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?
So delicious! Really enjoyed this one. I also used tomatoes with green chilies since that’s what I had on hand. So tasty. I’m all about that smoky creamy flavor!
My favorite recipe here! Super easy and delicious every time!!
So good. I did 14oz of fire roasted tomatoes instead of 15, used 4oz cream cheese instead of 2. I didn’t have any issues with soupyness.
Made this pretty much as is but I used mushroom broth and herb and garlic cream cheese. My normally taciturn son commented is was ‘very good’ which is unprecedented ;) As a vegetarian myself I’m always looking for reliable recipes for the rest of the omnivore family. I’ll be making this again and again. Thank you Beth!
This recipe makes me feel like a pro chef! The way it all comes together in the end is amazing! So creamy and so spicy and yummy! I make this one a lot, it’s a top recipe in my rotation!
I think this is a solid 3-star recipe. It’s quick, basic, and made from pantry staples. It’s also customizable which is good. My only critique is that the fire roasted tomatoes made the dish taste more Italian than cajun (to my palate, anyway). Another reviewer said they used tomatoes with green chilies. I think that might match better for this dish. Again, solid easy weeknight recipe right here.
Did your fire-roasted tomatoes contain herbs and spices? The fire-roasted tomatoes I used were just plain, no seasoning.
Loved this recipe.
I didn’t use as much liquid as the recipe stated, but to make up for it, I added diced onion, bell pepper, celery, and mushroom and let those sweat.
Otherwise, it was a hit.
Perfect meal.
Thanks
Will do this again soon
Superb!
Decided to make this on a whim because I wanted to use up items in the pantry and it turned out better than I expected considering the “soupy” comments.
Slight differences for how I made it included using a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles instead of fire roasted tomatoes (thought I had some but did not), macaroni elbows instead of penne, and the seasoned vegetable Better than Bouillon (the only one I use) instead of chicken broth. I put in ever so slightly less than two cups of water but not enough to make a noticeable difference.
This was definitely saucy but not “soupily” so. I highly recommend Better than Bouillon since you can slightly decrease the water if you are worried about soupiness but did not have that issue.
This was very flavorful and easy and I will definitely be planning to make it again.
this meal looks delicious. Anyway anyone knows the serving size? otherwise its pretty simple to figure out on my own. just curious thanks
It was amazing! It was a little too runny, even after adding about 3/4 a pound of pasta. But i drained about 1/4 of a cup then sprinkled corn starch until it thickened and it was perfect!
Def agree with the other comments – it was way too liquidy and I had to drain about half the liquid before adding the cream cheese. But, after I did that, it turned out really great! I also added mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic, and some parmesan & pepper jack cheese – the extra veggies & flavor were key!
Definitely too soupy. I wished the written ingredients stated ‘uncooked’ pasta. I’m not one to read and watch every bit of a long post and for times sake pay attention mostly to the ingredient list and then the directions as I cook.The first time was a flop as i precooked the pasta.. The 2nd time it was still soupy so I drained all the liquid and added marinara sauce with the cream cheese. It was okay but next time I would definitely use less smoked paprika and more onions…probably add some other veggies also.
YUM! So good so yummy & pretty dang easy! The sauce will be watery at first, but be patient and simmer a bit longer without the lid on and it will thicken up beautifully! Adding this in to my dinner rotation. Subbed a can of rotel and added some extra Parmesan ❤️🧡
Agree on the watery sauce. I let liquid evaporate the last few minutes but it would not thicken up at all. :(