicken and seafood, and most folk love cheese and pasta. So if you’re making chicken and shrimp alfredo for a get-together, you can’t go wrong.
• It’s easy to make: All you’re doing is combining cheese and milk and frying meat for a few minutes while boiling pasta. How hard can that be?
• A flexible dish: I call it flexible because, just like a person is flexible with their time and always available, so is this dish. It’s perfect for any social dinner occasion, so whatever you make it for, it won’t be a sore thumb.
• Kid-friendly: You won’t have to force-feed this to your kid… trust me, they’ll love it. This is the one dish they’ll probably finish before you and ask for seconds. Lol!

Childhood Memories of Fettuccine Alfredo

My grandmothers whom y’all know I always talk about (yall probably know their names by heart lol) Grandma Val Taylor, maternal, Grandma Gwen, paternal, and Nana aka Alice Mae, paternal great grandma didn’t make Alfredo-like that to my memory.

It was my mother who I have childhood memories of cooking this dish for my younger sister and I. She would make it using jarred Alfredo sauce. She always bought the Ragu kind and boy did I really enjoy it.

But when she made it, she would either use just the fettuccine and sauce or add chicken and broccoli. My mother is allergic to seafood, so she definitely didn’t add shrimp to it. Lol! 

But she made it pretty good, considering the Alfredo sauce wasn’t made from scratch. Anyway, that’s when I fell in love with Alfredo sauce. It’s just so kid friendly to me… we all know children love cheese, especially runny cheese like cheese wiz. 

Them good ole TV dinner’s

Sometimes she’d pick up a few fettuccine Alfredo TV dinners from the grocery store. Yall remember me telling y’all before how my mother took my sister and I EVERYWHERE, and I mean EVERYWHERE!

She was one of those Generation X parents who didn’t put her kids on people or have many people watch us so when she didn’t go grocery shopping while we were at school, she’d take us with her. Let’s just say I spent a lot of time in the Supermarkets as a kid.

We loved TV dinners and would warm them up after school and eat them while watching cartoons. It was something quick for us to warm up in the microwave and eat to hold us over to dinner or for dinner night she didn’t feel like cooking.

I enjoyed the fettuccine alfredo in the box as well and remember her picking them out of those cold freezers in the freezer aisle. Going through those cold behind aisles is a memory I won’t mind forgetting. lol!

• Save

Aunt Lorretta Olive Garden story

Speaking of memories… let me tell y’all a story I believe I shared with y’all about my aunt Lorretta under my Better Than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe I did in 2019. Now me and aunt Lorretta are always hanging out and going out with each other. 

She is the aunt I probably spend the most time with even though she’s an in-law. And our thing is Target, Walmart, Outback, Red Lobster, and Olive Garden…. Oh and a less-known restaurant in the Philadelphia area called Miller’s Ale.

I can’t tell yall how many times we’ve eaten at each one of these restaurants. But we go to Olive Garden the most. And for whatever reason, she always ordered the chicken Alfredo yet complained about it afterward. LMBBO!

She loved the chicken because it was well seasoned, juicy, and tender, but the alfredo sauce tasted like THICK MILK!!! I’ll definitely get into that a little later. LMBBO!

So after years of her complaining and having to add loads of salt to her Alfredo sauce to make it taste like something, she finally came up with the idea of me making my own Alfredo sauce recipe and I did just that.

The one thing I made sure of was to add some garlic to it for flavor, a nice amount of salt so it wasn’t bland and tasteless, and cream cheese to add depth of flavor.

If you know anything about alfredo sauce, cream cheese isn’t an original ingredient. That’s an ingredient American’s added to it to give the sauce a more flavor and a thicker consistency.

But yea, we still laugh to this day about how she used to whine and complain about Olive Garden Alfredo sauce. It seems like they improved some of their dishes since then, maybe because others were complaining too?

Traditional Alfredo sauce vs Modern Alfredo sauce

Now as I just said, Cream cheese wasn’t an original ingredient in traditional Alfredo sauce. It was very simple and was made of just butter parmesan cheese, and pepper and served over what is now known as fettuccine noodles. 

After becoming popular in the states, chefs created variations of the sauce which included heavy cream (to enhance the creaminess and loosen the sauce) and later Cream cheese (for a smooth consistency and to enhance the flavor).

It was already sort of creamy with the melted butter and parmesan cheese, but these additions made it super creamy. We would probably think the original version is DRY since all we know is the modern super creamy version of Fettuccine Alfredo.

My Italian cuisine experience in Italy 🇮🇹

I visited Italy back in 2021 and experienced what I’d call a culture shock and had a bit of a reality check because I came to learn that what we in America identify or think of as Italian food is not even close to what it is in Italy.

Most of the native Italians in Italy are not even familiar with some of the dishes in America. One Italian and his wife told me that there is a difference in culture between Italians in Italy and Italian Americans.

They talk about the foods native Italians eat and how a lot of those foods we think of in America as “ITALIAN” food like Spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, Pizza etc they barely make over there.

The food we think of as Italian food is really in all actuality, “Italian-American” food. Now I obviously like it more because it’s what I’m use too but the one thing I learned is that Native Italians are very plain Jane in the way they make their food.

The husband who owned the motel I stayed in made steak and carbonara for me. It was my first time trying this dish and when I say it was so bland, it tasted just like that Olive Garden Alfredo sauce Lorretta always complained about!

I learned that they not only eat in a very basic way by not adding a bunch of condiments to their food but they also eat very light in the mornings, which seems to be a European thing I observed not just in Italy but in Barcelona, Paris, etc.

In the mornings, they would drink tea, coffee, or juice and eat croissants, toast, and cheese or lunchmeat. I had to get used to that, but it made sense because if you stuff yourself, you’d get lazy and not be able to perform at work.

Why is it called Fettuccine Alfredo?

Did you know Fettuccine Alfredo was created in Rome in 1914 by an Italian chef Alfredo di Lelio who served the dish at his restaurant, Alfredo’s? Chef Alfredo created the dish as a variation of a traditional Italian pasta dish.

His wife had made him this famous dish while he was ill and recovery from a sickness. He then made the dish for his wife who didn’t have an appetite while recovering from giving birth to their son that year.

But when he made the dish, he decided to spice it up hoping it would make her hungry and he added butter and cheese to the pasta to make it richer and more flavorful, and it became a hit with customers at his restaurant in Rome.

FETTUCCINE means (pasta made in ribbons) and ALFREDO is the sauce named after the chef Alfredo di Lelio who created the sauce we now all love. He served his sauce (Alfredo) over Fettuccine and that’s why we now call it, Fettuccine Alfredo.

• Save

Jarred Alfredo sauce vs Homemade Alfredo sauce

You can use jarred sauce if you want although a lot of people hate on it saying it has an artificial taste! Like I said I grew up on it and it’s pretty good, especially the ragu brand. They have all kinds of flavors now.

But making homemade sauce allows you to achieve and get the taste you want. It’s especially important if you want a traditional Alfredo flavor or going for a specific taste, you gotta DIY (DO IT YOURSELF!)

Cookware & Utensils you’ll need:

• Large non-stick skillet: You need a large skillet for this dish because it’s a nice amount we’re cooking here and a non-stick skillet so the Alfredo sauce doesn’t stick to the skillet and burn while simmering. 
• Large Pot: Make sure you have a pot to boil the pasta in. In this recipe, we’ll be using a lot of fettuccine, so it’s best to get a large pot, especially since fettuccine is long.
• Cheese Grater: A cheese grater is very important for the sauce because shredded block Parmesan cheese melts better than pre-shredded Parmesan cheese. And get a grater that shreds thick and thin so you have options.
• Silicone Whisk: It’s important to use a whisk to break up the Parm and cream cheese to prevent lumps that may form while creating the alfredo sauce. A whisk is very important for a smooth sauce.
• Colander: You need the colander to drain the pasta and it’s important to drain it ASAP to avoid it from overcooking and bloating up into a soggy mess.
• Tongs: Tongs will help with transporting the pasta from the pot to the skillet and with folding it into the sauce. Or you can use the tong to plate the fettuccine pasta when serving the dish.
• Big spoon: A big spoon is good if you want to be classy and scoop the alfredo sauce over the pasta. Some folks don’t like mixing the pasta in with the sauce and meat.
  
