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
Ingredients
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
Video
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?
Can you freeze this?
Yes. Freeze in individual portions, with plastic wrap covering the top surface of the portion so air cannot affect it. XOXO -Monti
This recipe is perfect as-is. Really, I don’t change a single thing when I make this. The first time I made it, my husband and I ate the whole thing, just between the two of us. Creamy, not too spicy, and a great flavor profile to add to our rotation.
I had some chicken thighs already cooked and seasoned but needed something quick and easy.. I also used fettuccine as my little like โslurpyโ noodles best. As others mentioned, I needed a little extra cream cheese to achieve maximum creaminess, but was delicious. Definitely making again! Budget Bytes never lets me down!!ย
This was so freaking delicous!!! I added a bit more cream cheese because I wanted extra creaminess. It came out perfect and it smells so good.
Hi! Iโm making this tonight as a casserole for a couple who just had a baby. Do you think your spice mix (which looks yummy and totally good as is) could be easily replaced with a Cajun seasoning mix such as Tony Chacheres or Old Bay?
Go for it! XOXO -Monti
It’s so hot just now in Michigan, but m’people still want fed dinner (ha ha) So I turned to my fav, Budget Bytes, and thought a one-pot meal may get the job done. As is often the case with your recipes, I had everything on hand and didn’t heat up the house making this creamy cajun chicken pasta (whoot!)
We read some of the reviews, but other than pasta…we can’t figure out how some folk found the flavor profile “italian.” We all gobbled it all up and proclaimed it yummo! Do you think a cup and a half of basmati rice could be tossed in to this, rather than pasta at the point of simmer?
This dish was good; but I added my own twist to it by adding smoke sausage and shrimp, and I cut some of the sodium.ย
This is a great recipe and loved it was quick and easy to make. It did seem to taste a little bit Italian but I quick sear andouille sausage slices and throw it in also. We love it with the chicken and sausage and helps give a little extra cajun flavor. I usually have to add more cream cheese to thicken the sauce also.
I found the measuring units difficult to interpret as we use grams in England.
This recipe is quite spicy.
Hi Marina! Thanks for being here. Feel free to use an online measurement converter to help with all of the math. This one works well: https://www.inchcalculator.com/convert/cup-to-gram/ XOXO -Monti
What a great dish. My wife said this is something she would order in a restaurant. So rich of flavor, fun and easy to make. Well Done!!
Made this without the cream cheese due to an allergy, and it was still so delicious and flavorful!! Highly recommend, and loved that it was one pot.ย
Absolutely smashing. Cook it on a regular basis with some toasted Ciabbata bread and garlic butter. The other half wants it to be cooked all week if she could.
Really nice recipe, son and husband both had seconds they enjoyed it so much. Definitely one to keep, maybe try it for a lunch box recipe for my son and daughter.
Will the pasta come out al dente enough to freeze and reheat well without getting too soft?
Just make sure to pull it BEFORE it’s al dente.
Itโs really good! ย Itโs in the rotation of meals. ย The creaminess of the cream cheese makes this wonderful along with the spices and fire roasted tomatoes.
Great recipe but my only wonder was where was the Cajun flavor? It tasted more Italian than anything. My husband came home from work and asked where the pizza was. All I could taste was the tomatoes.
Looking forward to giving this recipe a try. It looks awesome and I love cajun spices. I had my daughter take a look at this recipe also and she agrees….we can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much.