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?
Made this tonight as written except added red bell pepper to up the vegetable content. Came out really well! I did need to thicken it up at the end with a little corn starch as it was very brothy. It also benefited from being served with Tabasco for additional heat and acid. Thanks for the recipe!
If I use 12 oz pack of pasta do i need to add more broth
Yes, more pasta will require more broth. I’d need to test the recipe first to know exactly how much, but since you’re using 50% more pasta, I’d start with 50% more broth, which would be an extra cup.
Hi,
Has anyone tried this as a make ahead and then bake in the oven when needed? Thinking of putting some cheese on top and in the oven.
Thanks
Was looking for something new, so I gave this a try tonight….and it was SOOO GOOD!! My family ate it all. Quick to make, and will be on my “favorites” recipe list. Love it!
I’ve been coming back to this recipe for years now it is one of my favorites to make.
I like to add Cajun adouille sausage and shrimp on occasion in which case I add 2 tbs of extra chicken broth to make slightly more sauce (it needs it to coat all of the extra add ins).
Bell peppers are a lovely addition as well. Just add them in diced along with the onion in the beginning.
Thank you for this truly divine recipe.
This recipe is spectacular!!! I DO add Red peppers with the onions- this is a GO TO once every week or 2! We like spicy, so i do add a tsp of McCormick’s Cajun seasoning to give it a kick. Thank you, so delicious.
See above
Love this recipe, I keep coming back to it. I’m not someone who has a lot of time to cook for myself and this is perfect. It’s quick, easy to clean up, and tastes great reheated. I use 4x the amount of cayenne because I like my food really spicy and I substitute heavy cream for cream cheese. It was really soupy the first time I made it, but I added some cornstarch the second time and that solved the issue.
The taste was great! Unfortunately I misread and used a dutch oven instead of a skillet, so it didnt thicken quite right. Next time I’ll try it the right way – the flavor is so worth another shot!
We are without a stove while our remodel is finishing up, and I have been making this with the Instant Pot. I doubled the pasta to 1 lb and added 4 c. of broth + 1 can of fire-roasted salsa-style tomatoes to the spices and sautéed onion (chicken was baked and chopped earlier using my toaster oven). I set it on high pressure for 6 minutes, making sure the pasta was mostly submerged in the liquid and added cream cheese at the end. It turned out so well – consistency of pasta was perfect and I just had my one pot to clean up – thanks for a wonderful recipe – my kids love this!
Thank you for sharing the IP method! I know a lot of people will love that information. :)
Simply yummy, I added chorizo for that added smokiness
This recipe is great for weeknight dinners! It comes together super fast and with ingredients I usually have on hand anyways.
I love that it cooks in literally ONE pan, nothing gets better than that.
I’ve also made this and portion it out in the fridge for lunches for the week. Reheats really great.
This was absolutely delicious! I used double the seasoning in the recipe (bc we like our food VERY spicy – would not recommend doing this to the faint of heart), and used 1/2 cup less of chicken broth because of the comments here. It was insanely good, and I will definitely be making it again.
Any recommendations on a wine or beer pairing with this recipe?
No, unfortunately, I don’t drink enough wine to have a solid recommendation. :P
Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for posting such a great recipe.
I made this and liked it, but next time I will use Italian sausage instead of chicken. I think it would go really well with the seasonings.