  They prefer plating the pasta, adding the sauce, and topping it with the shrimp and chicken, then garnishing it with parsley flakes for decorative purposes. If that’s you, make sure you have a big spoon on deck! Lol!
• Measuring Cups: Measurin cups are essential especially if you want to follow the recipe exactly. You’ll need this to measure the liquids like the heavy cream and water for the pasta.
• Measuring Spoons: You need this for the same reason. To follow the recipe exactly you’ll need measuring spoon to ensure you’re using the exact amount of seasonings and spices.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Pasta: Fettuccinne
• Meat Add-ins: Boneless Chicken breast and Shrimp
• Seasonings: Salt, Seasoning Salt, Old Bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning, Black Pepper, Paprika, and Parsley flakes
• Cheeses: Parmesan Cheese and Cream Cheese
• Liquids: Heavy cream and water
• Other: Minced Garlic, Oil, and Butter

• Save

Common questions about Fettuccine

• Do you break the Fettuccine in half? You can I do with my Spaghetti! Lol! Traditionally, you wouldn’t! Some love long pasta squirreling around the fork and believe this is how stringy pasta should be eaten.
  
  However, breaking long pasta like Spaghetti and fettuccine may make it easier for to cook, serve, and eat so do you if that’s what you want to do.
• Do you add salt to your pasta water? Yes, adding salt to the salt water adds flavor to the fettuccine so season the water with salt before it comes to a boil. Flavoring every layer of this dish enhances the overall quality.
• Do you add oil? Yes, because Fettuccine, like spaghetti, linguine, and other stringy long pasta, tends to stick so to ensure it doesn’t, it’s good to use a little oil to keep them separated while boiling.
• Do you rinse the fettuccine once it’s done? Now I typically rinse my pasta when making a salad but you want the fettuccine to retain its starch to help the sauce stick and adhere to it.
  
  This is the occasion where rinsing your pasta isn’t necessary. Just make sure to remove it from the hot water as soon as it’s al dente to prevent it from overcooking.
• Do you season your fettuccine once it’s done? Sometimes I sprinkle it with garlic powder or minced garlic, maybe a teaspoon or so of butter, and beautify it with a little parsley before adding it to or topping it with Alfredo sauce.

About the chicken and shrimp

• Dark meat: I love dark meat because it’s juicy and has more moisture than white meat but for this dish I prefer white meat. You can add dark meat though, people typically dont but it doesn’t hurt too.
• How to chop the chicken: I chop the chicken in big long rectangular shapes the way restaurants do for a gourmet traditional look but if you want to taste chicken in every bite, you might want to shred it up or chop it up into small pieces.

Raw vs Cooked shrimp and shrimp size

• Deveined Shrimp: No matter what size the shrimp or if they’re pre-cooked or raw, make sure they’re deveined and if they’re not do it yourself by removing the black lining.
  
  If you don’t it wont kill you but it’s not a good look and who wants to eat shrimp poo? Yes that’s what it is for those who don’t know! The black lining you see in shrimp is the shrimp’s digestive tract! Yuck!
• Raw Shrimp: I use raw shrimp in this recipe because raw shrimp is the way to go to me. It hasn’t been cooked yet and so it releases all it’s natural flavors in the dish and fresh is always better than pre-cooked for that reason.
• Cooked Shrimp: You can use cooked shrimp, just make sure you add it to the sauce once the sauce is almost done. Skip cooking it with the chicken because overcooking it will make it chewy which doesn’t taste good.
• Shrimp Size: The size of shrimp doesn’t matter. Feel free to customize this recipe to your liking. I like to use large shrimp mainly because I like meaty shrimp and it’s more visible and better for presentation purposes.

Seasonings and alternatives

Seasoning salt – Ok so when it comes to the seasonings, the replaceable ones, the first seasoning Im going to give you alternatives for is my favorite seasoning, laury’s seasoning salt.

• Chicken Flavor Bouillon Seasonings- Now I don’t use this typically but I actually used it when making this recipe. You might actually see a little jar of it in one of my preparation photos.
  
  Since this is chicken and shrimp alfredo, you can season the chicken with a chicken seasoning like chicken flavor bouillon seasoning to enhance the chicken flavor.
  
