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
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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?
I’ve seen you can adjust the serving size but can you make more and freeze the other portions?
I haven’t tried freezing this one, so I’m not sure how it would hold up. Sometimes creamy sauces separate after freezing and thawing, but I’d have to test it to find out for sure.
Terrific recipe! Made a few next-level modifications: including girella pasta, bell peppers, blue cheese, and bacon. Recommend more aggressive salting than the recipe calls for. Removing the lid — while still on heat — helped speed up the thickening process. Excited to make it again!
This recipe has become a regular meal in our house hold we love it so much it is sooooo YUMMY !!!!
I’m not typically a huge fan of tomato’s but they work in this recipe !!! I also use a pre mixed Cajun spice and it works so well
I also add in bell peppers, grated cheese and use 1/2 regular cream cheese and 1/2 Boursin herb and garlic !!
I am not a fan of tomatoes. Do we have to include them?
Personally, I feel like they add the important element of acidity to the flavor profile, but you might still like it without! :)
I made this tonight and it was delicious! The only criticism is that it needed more salt, but that was easily remedied. The only thing I changed was I added bell pepper, and I also added an extra oz of cream cheese. I found that, even after simmering for 10 minutes, it was very water and resembled a soup more than a pasta sauce so I added the extra cream cheese to thicken it up which seemed to do the trick. Overall it was very good though! I think I’ll add some chipotle peppers next time for some smokiness.
Hi im trying to make it but can i use regular tomato paste or does it have to be fire tomato paste
You should not use any tomato paste. You need to use canned diced tomatoes, which are very different from tomato paste. Fire roasted will give you more flavor, but you can use plain if needed.
I need to know do I throw in the pasta just like that or cook the pasta first then throw it in??
The pasta is added in its uncooked state. It cooks in the broth with everything else. :)
OMG this was delicious.
This was good, but surely the salt is a typo? 1/4 tsp of salt total for a dish with 1 lb of chicken and 1/2 lb of pasta seems way too little.
Salt is always going to be a bit subjective, but this dish gets quite a bit of its salt from the broth and canned tomatoes. I didn’t find I needed to add much after that, but I always suggest adding salt to your own tastes. :)
Can vegetable broth be substituted for the chicken broth or would that throw off the entire recipe?
It will change the flavor, but just how much is hard to say. The spices are pretty pronounced here, so it might mask the change in flavor from the broth. Ultimately, it will probably just be a matter of personal preference whether or not it’s still tasty. :)
I had chicken broth in the pantry, so I substituted with what I had. Let me just see, this was my first time cooking using budgetbytes and I will continue. It was soooooo yummy and simple
Love this! I’m planning on making it with Shrimp tonight…….. I’m debating when to add the shrimp. At the very end, right before I add the cream cheese??
I would cook them quickly in the skillet first, then remove them and add them back in at the end. Shrimp are pretty easy to over cook, so you’ll want to make sure they don’t stay in the skillet the whole time or they’ll shrink up and get super rubbery. :)
Super good very easy and I love that you can change the serving size and it adjusts the recipe.
I really like this recipe, but would like to make it vegetarian? What is a good substitute for chicken? Would any beans/tofu/tempeh work?
You might try kidney beans or tempeh. :)
Maybe try jack-fruit as your chicken substitute.
I make this recipe quite often using a bag of Quorn’s Meatless Pieces as a substitute for the chicken and Better than Bouillon’s vegetable base as a substitute for the chicken broth, and it’s amazing every time. :)
This was amazing! My husband had 3 servings he loved it so much!! So easy and flavorful. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Seriously, so yummy! I added bell peppers and mushrooms just to get my veg in. Shared with others and they loved it. Great as leftovers too! I’m crazy for your broth pastas! Thank-you