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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
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?
Absolutely love this recipe! How much is a serving?
One serving is one quarter of the finished dish.
I love this recipe – it has become a favourite of my family! I usually make it as-is, except that I like to add some bell pepper and zucchini (at the same time as the onion) to get some extra veggies in. Thanks for this wonderful recipe, Beth!
I think veggies is the only thing missing! I omitted the cayenne and added andouille sausage. Next time I’d do some red and green bell pepper!
Husband and I really liked this one! Thank you for posting these recipes.
How much onion? Med? Large?
It’s flexible. :) I’d go with medium.
Recipe doesn’t state if the pasta should be cooked or uncooked. Anyone know?
Uncooked. :) If it needed to be cooked I would include that in the instructions or list the pasta as “cooked pasta” in the ingredient list.
Can I just use the Cajun seasoning I already have instead of using all those spices ? If so how much would I use ?
It depends. A lot of store-bought Cajun seasonings contain a LOT of salt, so you have to be careful of that. The seasonings I used equal about 2 Tbsp of seasoning, so that’s what I would guess to use with store-bought unless it has a high salt content, then you’d be in danger of over-salting the dish.
If I didn’t want to use the fire roasted tomatoes could I use roasted garlic and onion pasta sauce
No, I wouldn’t suggest using that substitution. More so because of the texture difference. The diced tomatoes are tomato pieces with juice, whereas the past sauce is a thick, even-textured sauce. While it might work, I can’t predict how that will affect the overall texture of the sauce.
I loved this recipe! I added mushrooms and kale and used whole wheat fusilli. I had mascarpone on hand and that worked well in place of cream cheese. Thanks for sharing, will definitely make again!
Delicious, but a little too smoky for me. I’ll likely reduce the smoked paprika next time. I also used soft goat cheese instead of cream cheese since I’m lactose intolerant to cow dairy products.
This is my absolute favourite recipe – it’s so easy and so delicious. Thank you!!
Tried this the other day and it was delicious!
Awesome. Easy. Kids loved it too, said make it again!!
Wonderful recipe. Another budget bytes favorite. I put in a little chile powder too.
If I wanted to sub the chicken for shrimp, what broth should I use instead?
I would still use chicken broth, since the flavor is pretty universal. The only change you’d want to make is that after you sauté the seasoned shrimp in the skillet, remove the shrimp, then proceed with the recipe. Add the shrimp back to the recipe at the very end. If you leave it in the skillet like you do with the chicken it will over cook and be very tough and rubbery. :)
Ok, lemme tell you this recipe is golden!! I’ve made it like ten times and its the best thing ever. I use water instead of chicken broth but it still tastes like HEAVEN. Anyways this is actually very easy to make since I’m only 15 and I could do this with my eyes closed. I do be Gordon Ramsay. Chao anyways