  But because it isn’t as salty per teaspoon as complete seasoning, you’ll have to use more. But I was out of seasoning salt and this did the job so this is definitely a good substitution. 
• Adobo – This is a good complete seasoning which is what you want to season your chicken well. Plus Adobo has an amazing flavor, my favorite complete seasoning after seasoning salt.
• Badia Sazon complete seasoning – This will take this Chicken Alfredo to another level… I just know it will. I might use it next time I make some. My stomach growling just thinking about this seasoning in Alfredo sauce.
• Salt – Salt is the original complete seasoning! Haha! You can never go wrong with salt if it’s all you have. The dish just wont be as flavorful because there’s no other seasoning in salt but salt. 
• Old Bay & Cajun seasoning – Now the Old Bay which is the best seafood seasoning on the market and cajun seasoning which is sort of spicy can’t really be replaced.
  
  The reason being especially the Old Bay is because they have they’re own unique flavors but here are some good seasonings that closely resemble the flavor of the two.
• Tony’s Creole Seasoning – This gives a similar outcome in flavor although it doesn’t taste like Old Bay but it goes great with shrimp and will work for this dish. 
• Slap Ya Mama Seasoning – Slap ya mama seasoning might be hard to find in some places but it’s a good alternative. Its spicy like Cajun seasoning, just don’t use too much because again, it’s very spicy. 

• Save

About the Parmesan cheese

Parmesan cheese – Parmesan cheese is what’s used in Alfredo sauce and it’s VERY ANNOYING because it doesn’t melt easily. When they say all cheese isn’t equal, I think Parmesan cheese is the reason for that saying.

Parmesan cheese is like that bad stubborn child you dread having to babysit. Lol! Here are some key things you should know about Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.

• It doesn’t melt easily: Parmesan cheese is a hard, aged cheese that doesn’t melt easily like cheddar and Mozzarella. This is due to it’s low moisture levels and high protein content, which makes it more resistant to melting.
• Pre-shredded cheese vs block cheese: Use a block of parmesan and shred it yourself. Block cheese doesn’t have preservatives which prevents pre-shredded cheese from melting or at least makes it harder to melt.
• The best parmesan cheese: Ok so when it comes to Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano is the way to go when it comes to Parmesan cheese. It’s very popular and a fan favorite.

Why Philadelphia cream cheese?

So a lot of people have asked me why I add cream cheese to the Alfredo sauce so let me get into why and how important it is to use for Alfredo sauce and what it brings to this dish.

• Use Philly cream cheese, it’s the KING BRAND of cream cheese.
• The parmesan cheese won’t melt without the cream cheese.
• It adds more flavor, thickens it, and provides a smooth consistency.

How to make chicken and shrimp Alfredo

1. The first thing I do is peal my shrimp and slice my chicken.

I like to slice it into thin rectangular shapes.

2. Season the chicken and shrimp really well. 

• Save

3. Fry the chicken and shrimp then remove and set aside. 

• Save

4. Fill a medium pot with water and add the oil and salt.

5. Once it comes to a boil add the fettuccine and cook til al dente.

6. Strain and preserve some of the water.

How to make homemade Alfredo sauce

1. Shred the parmesan cheese.

• Save

2. Add the butter and minced garlic to skillet.

3. Once it’s melted add everything, whisk, and simmer.

Add 2tbs of pasta water to get a good lump-free sauce.

• Save

4. Once done add the seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, and parsley.

5. Add the fettuccine, chicken, and shrimp to the sauce, and fold well.

6. Top with more parmesan cheese and parsley.

• Save

Tips for best results:

• Using the same pan: When you make the Alfredo sauce, make it in the same skillet you cooked the shrimp and chicken in. Dont wash out the thin gravy aka juice as shown above. That adds additional flavor to the dish.
• Using a whisk: As stated earlier a whisk is vital for this recipe. Use a whisk to stir the sauce not a spoon. A whisk is the best cooking utensil to effectively break up the cheese and prevent lumps.
• Room temperature: Let the cream cheese and heavy cream sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes if it was sitting in the refrigerator before making the Alfredo sauce.

Add-ins & variations

Wanna switch or spice things up? Thinking of some different add-ins or variations of chicken and shrimp Alfredo I personally enjoy that you can try if you’re not in the mood for chicken and shrimp. 

