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?
Not really a lot of Cajun flavour but it was yummy and the husband liked it a lot. 😅 Served it with parmigiana and a simple butter lettuce salad. Thank you. I’ll make it again. Also I used dark meat instead of white chicken.
Cheers 🥂
This is spicy and delicious even with some adjustments. I used andouille sausage instead of chicken and then realized I didn’t have any broth. So, I used a cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water for the broth. I added sliced green and red peppers and some shredded carrots to get more veggies. Our house likes spicy so this was a hot!
My husband and I both loved this recipe! We had all of the ingredients in our pantry, and it was a great use of fire roasted tomatoes and cream cheese that I didn’t know how to use up. I added some mushrooms and red bell peppers, and next time think I will add some spinach as well. Thanks for all of your work in creating these recipes!
So, what…..? A potentially negative comment about your recipe doesn’t deserve to be read by your “groupies” ?
Shame on you
Now you are saying I’ve made this comment previously…..NO, I don’t think so…I haven’t submitted the above comment before. I did submit a comment on the healthy aspects of the recipe, or rather the UNhealthy aspects. But, you did not see fit to post that comment.
AGAIN, SHAME on you.
All first-time comments are held in moderation until we can review them to make sure they’re not spam or bots. Once you have one comment approved, you can post additional comments without them being held for moderation. It has nothing to do with the content of your comment.
You know, comments like this on a great website can be kept to yourself. It’s so easy to be mean behind a keyboard. Be kind. We’re talking about RECIPES here.
All of the recipes I’ve read from your site sound great. I’m a more senior woman than you. And I am a old Southern woman, having grown up in the south with all that encompasses regarding food, cooking, and traditions. AND I have had the unique experiences of being Greek AND living in New Orleans for a large hunk of time. My experiences bring a special set of skills and “taste buds” to the kitchen. I would like to know if you have thought about making your recipes a little more health conscious ? You can save money, have great tasting meals, AND have a reduction of fats and carbs.
I can reduce things on my own, but, younger cooks may not have those skills. There is absolutely nothing wrong in making your recipes every now and then….BUT, a steady stream of your suggestions will not be heart friendly after a while .Just a thought.
Hi CB, I try not to offer advice on health since the definition of healthy is very subjective and we all have different health goals. What one person considers a healthy ingredient swap may not be healthy for a different person. Instead, I try to offer very basic recipes that users can modify to meet their own nutritional needs. :)
Hello – Will be trying this recipe tonight, all I have is chicken stock, would that be an ok substitute ?
Thank you
Yes, that will work. :)
So easy and very flavorful!! Amazing recipe!! I LOVE one pot meals and this one does not disappoint!!
Husband this a huge thumbs up. I say it’s absolutely delicious. We used gluten free pasta so I could binge on this meal. The pasta took longer and with more water (likely because it was gluten free?) but everything else was spot on. We added small amount of andouille sausage with the chicken. This recipe will go into the rotation for sure. Thank you!
A+!!! Added some bell pepper and mushrooms to up the veg. Tasty and easy clean-up. Coworkers asked for the recipe after heating up my lunch leftovers. Yum!
First time making this dish. This recipe is soooo good!!!! The only things I changed were the noodles and tomatoes. Instead of penne pasta I used tri-color rotini and instead of the fire roasted diced tomatoes I used a can of Rotel because that was all I had in the pantry. But it turned out great!! I will definitely be making this again!
This is my FAVORITE pasta dish! So good and so easy to make.
Can u freeze it?
I haven’t tried freezing this particular one, but I bet it would freeze fairly well.
This was amazing! I made it vegan, using plant-based chicken and cream cheese, and it turned out to be exactly what we were looking for in a weekend meal: easy, satisfying, and seemingly decadent. This will definitely be in our regular rotation.
Delicious recipe! While it’s super convenient it cooks in one pan, if you’re hoping to have it for leftovers you’ll find that the pasta has soaked up majority of the sauce the next day. I’m not a fan of that, so I reduced the amount of chicken broth to a 1/2 cup so I could cook the sauce and pasta separately. It was still a tad bit soupy, so I’ll probably try a 1/3 of a cup the next time I make it. I can always add more if it winds up too thick.
I just found your site recently, and this is the first recipe I made. Wow this is delicious! Super flavorful. Will definitely be making more!