Chicken just got a Cajun makeover in this Beer-Braised Chicken with Fettuccine in a Smoked Tasso Cream recipe featuring the malty richness of beer in a cream reduction. Spiked with smoky tasso ham and grated Romano cheese, we’re elevating chicken to new heights.
Beer-Braised Chicken with Fettuccine in a Smoked Tasso Cream Reduction is a new classic Cajun recipe. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Louisiana has a long beer-drinking history that dates back to the original Jackson Brewery in the late 1800s. Jax became one of the top beers in the country and other Louisiana bottled brews have followed–Regal, Falstaff and Dixie to name a few. Most faded out, and a large and growing group of craft beers has surfaced led in 1986 by the Abita Brewing Company located on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain.
Two of my favorite Italian recipes are Veal Marsala and Fettucine Alfredo. So, I’ve put a Cajun spin on these ethnic favorites. I am replacing the Marsala wine with beer, chicken instead of veal, and I elevate the pasta with a smoky tasso cream reduction.
Cream reduction is a very common Cajun cooking technique of sauce-making, and when combined with bold ingredients, it elevates a variety of Cajun recipes and dishes. The only secret to a good reduction is to start with good cream. Grade A, heavy whipping cream is a must and a wide pan help the thickening process by expanding the surface area. The timeless French method of simmering cream slowly over a low fire creates bubbles that allow moisture–water–to escape. The result is a smooth, velvety reduction that coats the back of a spoon or any number of center of the plate choices–veal cutlets, lamb chops, fish filets.
A basic cream reduction serves as a medium for infusing flavor. In my Beer-Braised Chicken with Fettuccine we take a paneed boneless chicken breast that is lightly breaded and sauced with a mushroom and tasso-infused, cream reduction served over fettuccine. And in this version we spike the cream sauce with beer. It’s that boldness that carries this Cajun recipe and lays a solid foundation on which to build this reduction.
Beer-Braised Chicken with Fettuccine – a Cajun recipe version of an Italian classic.
- Water, for boiling
- 2 tablespoons table salt
- 1 pound package fettuccine noodles
- 4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- I cup canola oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and diced small
- 2 cups diced tasso or smoked ham
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle quality beer
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, plus more if needed
- ½ lemon
- ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- In a large stockpot filled half way with water over high heat, add salt and bring to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and stir to make sure all of the noodles are submerged. Let cook until al dente. Pour the noodles into a colander and run hot water over them to eliminate any starchy residue. Move the pasta to the side for later.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Place the chicken breasts between pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap. On a hard surface, pound the thickest part of the chicken breasts with a kitchen mallet or the back of a heavy pan to a uniform thickness.
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with Cajun seasoning along with garlic powder and black pepper. Dredge the seasoned chicken pieces in flour with an even coating and place on a platter.
- In a large heavy oven-proof skillet over medium heat, melt 1 stick of butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until browned. Remove the mushrooms to a platter and keep warm.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and sauté until brown on both sides. Move to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
- In the same skillet, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the onions, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes, and add the rosemary, garlic, Serrano pepper as well as the tasso and cooked mushrooms. Stir the mixture and incorporate all.
- Turn the heat to high and pour in half the bottle of beer. Stir the beer into the mixture with a spatula and scrape the bottom of the pan releasing all of the bits stuck to it. Bring to a slow boil and watch as the beer begins to evaporate.
- Reduce the heat and bring the pan to a simmer. Add the cream along with a squeeze of lemon and continue sautéing as you slowly reduce the sauce. Once it begins to thicken add the chicken back to the pan and spoon over the sauce. Move the pan to the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cut the chicken breasts into serving size portions keeping them in place in the pan. If the sauce has become too thick, add some more of the cream. Add the fettuccine noodles, spooning over the sauce and stirring to combine the noodles. Sprinkle with grated cheese and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- For serving, remove the pan from the oven and garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve in the middle of the table with crusty French bread to sop up the cream sauce.
YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE: If you like this Cajun cooking story and Cajun recipe then accept my personal invitation to subscribe by entering your email at the bottom or top right of this page. It’s quick and painless. You will receive an email alert and be the first to see when new Cajun cooking stories and Cajun recipes are added. Thanks, George.
Hey George—hope you have a great Father’s Day and thanks for this low-cal, super healthy dish! I don’t know how you magically take all the calories out, but keep up the good work!!
Hey Bridget- Great to hear from you and hope you and Charles are doing well. Not sure I’ve mastered the calorie-removal trick, but the results sure are tasty. All the best.
Thank you for the Jockamo Chicken recipe. I have been racking my brains to come up with something for upcoming houseguests. One of them largely eats chicken and Italian food and this recipe might be perfect to serve her and my other friend. I am thinking I may have to leave out the serrano pepper, though, as it may be too spicy for my visitors. Do you think that will be an issue?
Hey Judy- Feel free to tame the spice level in this recipe for your guests. All the best.
Looks yummy. How essential are the mushrooms? We have a family member who is seriously allergic to mushrooms, even cooked.
Hey Lisette- Leave them out. I am a believer that every recipe is simply a starting point for a tasty dish; best results come when cooks change the recipe to their own tastes. All the best.
This looks great! Would you recommend a strong, dark brew and if so, which one? Thanks for your wonderful recipes. Keep them coming!
Hey Leslie- When it comes to beer, follow your tastes. I recommend you buy several beers for your guests and do a flight of brews as a taste test. Dialing in the flavor to complement a dish is a personal choice…and it’s fun, too. All the best.
Guinness Stout won! Delicious!!! Thank you!
What a great recipe. I eat keto so this is a perfect dish. I have these fantastic keto fettuccini noodles, and I will substitute the white flour for almond and use a little xanthan gum to thicken, if necessary. But everything else in the recipe is right up my keto alley. Hubby will be happily surprised with this dish, as I was trying to think of a special meal and not a regular go-to meal. Will come back and rate the recipe after Father’s Day! Thanks.
Theresa Duhon
San Pedro, CA
Hi George, I will have my husband make this one. (He has mastered your Voodoo stew.) Thank you; it has been so fun to follow you, to see what you conjure, and the food photography is splendid.
Hey Virginia- Thanks for following Acadiana Table for all these years. More to come. All the best.
Hi George, my husband’s birthday was today so I made your Jockamo Chicken for him. It was excellent. I followed your recipe to the letter and it couldn’t have been better! Thank you!!
Hey Kelly – What a tasty Father’s Day gift; your husband is a lucky man. All the best.
Fantastic recipe. I used chicken cutlets, only quickly browned and used half andouille and smoked ham. Here in Ft Knox, there are not as many choices as back home in Nola. It was fantastic!
Thanks Dana.
Transplanted NOLA boy to TX, always looking for south Louisiana recipes when having people over for dinner. The results were really great! Everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing.