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!
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“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 GOOD! I did have to make a few changes though. College student here, and going home next week for Thanksgiving … which means I’m trying to use up the groceries I have in the refrigerator before then.
I didn’t have thyme or onion powder, but I did have a cajun spice so I used a bit of that and added more garlic powder and oregano. I’m from New Orleans, so a good cajun spice mix is a must!
I only had chickpea pasta, and that still worked with the time listed in the recipe. I didn’t have any fire roasted tomatoes (and don’t like actual tomatoes bc of the texture), but I did have tomato paste, and added some in. It really worked to add some color and taste.
I didn’t have cream cheese, but did have some heavy whipping cream , and I used a bit of goat cheese mixed in as well. It really did work, and tastes great.
I love this recipe. I also added some andouille sausage I had in the fridge. Gave it even more zest and flavor.
Honestly, this was one of the tastiest meals I have ever made for myself. I am so in love with this recipe. Going to do it again as soon as possible. Thank you so much for that!
Does the pasta need to be cooked before adding it into the skillet with the tomatoes and chicken broth? Or are you letting the pasta cook during that process? Thanks.
The pasta is uncooked when it goes into the pot and cooks as everything simmers together. :)
I made this last night and thought it was great. I added some frozen peas at the end because I had a small amount left over in the freezer and thought it would work. I will definitely add this to my regular rotation. Thank you!
Hey just wondering if this can be freezed ok?
I haven’t tried freezing this one, so I’m not sure. Sometimes creamy sauces don’t hold up so well to freezing.
Should the lid be on or off during the 10-minute simmer?
Lid on, to hold in the steam. :)
This was really easy and yummy!! Husband approved!
Made this tonight & YUMMMM!!! My entire family loved it & my husband gets tired of eating chicken lol Used the recommended amount of cayenne & thought it was spicy, but not too much!! Thanks soo much!
This dish looks packed with flavor and yumminess!
I tried this last night and my family just loved it. I added mushrooms. Thanks for the great recipe.
April in GA
I was going to comment, I added mushrooms too! Chunky slices of baby portobello. Yummmm…
This looks really good. I’m in NZ so unfortunately we can’t get “fire roasted tomatoes” and my experiment last summer making them didn’t work, so I used one of my oven roasted tomato sauces. I also used “proper” sour cream (like creme fraiche) instead of cream cheese because, again, it’s what we had.
I might try it without chicken next time to make it an even easier weeknight meal
I loved it. Made it without the cream cheese, but it tasted really good. Thanks!
I made this last night. Easy to throw together, only one pan dirty, all usually on hand ingredients, and it was very tasty! That checks off a lot of boxes for me. I also have leftovers to enjoy later and I bet it freezes well. Thank you for this recipe, it is certainly a keeper!
Thanks for this! We just tried this tonight after the trick-or-treaters went home, and it was really good! I left out the chicken, just added the seasonings to the onions at the end of sautéing, and added chickpeas instead at the end along with some frozen peas. Super cute on the plate and super easy for weeknights!
Also, this worked fine in my electric pressure cooker. No changes to the liquids, set the time for 2 minutes less than the shortest time listed on the package for cooking the pasta (or actually for penne I tend to like only 1 minute less, so for me that was 8 minutes). Quick release.
Great idea! Next time I will have to try this in my instant pot with your instructions.