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?
This recipe is amazing! And very simple with just a couple changes I tried. Instead of making the Cajun seasoning yourself you can just season the chicken with a premixed Cajun seasoning (such as Slap Ya Mama). I did about 8 tsp of that but if you prefer less spicy 5 or 6 tsp would suffice. It was also suggested to make the dish “extra” you can add bacon. So what I did was chop about 6 slices of bacon first and cook it in the pot. I removed the bacon and left the bacon grease in order to sauté the chicken and other ingredients instead of the butter and olive oil. I added the cooked bacon in at the end when mixing the cream cheese. I ended up with a restaurant quality dish and plan to make this again!
This is fingerlicking good. Very delicious! I added 1/2 pkg (4oz)of creamcheese for more creaminess! Definitely will be doing this again.
I love this recipe and have gotten so many people hooked on it! It is a staple in my house!!
I made this vegetarian by omitting the chicken, added green and red bell peppers and sliced mushrooms. I also used protein pasta and veggie broth. Sooooo good! This is going into our regular rotation!!
Love this recipe. We use regular spaghetti. We like spicy so we use the store made Cajun seasoning, rotel with habaneros, and add garlic!I add parmesean cheese at the end too. It’s delicious!
This was really good, I usually dont buy much into the ‘one pan pasta’ thing but was pleasantly surprised by this. Tomato cream sauce is always good and the cream cheese substitute for milk or cream works really really well with the spices. My only gripes are pretty shallow;
1/4 tsp cayenne does NOT a spicy dish make, like objectively, I am a spice rookie and this is pretty mild, so if you want it to kick use more cayenne and black pepper, and think about hot sauce or pickled japapenos! If you’re using medium or large penne you will almost certainly need to boil it in the stock close to twice as long as listed to get it al dente. You probably want to use more cream cheese as a thickener, otherwise this sauce will end up at the bottom of your bowl instead of all up in those noodles.
Amazing!!!! That’s it just amazing!
We loved it!! The only thing that stopped us from eating the whole recipe between two is that the spiciness kicked. But it is definitely becoming a permanent in our recipes. Full of flavor and creamy…just great. I didn’t let my chicken golden as much as yours but will try to next time we do it, for sure it will taste even better.
An easy, fast and delicious meal.
Loving it from Colombia!
Really good recipe. I used fusilli pasta, added diced bell peppers, celery, fresh garlic, fresh parsley with the green onion at the end. Was out of cayenne so I added a few dashes of Tabasco. Will be trying this with shrimp next!
Made this last night for my husband and I. Absolutely delicious, I just moderated the cream cheese quantity for our preferences and cooked a bit longer than 10 minutes. Definitely making again.
Delicious!
I’ve made several,of your recipes and especially enjoy your Southwest One Pot Casserole. It makes a big batch considering there are only two of us eating it. It’s great leftover and I make it a lot since it’s like 2 or 3 meals for me. I do add homemade pics de Gallo and sour cream at the table. Love the crunch and creaminess it adds.
Also in one of your recipes you were asking about having cooked meat lying around. I always do. When chicken is on sale, I buy extra, put it in a crockpot with broth and cook. I then shred the chicken and put it by the pound in the freezer. I use it in lots of recipes. And it that’s pretty quick.
Homemade pico de gallo sounds wonderful!
This looked so delicious and I was so excited to try it, but it came out meh. My sauce was not nearly as creamy as the photos with only 2oz. of cream cheese so I ended up doubling it. The cajun flavor really didn’t come through much, maybe because I doubled the cream cheese? It tasted more tomato-ey than anything. The flavors were rather flat and muted. I had considered adding some kale as another reader suggested, but I didn’t do it and I think it could have benefited from some more flavor. My husband wasn’t even thrilled about it and he loves pasta.
That was my first impression too. We switched out the chicken for ground hot Italian sausage and it was delicious
Mine came out meh as well, and I even added Parmesan at the end. It wasn’t rich or all that creamy, didn’t taste Cajun, was just very mediocre. I don’t understand all of these raving reviews. It took the hungry away, but I won’t be making it again for sure.
Delicious and super easy! I did saute a bunch of kale along with the onions because I needed to use it up, and the whole family loved it.
This has been a hit in my home and in my parents! Even my two year old and picky dad loved it! If you are looking for an easy meal to cook with two kids under three running around, I suggest this. I held the baby and cooked, my son helped “cut up” stuff” and we threw it all in and bam! Done! Perfect for a busy parent!
I’ve made this many times, and it’s always amazing. I follow the recipe exactly, except I go heavy with store-bought cajun seasoning and cook longer than 10 mins. Always a hit.