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
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!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 the left overs be frozen?
You can definitely freeze, however it’s possible that the sauce will separate when thawing and reheating. To help this, you can gently reheat the pasta and sauce on the stovetop over low heat while stirring continuously until the sauce comes back together.
This recipe was very easy. I added mushrooms, onion, garlic and a green pepper. Used about 6 ounces of cream cheese. I would definitely use Rotel tomatoes next time for added spice. It wasn’t spicy enough for me. I think the amount of smoked paprika may have been a bit too much so I recommend not using as much. I will definitely make this again and possibly use shrimp instead of chicken. Yum!!
I would like to try this! Two questions: 1) Can you substitute tomato sauce for roasted diced tomatoes?; 2) Can you simply use a Cajun seasoning, rather than making your own?
You can absolutely use a store-bought Cajun seasoning! The tomato sauce is a bit more tricky. You really want those pieces of tomato throughout the pasta that the diced tomatoes provide. Also, since tomato sauce is more liquidy, you might need to reduce the amount of chicken broth a bit so that the sauce isn’t too loose by the time the pasta is done. We haven’t tried it that way, but you could definitely try it and see how it goes!
This was full of flavor, hearty and satisfying. And best of all, easy to make. I added a tad extra to the spices and chicken stock and cream cheese but that was personal preference. The recipe is perfect as is. Another great one to add to my rotation. Thanks, Beth!
This was so easy and tasted incredible.
This was delicious and easy however it is not spicy if you are a spice lover. My son and my husband both said it was delicious. I cut back on the liquid but ended up having to add some in the end. I would definitely make this again.
Super easy and tastes amazing!
needs way more salt. ate it on the first night and had absolutely no flavor. but i cooked it for my lunch for the week and had to bring it to work—dumped a packet of salt on it and it brought out the tomato flavor. still, its a crime to call it cajun
Amazing! Even my six year old loved it. I followed the recipe to a T and at the end I added a very small amount of heavy cream. I never post reviews but this one was worth it. I’ll make it many times over. I didn’t have thyme but was amazing regardless.
I think my husband & son would eat this every day if they could. Big winner – thank you!
Excellent. And I’m picky! I threw in a green bell pepper that needed to be used and I used an entire block of cream cheese because I love cream cheese. But I have always used a Cajun seasoning before like Tony’s or Slap Ya Mama but this was waaaaay better and I felt like I could have added a little more spice without making it too salty. I’m going to mix up a whole bunch of that Cajun stuff and put it in a shaker. The premixed ones are getting soooo expensive, and they’re tooooo salty!
Too much broth. Was really excited but fell flat. even after 2x cream cheese we still feel like it could have been more. Maybe 1.5 cup of broth would have been better.
We will probably have the leftovers over rice.
Agree. With the juice from the tomatoes it’s too much liquid. Other than that it’s pretty good!
I think I’ve commented here before: I LOVE this recipe, and I make it often. It’s been bookmarked on my list for literal years, and I make it probably once a month (which is often for us). It’s so quick, easy, and flavorful: we love.
I always follow the recipe as written, though I usually add some extra salt, maybe 1 tsp total extra #saltfiend because I always salt my onions on adding, and I use lower sodium chicken broth, and I feel like the pasta needs more salt as a result (probably making life too difficult on myself, oh well). Also, usually my range requires an extra 2-3 minutes to get the pasta to where I like it. Easy tweaks.
TODAY, I was so excited to make this, and I realized I was out of 15-oz cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes (dun dun DUNNN). However, I had a can of crushed tomatoes on hand that were supposed to go into chili later in the week, and hungry me, I figured I’d sub those in and go to the store tomorrow to replenish the chili ingredients. I used the same amount, 15oz (just slightly less than 2 cups liquid measure).
HOLY MOLY this sub, for some reason, made this my best batch of this recipe yet BY FAR (confirmed by other household member as well). I assume because the tomato flavor is more concentrated in the crushed, saucy tomatoes? I was worried it would be too soupy, but it is PERFECT for us. INcredible.
Just wanted to give a 2023 shout out to a) the genius of this original recipe, thank you BudgetBytes, and b) this small sub that really elevated this from a great standard recipe to an OMG make-this-every-week. Yay!
It’s fine. I made it exactly as instructed, lacks any real “cajun” flavor or any distinctive flavor overall and the chicken was tough but maybe that’s my fault.
It was fine, but it didn’t really taste like much and I feel like there was too much broth to simmer down for it to get creamy. It lacked flavor overall, but it was edible I guess.