It’s been a while since I’ve made a one-pot pasta! But this weekend I got a craving for a creamy, smoky, spicy, easy one pot dish, so I set to work! This One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is incredibly easy to make, so it’s perfect for weeknight dinners. I have a few variations for you below (spicy, non-spicy, creamy, non-creamy) so be sure to read on! :)
Check out my One Pot Recipe archives for more one pot goodness!
“Amazing!!! Just made it…..home run!! Easy, simple, yummy!! I did add spinach at the end which was a great addition. Thanks!!”
charles
Customizing the Pasta
There are several ways you can customize this super simple and delicious one pot pasta. Check out these ideas for substitutions, add-ins, or omissions:
Adjust the Heat
This pasta is spicy. BUT you can adjust the heat by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper in the Cajun seasoning. You can cut it in half for just a little heat, or if you are completely spicy intolerant, leave the cayenne out all together. That makes me kind of sad, but I completely understand. Sometimes your body and brain don’t want the same thing. :)
Make it Creamy (or not)
If you can’t do cream cheese, feel free to replace it with a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half. I’d probably use about 1/4 cup heavy cream, or 1/2 cup of half-and-half. OR, if you don’t want it creamy at all, that works too. This pasta was quite delicious even before I added the cream cheese, but the creaminess does balance the heat and acidity very well.
Make it “Extra”
If you want this pasta to be super over the top, try adding some cooked bacon, or a final dusting of Parmesan cheese. That little bit of extra umami flavor will really take this Cajun Chicken Pasta over the top! Or, in place of or in addition to, you could add shrimp.
One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
Cajun Seasoning
- 2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.20)
- 1 tsp oregano ($0.10)
- 1 tsp thyme ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Chicken Pasta
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.13)
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast ($5.47)
- 1 yellow onion, diced ($0.32)
- 1/2 lb. penne pasta (uncooked) ($0.75)
- 15 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes ($1.00)
- 2 cups chicken broth ($0.26)
- 2 oz. cream cheese ($0.50)
- 3 green onions, sliced ($0.25)
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Cut the chicken into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Place the cubed chicken in a bowl, pour the Cajun seasoning over top, and stir to coat the chicken in spices.
- Add the olive oil and butter to a large deep skillet. Heat the oil and butter over medium-high until the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted and foamy. Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet and cook for a couple minutes on each side, or just until the outside gets some color. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
- Add the diced yellow onion to the skillet and continue to sauté for about 2 minutes more, or just until the onion begins to soften. Allow the moisture from the onion to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Next, add the pasta, fire roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices), and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir just until everything is evenly combined, then place a lid on top and allow the broth to come up to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pasta simmer for about ten minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and saucy.
- Add the cream cheese to the skillet in chunks, then stir until it has melted into the sauce. Top the pasta with sliced green onions and serve.
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Notes
- The deep skillet I use is a 4-quart capacity.
- Depending on your cookware, you may need to adjust the heat up or down to maintain a simmer in the broth. Be sure to stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking.
Nutrition
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Other Chicken Pasta Recipes You Might Like:
- One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
- Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
- Monterey Chicken Skillet
How to Make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Stir together the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning in a small bowl (2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt). Cut one pound boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Place the chicken cubes in a bowl, pour the Cajun seasoning over top, then stir to coat the chicken in the spices.
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted and foamy, add the seasoned chicken pieces. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, or just until they get some color. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
Add one diced yellow onion and continue to sauté for just a couple minutes more, or until the onion just begins to soften. The moisture from the onion should help dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Add 1/2 lb. penne to the skillet along with one 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices) and 2 cups chicken broth.
Give everything a brief stir to make sure it’s all combined, then place a lid on top and allow the broth to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn it down to medium-low, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
Simmer until the pasta is tender and the broth has become thicker and more saucy in texture.
Add 2 oz. cream cheese to the skillet in small chunks. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
Top with sliced green onions and SERVE! This One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is going to be on regular rotation in my house. :)
I think this bowl of pasta is begging for some Freezer Garlic Bread, what about you?
Made this with kielbasa subbed for the chicken, and whole wheat pasta since it was what we had. Easy, and everyone loved it! Topped with some plain green yogurt for the toddler to bring the spice down a bit. We’ll certainly make this again and again!