• Broccoli: This is a great option for vegetarians or if you don’t want to add meat because you’re serving as a side dish. Besides, no vegetable in my personal opinion goes better with cheese than Broccoli.
• Multicolored Peppers: You can saute some peppers and add them to your fettuccine Alfredo or add a combination of peppers and Italian sausage. I actually made a dish similar to this but I used Penne pasta instead.

What to serve with chicken and shrimp Alfredo?

• Garlic Rolls – As we know, they bring out a batch of hot buttery soft garlic rolls at Olive Garden, but they do this no matter what you order. Lol! Anyway, some hot butter garlic rolls taste good with alfredo, especially if it has meat in it.
• Tossed Salad – If you’re thinking of something light, make a nice salad. This is what they serve it with in Olive Garden as well. A light tossed salad is a good vegetable side.
• Fried Chicken – Fried chicken and Alfredo sauce is a combo that has me getting kind of hungry right now. Some combos you just know will work.
  
  You’re pretty much combining chicken and like Ranch dressing since Alfredo sauce has a similar flavor to me. Different, but similar if you know what I mean.
  
  Plus it’s cheesy and a cheesy sauce will go great with crispy fried chicken, OMG! I THINK I’M GOING TO JUST MAKE SOME FETTUCCINE ALFREDO WITH FRIED CHICKEN SOON.
• Seared Steak – Now as I said earlier, my mom would sometimes make fettuccine Alfredo without adding anything to it. She would just make the pasta and cover it with the jarred sauce.
  
  

  Well if you like her enjoy it without meat or anything in it, it can be served more as a side dish and would go wonderfully alongside some seared savory steak.

Frequently asked questions

How to store it? Tightly sealed preferably in a glass dish in the refrigerator.

How to rewarm it? In a pot or skillet over low heat until warm.

How to fix broken Alfredo sauce? This happens a lot especially the next day when you try to rewarm it. Just place it in a pot or skillet over low heat, and stir in a little heavy cream or water until the sauce comes together.

• Save

Alright yall that’s it for now. I hope yall enjoy it and please make sure to share like and comment if you do. And subscribe if you like my stuff and want to try more recipes from me.

Enjoy, later!
PBJ~

• Save

The Best Chicken And Shrimp Alfredo (Made Easy with Cream Cheese)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

Print Recipe

Print Recipe

Chicken and shrimp Alfredo, an Italian classic that’s become an American favorite. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a family dinner. Creamy, cheesy, and packed with everything we love, pasta, chicken, and seafood. Making it the perfect meal for any dinner occasion. 

• Total Time: 45 Mins
• Yield: 6

Ingredients

8oz Fettuccine
2 Qts Water
1 Lb Boneless Chicken Breast
1/2 Lb Deveined Raw Large Shrimp
3 Tbs Vegetable Oil
2 Tsps Seasoning Salt
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 Tsp Cajun Seasoning
1/4 Tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
Alfredo sauce ingredients
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream 2 Tbs Pasta Water
1/4 Cup Butter
8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1-1/2 Cups Block Parmesan Cheese, shredded
2 Tsps Minced Garlic
1 Tsp Seasoning Salt 
1 Tsp Parsley Flakes
1/4 Tsp Italian Seasoning

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Peal shrimp and cut chicken.
2. Season the shrimp and chicken.
3. Place a skillet over med-high heat and add 2 tbs of oil.
4. After 1 minute, add the chicken and fry for 3 minutes, then add in the shrimp and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes, then remove from the skillet and set aside.
5. Add 2 qts of water, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbs of oil to a medium pot and place over high heat.
6. Once it comes to a boil, add in the fettuccine and cook for 10-12 minutes then strain, reserving 2 tbs of the water.
7. Meanwhile, shred the parmesan cheese.
8. Place the same skillet you cooked the chicken and shrimp in over medium heat.
9. Add in the butter and minced garlic.
10. Once melted, add in the heavy cream, Parmesan, and cream cheese.
11. Whisk periodically and let it simmer for 8 minutes.
12. Once it’s almost done, add in the pasta water you reserved, the seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, and parsley, then stir well.
13. Add in the chicken, shrimp, and pasta then fold well, or serve separately.
14. Garnish with more parsley, and pieces of parmesan cheese if you like.

• Author: Philly Boy Jay
• Prep Time: 15 Mins
• Cook Time: 1 Hr
• Category: Pasta
• Method: American
• Cuisine: Italian