Southwest Chicken Alfredo

Name: Southwest Chicken Alfredo
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 lb. Penne Pasta; 1 lb. Chicken Breasts (cut into 1" strips); 1 (15 oz.) can Diced Tomatoes; 1 cup Heavy Cream; 1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded); 1 cup Onion (chopped); 4 Garlic Cloves (minced); 1 tbsp Honey; 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 tbsp Butter; 2 tbsp Cilantro (chopped); 1 1/2 tsp Chili Powder; 1/2 tsp Cumin; 1/2 tsp Oregano; 1 tsp Paprika; 1/4 tsp Black Pepper; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/8 tsp Cayenne

Published: Mar 31, 2021 · Modified:Nov 6, 2023 by Amanda Cooks & Styles · This post may contain affiliate links · 42 Comments

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Southwest Chicken Alfredo - Creamy and delicious southwest style chicken pasta is the perfect easy dinner recipe. Made with seasoned pan seared chicken, onions, garlic and penne pasta tossed in a mouthwatering southwest style cream sauce.

Oh. My. Gosh. This pasta is cheesy, creamy and absolutely knock your socks off delicious! The best part? It's super easy to make. Southwest Chicken Alfredo is the perfect pasta for the whole family.

We served ours with a side of toasty garlic bread. I'll link a few of my favorite easy bread recipes that pair perfectly with this pasta for you below. I am so excited to share this recipe with you!

This pasta serves about 4 people giving each person a generous portion. You can easily store leftovers completely cooled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stove over low heat. Let's get cooking!

Ingredients you need to make Creamy Southwest Chicken Alfredo:

Chicken Breasts - You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. You'll need about one pound.

Penne Pasta - Any short cut pasta will do- rotini, ziti, farfalle, etc.

Diced Tomatoes - One 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes.

Heavy Cream - For a rich creamy sauce.

Cheddar Cheese - You can use sharp cheddar, mild cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend.

Onion - I used yellow onion in this recipe but you can also use white or sweet onion as well.

Garlic Cloves - Fresh garlic is best in this recipe.

Honey - Any honey you have on hand.

Cilantro - Fresh chopped cilantro adds a delicious fresh flavor to the pasta. This is used as a garnish.

Olive Oil - To sear the chicken in. You can use olive, avocado or canola oil.

Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter.

Chili Powder + Cumin + Oregano + Paprika + Black Pepper + Salt + Cayenne - Southwest style seasoning blend.

**Full measurements and instructions are listed below.

Tools to have on hand:

Large Skillet + Large Saucepan – To boil your pasta and for cooking chicken/pasta sauce.
Measuring Cups + Spoons – To properly measure all of your ingredients.
Cutting Board + Chef Knife – For prepping the veggies and chicken.

How to make the best Southwest Chicken Alfredo Pasta:

In a small bowl, mix the southwest seasoning blend together.

Add cut chicken to a large bowl and drizzle in honey and half of the seasonings. Toss to combine.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta according to package instructions for al dente. When done, drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add seasoned chicken and cook for a few minutes on each side until cooked through. When nice and golden, transfer chicken to a plate.

Add diced onion and butter to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add diced tomatoes and the remaining seasoning and bring to a low simmer.

Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring until fully incorporated. Bring to a nice simmer. Add chicken back to the skillet. Sprinkle in cheddar cheese and stir to combine. Add penne pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Remove pasta from heat and let sit a few minutes.

When done, stir pasta again to fully coat in sauce and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Bread recipes that pair perfectly with pasta:

Rustic French Bread - Dutch oven bread recipe you can easily make in the comfort of your home! There is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread. Serve homemade french bread sliced with warm butter or use as sandwich bread and more!

Easy Homemade Garlic Bread - Classic garlic bread recipe with one secret ingredient that places this garlic bread above the rest. Serve warm with your favorite pastas, salads and soups.

Texas Toast Garlic Bread - Warm, buttery and delicious thick cut garlic bread with a secret ingredient toasted to golden perfection. Serve hot with pastas, as a side dish, and more.

Buttery Garlic Breadsticks - These breadsticks are soft, chewy, mouthwatering good! The dough is made from scratch then lathered in fresh garlic butter and baked to golden perfection.

More pasta recipes I think you'll love:

One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta - Easy flavor-packed one pot chicken parmesan pasta made simply with fresh herbs and melty mozzarella cheese. The best part about this comfort meal is that it is budget friendly, kid friendly and is so easy to make.

Creamy Chipotle Chicken Pasta - Fettuccine tossed in a creamy chipotle sauce with chicken, corn, diced tomatoes and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

Creamy Chicken & Sausage Pasta - Penne pasta with shredded chicken and sausage tossed in a delicious creamy parmesan sauce.

Spicy Sausage Rigatoni - Amazing pasta recipe made with rigatoni tossed in a homemade tomato cream sauce with spicy sausage, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Done in under 30 minutes.