10/10 would recommend! It came out better than I thought. Had to tweak the seasoning to my liking but that’s expected
I’ve been following the blog since I was in college almost 10 years ago. Recently my boyfriend and I have challenged ourselves to only eat out once or twice a week. We have made several things from the blog (my picky boyfriend actually asks for your spinach feta turkey meatballs). I really like this one pot pasta. I switch out the oregano for basil because I don’t like oregano. I added a little extra cream cheese and some Asiago at the end. I’m Always afraid there is too much liquid but it ends up perfect! I also don’t like extra dishes so after the butter is melted with the oil I throw the chicken into the pot and just dump the spices in and give it a stir before the chicken starts cooking. And I cut the chicken in larger chunks so they don’t over cook. Thanks!!
After making my rounds through many of your one pot recipes, I’ve come back to this one for the second time. This time I used rigatoni (as my store was out of penne due to the current affairs) and sliced some serrano peppers to saute along with the onions.
I reduced the chicken broth to 1 cup this time as last time there was a lot of liquidy sauce at the bottom of the pan when I was done. However, I still had that issue this time despite adding in a little more cream cheese and allowing it to simmer with the lid off for an additional 5 or so minutes before serving. Is there something I’m doing wrong or is this expected?
Either way, it still tastes fantastic. I used to only do carry out and ready-to-eat meals for the longest time. Finding this site and the efficiency and simplicity of the recipes inspired me to start cooking!
Made this the other night, it was a hit!
My partner is gf, so I used Banza chickpea rotini, worked great! Bell peppers were on sale for 88 cents each, asparagus was on sale for $1/lb, so I added peppers in with the onion, and diced asparagus at the end. I also included a diced hot link, and a diced andoui sausage. My cooking tends to be of the “everything but the kitchen sink” variety lol.
Delicious! I’ve been told that I should definitely make this again :)
Ten stars. Beth, your recipes give my girlfriend more pleasure than I ever do. Thank you.
When simmering this, do you leave the lid on or off? Seems like the answer would be off, if you were trying to reduce, but not sure if it is needed for the pasta to absorb the stock.
Lid on, to hold in the steam. :)
Mine came out a little bland. There’s a mild zing, but no depth of flavor in the back of the tongue. I may try a little added garlic or parmesan cheese to broaden the flavor a bit. Otherwise, not bad.
This was amazing. I used store bought creole seasoning on the chicken and did not include the green onions. I will definitely be making this again!!
What if I were to use a pound of pasta to double it, what other ingredients should I double?
You can adjust the servings on the recipe to accommodate the extra pasta and it will help you see what else you need.
I’m keto so I had to adapt this recipe but not a ton, which is why I made it. I used chicken *thigh* filets (a thing I didn’t even know existed before) to bring up the fat factor. I followed the instructions to the letter but used unsalted broth I had on hand, so I had to add more salt than the recipe called for to compensate. Instead of adding pasta, I simply simmered the chicken for an additional six minutes or so, pulled the chicken out, added more salt and some red pepper flakes to the sauce to taste, hit the sauce with my immersion blender (just to bring all the flavors together), added the cream cheese and then a splash of heavy whipping cream to take up the fat factor (though it tasted just fine without the HWC), then put the chicken back in. I’ve served it over riced cauliflower thus far and may serve it over spinach later in the week but I think this will be a consistent staple for me because it’s quick, easy, delicious, and doesn’t require a lot of obscure ingredients.
Made this recipe today. Really delicious, family loved it. Added diced green and red peppers. Also added sausages.
Definitely will add to family menu.
I make this at least once a week. It may be one of my favorite foods ever. I like it best as written (except I use Trader Joe’s brown rice penne), and I tend to add a little more spice since I like things spicy. I’ve also made all sorts of substitutions depending on what ingredients I have on hand and how many calories I want to consume. In place of cream cheese, I’ve successfully used heavy cream, half and half, greek yogurt and sour cream at different times. I once used some shredded pork I had. It was okay, but chicken is better. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you create.
Fantastic!!!!! I made the recipe as written and my partner and I both devoured it. Would be really good to try with Shrimp too!
What a good idea! I will definitely do this when I have some leftover shrimp
What if you already have Cajun seasoning, how much of the seasoning would u use?
About 2 Tbsp, just keep in mind that some store bought Cajun seasonings contain a lot more salt than my blend, so there is a danger of making it too salty.
Love the receipt
What if i dont want to use the diced tomatoes ?
Thanks! They’re pretty key ingredient to the recipe but you could swap with crushed tomatoes if you prefer.