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?
Could you use rice instead of pasta?
The recipe would probably need some tweaking to make that work, but I’m sure there’s a way to do it. I’d need to run a few tests to know the best method, though.
Because of the creamy pasta this is like an adult comfort food for me. SOOOOOOOO good! Even my husband (super-picky eater) commented that it was good. I made it as instructed, but left out the onions because said husband is “allergic.” The only thing was that the liquid did not reduce after 10 minutes of simmering with the pasta for me. I ended up going another 6-8 minutes with the lid off, checking every two minutes. I’ve made a bunch of Beth’s one pot/skillet pastas before and never had that happen. It was at a good simmer the whole time. Who knows? Maybe my pasta was weird…no biggie!
I actually had the same problem, no onions as well and had to cook the sauce longer and add more cream cheese and some shredded Italian cheese as well, we LOVE cheese at my house lol. I think I’ll use less broth next time so as to not have to over cook the pasta to get the sauce right.
Absolutely Amazing!! I made this recipe tonight for dinner and it came out SO well! Every bite adds an even bigger smile to my face! This will surely be my go to pasta staple going forward! :)
This dish was absolutely incredible!!! I didn’t have Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes so I roasted cut tomatoes and drizzled olive oil on top, popped it in the oven for about 25-30 mins and blended it all together and it worked out just fine. I most definitely recommend this and 100% try this recipe again. Everybody loved it and kept wanting more. It’s quick, great and doesn’t require multiple dishes ;)
I made this and LOVED it. I did have to add 8oz extra broth to get the pasta to finish and a splash of milk at the end (prefer a looser sauce). Other than that no changes. It would be good with almost any meat or no meat. Next time shrimp or andouille.
Making this tonight for the second time!
Easy, quick, and big on flavor. We made this without the chicken, and it came out perfectly. Thank you for sharing!
This recipe was really good and satisfying. We used chicken thighs, jumbo macaroni, canned whole tomatoes. For the canned whole tomatoes I just chopped off the tougher ends and then sliced the rest and added it in with the juice. I will be making this again!
I’m vegetarian so I made this with vegetable broth and mushrooms instead of chicken! Just as good!
Can I freeze this meal?
I haven’t tried freezing this one, unfortunately. Creamy sauces don’t always hold up so well, but there is so little cream cheese in this one that I’m not sure how much it will be affected.
Hi Beth,
Do you think adding light ricotta cheeses instead of the cream cheese would work? Just trying to cut the calories! Looks relish :)
Many thanks
Honestly I don’t think it will be at all similar. :( Cream cheese and ricotta are just too different in both flavor and texture.
I gave this recipe a try, but tripled it, added 8oz of cream cheese for a really creamy sauce and topped it with Parmesan cheese along with green onions. Served French bread on the side. It was a big hit!!! I will definitely make this again!
This recipe seemed so easy and flavorful that I just had to veganize it. I used extra firm tofu in place of the chicken and pressed it for about 20 minutes before adding the seasoning. I let it brown and crisp up in the skillet for as long as I could stand before I added the onion, and this allowed the tofu to really hold it’s shape and have some bite to it. I used Tofutti cream cheese, Earth Balance butter, and vegetable broth as other vegan substitutions. I also used whole wheat pasta and added some finely chopped spinach and kale, since I needed to use those up. My husband and I loved this dish, the tofu really absorbed the flavor of the sauce and the sauce itself was delicious.
Another GREAT, simple recipe with real ingredients. Made this last night and loved it! Had to add about 4 oz of cream cheese to thicken the sauce up, but it was perfect. Thanks Beth!
Truly remarkable recipe! Tried it out tonight with my wife and glad to say that it has come out well… Bring it on…