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?
This was delicious and I had fun making it! I had a ton of the substitutes in my fridge and was actually experimenting! Excellent recipe for people who are nervous cooks! I added some extra spices and different tomatoes that I had on hand! :) Also love the set up of this site!
If I wanted to substitute Cajun seasoning for the individual ingredients, about how much would I need to start with? There are roughly 6 teaspoons of ingredients, which equals 2 tablespoons (if my math is correct!). Would that be too much?
thanks
That’s correct! But one thing to look out for: many store-bought Cajun seasoning blends contain a lot of salt, so you’ll be heavily salting the dish if you add 2 Tbsp. Make sure to use an unsalted Cajun seasoning blend. :)
Such an easy and fast recipe. This is perfect for a weeknight. We added 2 celery and a green bell pepper diced. It lacks heat, so I recommend more cayenne. A great way to use up leftover Turkey or chicken.
I used cavatappi pasta. I was in a pinch of ingredients so I used onions, peppers and tomatoes sautéed in butter and olive oil with Cajun season. I used a roaster chicken I grabbed at the store. Mixed broccoli and parmesan cheese.
Definitely will make again. But for us, we would use less pasta coz we like our pasta a little sauce. It was dry coz the pasta absorbed a lot of the sauce.
I double the cream cheese and a little less salt, added a shredded cheese mix… this was SO good! I’m going to try subbing pasta for cauliflower next time.
The sauce as followed was missing a little something for me but I added some cream in addition to the two ounces of cream cheese and a cap full of shaker Parmesan and it was delicious! (Also did some sliced green bell peppers instead of the green onions, highly recommend for some crunch)
I thought this was good. Used what I had on hand I used onion powder in place of onion and crushed tomato’s in place of fire roasted tomatoes and rigatoni and added mushrooms.
Way too much smoked paprika, very soupy too
This recipe was outstanding! Loved being able to cook the pasta in this one-pan meal!
I’ve made this several times, no changes to the recipe and we absolutely love it. It is definitely a staple in our house.
I just had a question — if I had some leftover rotisserie chicken I wanted to use up, could I use that in this recipe and I would I have change anything? Would I have to add it later on or still follow recipe as is?
Hello Beth,
Love the site and all your recipes. Lately I’ve noticed that the text is over lapping on my android phone making it impossible for me to read your content.
Is there any way you can fix this?
Thx!
Hi! I just sent you an email. SO sorry this is happening and would love to figure out a solution ASAP. We need screenshots to send to our tech folks. XOXO -Monti
Try adjusting your zoom
Not our favorite recipe. Perhaps too much paprika for us and it was definitely missing something. The recipe was easy to make and it makes a lot (unfortunate for us because nearly all of it went in the trash).
I totally understand where you’re coming from. I had the same thing happen. Spent money and time on this recipe and it didn’t even smell good once it was done. I don’t know if it was just the cream cheese or if I put too much noodles in it but it smelt kind of weird and my kid didn’t like it and I tried a bite and I didn’t think it was too bad but I didn’t take up a bowl myself. The whole pot of it went into the trash. :(
Super delicious! I like spicier food so I added more cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. I also added more salt. I think next time I’ll try this with hot spicy sausage as well as the chicken. Definitely keeping this in my rotation! Thanks!
I’ve made this a few times, and it’s always a hit. Sometimes I use chicken, sometimes I use sausage or shrimp. Sometimes I use all 3. I often add fresh spinach or kale (if I have it on hand), and it really compliments this recipe. This is a favorite in my house, and it always stays on the rotation. It’s budget friendly, fast and delicious.
Hi Giovanna, I imagine spinach can be added at the very end to just wilt. When you add the kale-when do you do it and is it already cooked somehow or raw when you add? Thank you!
You also want to add kale right at the end to wilt. It will take a few extra minutes to soften than spinach and will continue to keep a lot of its texture. ~ Marion :)
I used 8lbs of penne instead of the half lb you recommended. Ate it all raw then combined the Cajun seasoning with the chicken broth and drank it. I’m just built different. 10/10 would make this recipe again.
Fritz- let me know how your anus was after you did all that.
Thanks for the tip! Definitely gonna try this! 😂
LMAOOO YO-