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?
Great recipe! I did make some changes to fit my dietary restrictions. I’m on low FODMAPs so I used gluten free noodles and omitted the garlic, onion, and cream cheese. We added cilantro, green onion, and shredded cheddar to taste. I also subbed a smoked turkey sausage for the chicken since I’m all chickened out at the moment. Delicious and easy one pot meal. Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Also in case this helps anyone, I found there was still a lot of liquid after 10 mins and the noodles were overcooking so I added some tomato paste. It thickened it up well and added a little creaminess to the sauce.
I love this recipe, but I actually prefer it with leftover chicken. I find my chicken gets overcooked when I follow the original recipe. I have tried it with leftover chicken and turkey, with a variety of seasonings, and it works great every time! Just add the cooked chicken about halfway through the noodle cook time. I also use ghee instead of the olive oil/butter combo. So yummy and easy!
Looking forward to trying this next week! Could I substitue Tony’s cajun seasoning instead of making my own? Do you know how much I would use? Thanks in advance!!
I’m making this now with some Tony chacheres in place of the salt. But I still added garlic powder onion powder pepper paprika oregano and thyme and parsley. I also sprinkled some lemon pepper on the chicken too.
Will reply when I know how it tastes and if the kids like it but I know it’s good!!
The only issue with substituting Tony’s is that it has a lot more salt compared to spices than the homemade mix has. So you’ll probably have to use less to prevent it from being too salty, but then you’ll also be cutting back on the spices.
Hi Beth,
Thanks for this recipe. I keep coming back to it.
I have made a vegan version of this a few times as well, where I substituted the chicken with some button mushrooms, and just left out the cream cheese. Tastes amazing!
If I used 1lb of pasta instead of the 1/2lb would I have to double everything else?
Yes, I would.
I’m not a cheese fan–does the cream cheese flavor come through? Is there something else I could use to get the creaminess?
You can add a splash of heavy cream or half and half to achieve a creaminess. :)
I just made this for dinner and it was delicious. I added frozen broccoli, otherwise I did not make any additional changes. It was very flavorful and easy to prepare. I am new to your website and will be trying other recipes for meal prep. Thank you!
Thank You sooooo much, I really Love your recipes. They are so easy to make
You are the best.
I had to feed a rather large family so I used more ingredients, and did not add the can of roasted tomatoes only because I have a lot of anti tomato family members lol. I added some mozzarella and mild cheddar cheese. And still turned out really well!
how long will it last in the fridge?
About 4-5 days.
Yes! This is so bomb. Spicy, cheesy, creamy. So good. I did sub out a handful of the spices for just creole seasoning for simplicity and cost reduction.
I cooked this with full cream milk instead of the cheese. It came out amazing! My family came back for seconds! Great reciepie
This was so delicious, next time I will add more spice into the sauce though!
Can you use sun dried tomatoes, would it affect the flavor?
I suppose if you wanted to add some in there you could. I will probably make the dish a lot more tangy. I wouldn’t use them in place of the other tomatoes, though.
I used 1.5 lbs of chicken and added more salt. Other than that, I kept the recipe the same. My husband LOVES it. He was literally licking the plate (please don’t tell anyone we know … so embarrassing).
Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I did the half and half. Added some flour and Italian style cheese! Was fantastic!!
can this be made with cooked chicken?
Yes, but I’d probably add it in at the end so that it doesn’t end up over cooking.