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?
Making this today! Can I put in IP ?
I haven’t tried this one in an IP, unfortunately.
What can I substitute for the tomatoes? My fiancé can’t stand tomato chunks but I love this recipe.
Hmm, that’s a tough one. I don’t think there’s going to be anything that is an easy swap that I could suggest without testing. The tomatoes add acidity, liquid, and texture to the dish. I would probably try just leaving them out, adding a smidge more broth (maybe ½ cup), and perhaps a dash of lemon juice? That’s just a stab in the dark, though, it really is something I’d have to test and tinker with.
I’m not a fan of tomato chunks either –
I would throw in a couple of healthy tablespoons of tomato paste for the last couple of mins of the onions sauteeing. Add another 1/2c of of broth to make up for lost liquid in the tomatoes. (The other one pot pasta recipes on this site generally use 2.5c of liquid total for 8 oz of pasta.)
Flavors should be there, without the chunks.
I as looking for just a pasta version of this without the chicken. Since it looks like a lot of the sauce gets it flavoring from the chicken seasoning residue and from the chicken itself, what would be the best way to introduce the same flavors into the pasta/sauce portion of this recipe? Same portions of seasoning, but cut a bit?
I probably wouldn’t reduce the seasoning at all. I would cook the onion in butter (instead of oil) to give it a little more richness in absence of the meat, and then sprinkle the seasoning on top of the sautéed onion and cook for a minute or two more just to toast the spices.
Love, love this
What a great recipe. I was looking for something more interesting than my regular chicken pasta bake and this will be it for dinner tonight. Thanks very much.
Hey there, I’m a bit lactose intolerant but I’d love to try this recipe before because I love Cajun pasta (despite the consequences lol). I’d love to know if there was possibly a cheese substitute that I could use that may not change the taste of the recipe very much. Vegan cheese maybe?
Unfortunately, I haven’t tested any non-dairy substitutes for this, but I can say that it’s also quite tasty without the dairy (just as a spicy red sauce). :)
I’ve been making this recipe many times by leaving out all the cheese and it still is one of my favorite recipes! I would recommend trying it.
Alpro make a soy cream and I use that in place of cream cheese
I use coconut milk instead of cream cheese just for healthier version and I love it
I added 1/4 cup lactose free milk in place of the cream cheese. It’s still very good!!! My husband can’t handle the heavier stuff like cream cheese and heavy cream.
I’d use coconut cream (not cream of coconut, which is sweetened!)
Made this many times as written and loved it. Sometimes if I’m rushed I use premade Cajun seasoning. This time I forgot the cream cheese at the grocery store so I subbed some plain Greek yogurt and shredded pepper jack cheese since that’s what I had. It was still really good, maybe an alternative if you don’t like cream cheese. I personally love cream cheese and will try not to forget to buy it next time I make this.
Can this be frozen? I meal prep for the week or next two weeks and this recipe will probably do me 6 or 8 portions so I won’t get to eat it all quickly enough.
I haven’t tried freezing this one, but I believe I’ve gotten comments from other people who have done so successfully. What I suggest is to test it first with one portion to see if the results are palatable to you before trying to freeze say, half the batch.
Thank you, I’ll let you know how it goes :)
I use sliced turkey sausage with this recipe and my whole family LOVES it! Thank you!
I loved the sibling recipe so much that I made this one too. I replaced the chicken w a can of drained red kidney beans and a diced bell pepper because I have no chicken in the house lol.
This is one seriously delicious recipe. I’ve made it twice in four days it is THAT GOOD.
Thank you thank you thank you so muchhhhh!!
Yum! I also added in bell peppers with the onions. Thanks for this recipe!
loved the recipe so much , and as i am in Ramadan i am going to try 100% Delicious and fulling.
We’re trying this tonight! The nutritional info says 1 serving, but it doesn’t say how much 1 serving is? Can you advise?
A serving is ¼ of the recipe, but I don’t have an exact volume. With recipes like this it can vary depending on how you pack that measuring cup. :)
Love the recipe. I like to cook my pasta separate, but this recipe is on point!