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
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?
We loved this recipe! I doubled and added 1/2 red bell pepper and 1/2 green bell pepper for a little extra veg. Overall, delicious recipe. The cajun spice combo was perfect. It had a little kick, but not overwhelming. This recipe is absolutely hitting the regular rotation.
I would like to double the recipie. How should I adjust the cooking times?
It’s hard to say exactly without knowing about how big your pan is that you’re using, etc. I would just keep an eye on the pasta and check it’s doneness every so often once the liquid has reduced according to the photos. It likely wont take too much longer than the recipe time if you’re using a big enough pan.
This was awesome! My husband said don’t lose this recipe. It was quick and easy with TONS of flavor. I didn’t have two items, so I had to substitute. I used sour cream in the place cream cheese and Italian Better than Boulion in place of chicken boulion. Definitely a keeper. Thank you!
I have made this about 10 times in the last 2 years and we Love it – both the flavor and the simplicity. Over time we have settled on these 2 changes:
– Double the pasta to 1 pound. Therefore also double the broth, fire roasted tomatoes and cream cheese.
– Add about a pound of andouille sausage (more cajun! more meat!)
I buy sausage at costco, its already cooked, so just needs to be warmed. i slice it and add towards the end.
This essentially doubles both the meat (sausage and chicken) and the pasta so the balance is preserved, and the andouille sausage screams cajun.
This is a reliable and tasty recipe – Thanks!!!
Can I swap the chicken to tofu for this recipe if I want to make it vegetarian? If so would the same seasonings work and would it also be 1lb of tofu for a serving of 4? T
That’s correct! Everything else should be the same. We haven’t tried this with tofu so I cant speak to the success of the flavors, etc, but it could be done.
I made this recipe as written tonight and unfortunately, I cant say there was really anything cajun about it. It was rather bland and simple. It is not creamy and could probably use some heavy cream to get it right. If you have a basic taste palette, this may work for you as it is simple, quick and cheap. I was just really hoping for some kick from the cajun flavor.
I added some wine to the mix and before serving added some cream cheese – if was so good…😆
Made without onions/green onions and it was fantastic. We’re both onion haters lol. A nice kick to it.
New favorite dinner!! Dang, that was good!! The spice mix is so perfect. I added sun dried tomatoes at the end and that was a delightful pop! Thanks for this amazing recipe!
My husband is not a fan of onions or tomatoes, so I left both things out. I was worried this would affect the outcome but it still tasted DELICIOUS and I could not be happier with the results!
my mother’s husband is also not fond of onions and tomatoes, she makes this with bell peppers instead. it’s good that way too!
I increased the pasta cooking time because there was still a lot of broth left and added some habenrio powder this recipe turned out great
This is a huge winner with my picky husband. I love it too. I’ve made it several times now with NO substitutions, except once when I used rotini pasta instead of penne.
This is a delicious meal! I made some revisions and added some light cream, parmesan cheese & tri color diced peppers. I omitted the tomatoes also. My family kept going back for more! Thanks!
Instead of cream cheese I’ve been using Alioli and it’s amazing so garlic’y
What kind of aioli? Do you have a recipe, I’ve been looking for a really good garlic aioli!
I rarely ever comment on anything. This dish was absolutely delicious. I made this for a date night, and let’s just say this dish is a favorite for many reasons.. Who ever came up with this recipe please know you changed my view on culinary arts. Thank you.
This is an amazing delicious dish. Perfect amount of spice and creaminess. The only changes I made~~~1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp ground garlic, 1 tsp of onion,4 cups of beef broth and added 12 oz gluten free penne. I also added 8 oz of cream cheese. The people rating is 3 stars obviously don’t know how to make dishes that tailor to them or their family. I always make adjustments I know my family would like
I made this with smoked sausage and half and half substitutions and it is amazing! I normally do not like smoked paprika but the creaminess really does something to that flavor! Will add this to my weekly dinner rotation for sure!
I normally don’t post reviews but this one is worth raving about. I’ve made this recipe twice now. I used pre packed Cajun season for ease but followed everything else as written. This recipe is so easy and so good. My hubby and I both love it, it’s the perfect amount of heat and creaminess!
How much premade Cajun seasoning do you use?