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?
Quick to make if you have everything out and ready (which I often do not). Tasty and pantry friendly.
Absolutely loved it! Did it last week without the tomatoes because I didn’t have any in, and we still loved it.
Found it easier to put the spices in a tupperware, shake to mix them up, then add the diced chicken, shake again until all surfaces are coated, then add to pan when ready.
I know it says 1/2 lbs of pasta, which is about 2 cups of ounces, is that correct?
Well, that depends. Cups is a volume measure, so it depends on the shape of the pasta. A small pasta will have more per cup than a larger shape pasta, so ½ lb. of pasta will not always equal two cups.
I see, so should I be using 8oz of the pasta or actually weigh the pasta?
8oz. is a weight measure here. In the U.S. we use fluid ounces (volume) for liquid ingredients and weight ounces for solid ingredients, which can get confusing. 8 fluid ounces = one cup, 8 weight ounces = ½ lb., but 8 fluid ounces does not always equal 8 weight ounces because every ingredient has a different density. So in this case, you’re using ½ lb. of pasta (equal to 8 weight ounces). You can weigh it if you want, but I just eyeball ½ of a 1 lb. package.
Do you think I could make this ahead and reheat in oven?
Also….. how much does this make…. enough for a family of 4?
I’ve never tried reheating this one in the oven, but one thing you have to be careful with reheating pasta dishes is that the longer they’re on the heat the softer the pasta gets. Oven reheating tends to be a slow process, whereas something like a microwave is very quick. I got four servings out of this, but whether or not it will feed your family of four just depends on how much you tend to eat per serving. :)
This is a family favorite.
Can I make this ahead of time and allow it to sit on very low heat? If not, how long is it advisable to let it sit? I realize pasta could over cook.
I don’t advise keeping any pasta dish on the heat for very long because it will continue to soften and absorb liquid, leaving the pasta mushy and with a drier sauce.
Clarifying that I don’t cook the pasta prior to adding it to the chicken mixture.
Correct. :)
Instead of cream cheese could I use quark as a substitute? It’s similar to cream cheese, it would just be easier on my diet plan?
Unfortunately, I’m unfamiliar with quark so I’m not sure how it would affect the outcome of this recipe.
This was delicious! Do you think I could add in spinach and mushrooms to the chicken and onions to sauté? Or would it mess up the moisture?
Hmm, I think the mushrooms would add a lot of moisture that you’d want to cook off, but that extra cook time might result in the chicken overcooking. If adding spinach, I’d add that later toward the end. One option would be to sauté the mushrooms and spinach first (before the chicken) then remove them from the skillet so it’s not overcrowded when you do the chicken. And make sure the butter is added before the chicken because that really helps get that browning action with the spices. :)
Not complaining about the heat in the original version (LOVED IT!!!) , but I am wondering if it works using regular canned tomato instead of fire-roasted ones in a pinch (without losing too much of the taste appeal)? Has anyone tried? What was your verdict?
Yep, you can definitely swap that out. The fire roasted tomatoes just add a little more subtle smokey flavor, but there are so many herbs and spices in this that I think you can get by without that. :)
Hi just wondering can you use whole wheat penne instead & would it change the cooling time?
You may need slightly more broth and to simmer it a bit longer, but I can’t offer any specifics without actually testing it. :(
Hello,
Would it be possible to use store bought ‘cajun seasoning’ instead of making the seasoning from scratch? Also regarding the 2 cups of chicken broth, is that two chicken stock cubes in water? I’m unfamiliar on how to make broth!
Kind regards,
A super novice
Hi Shaun! The only thing you have to be careful with when using store-bought Cajun seasoning is that many of them are more like a seasoning salt, and you might be in danger of way over-salting the dish. So if you can find one that is just a spice and herb blend without salt, that would work (use 2 Tbsp). For the chicken broth, you’ll need to check the instructions on the package for your cube to find out exactly how much one cube makes, but most small cubes are usually one cube + one cup water = one cup broth. :)
Hi Beth!
Just wanted to thank you for this recipe! I did use the store bought cajun seasoning but followed everything else and my family loves it. Next thing I want to try is adding full cream as you suggested, just to make it creamier and a bit more light orange in colour :)
Once I order myself a spice rack I’ll try making the cajun seasoning from scratch as per your recipe!
Thanks,
Shaun
So good! Did this tonight ! Didn’t have chicken broth so I used chicken bouillon and water. Yummm
Delicious!
Hi Beth, this looks amazing! If I were to use cooked rotisserie chicken instead of raw, how should I proceed?
I think I would sauté the onions first, then adding the spice mix and sauté for just a minute or two more. Then add the shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken in with the pasta and broth. :)
Can I use cream cheese and heavy cream? How much of each?
I’m not sure without having tested it. That would be REALLY thick, so I’m not sure you’d need both.
Can I use green peas instead of green onions?
No, they’re very different.