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.
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
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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?
Pretty good recipe. I added some extra of the seasoning towards the end for a little more flavor. Overall, super easy and quick to cook and tasted great for a budget recipe.
Incredible. I ended up straining some of the juice after the pasta cooked then added more Cajun sauce on top after draining. Turned out amazing.
Tastes like creamy tomato soup mixed with chicken noodle soup. The flavor is lacking something, I think next time I will try with fresh herbs instead of dried and use fire roasted chiles instead of just tomatoes. I think black garlic oil or a flavoring oil could also help elevate the flavor.
This was great!!! Couldn’t get any fire roasted tomatoes (being a European on American cooking websites sucks sometimes – so many ingredients that just don’t exist here. Looking at you, cream of chicken/mushroom soups!), but it worked just fine with regular high quality tomatoes. The smoked paprika adds plenty of smokey/grilley flavour.
Highly recommend.
Is it possible to cook this in a slow cooker?
No, unfortunately this one is not a good candidate for a slow cooker.
Where I live, cream cheese is creamy so can’t be cut. A spoon has to be used.
If I can’t get fire roasted tomatoes where I live, how can I make them?
All the spices to be used?
🫠
I half some roma tomatoes and put under my broiler until they are nice and roasted with some black parts, basically the same as fire roasted
Really good recipe. I made a vegan version by leaving out the cream cheese and subbing veggie broth. Instead of chicken I used a Japanese eggplant, half a green pepper and a few mushrooms. Very tasty and flexible recipe.
you could get some tofu cover it in some cornstarch and pan fry it then add it to your sauce to absorb the flavour
Hi! How would I best go about making this dish vegetarian? What would be a good substitute for the chicken? Thank you!
Honestly, I’d probably just make it a creamy pasta by itself without adding anything in place of the chicken (you’ll also have to sub veg broth for the chicken broth). In that case you would be adding the spices to the skillet after the onions have softened and then you’d continue to cook the spices and onions for about two minutes more to toast the spices. You could potentially add some chickpeas, but I think the texture and contrast to the pasta would be strange.
Really good! I food processed a cup of cottage cheese and added that at the end as well for some extra protein and creaminess.
Amazing recipe, it tasted so good, this will become a part of our meal rotation.
Hi
One of the best things I’ve ever made! I decided to go with pre-made cajun seasoning to save some money, and couldn’t find the fire foasted tomatoes so used regular diced tomatoes. Also left out the onion but it came out absolutely delicious!
I was away from home for a few days after making it and kept fantasizing about the leftovers lol. It was also very easy! Thank you!!!!!
I doubled the recipe and it came out a little soupy. To fix it, after the pasta was fully cooked I strained the remaining liquid and reduced it in a separate pot until it was thicker, then added it back with the cream cheese. It turned out well!
I love this recipe. It’s so simple, easy to follow, and delicious. I think it tastes better without the cream cheese though