Creamy Cajun chicken pasta is an easy family dinner perfect for busy weeknights. Perfect juicy cajun chicken, pasta snuggled in creamy sauce! It’s creamy with just the right amount of spice and smoky flavors.
A spicy kick in your pasta is always welcome, right? It means more flavors, just like this creamy gochujang pasta.
What You’ll Love About This Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe?
- One of the easy family dinner you’ll make. Cajun chicken pasta is truly a crowd pleaser!
- You’ll need basic pantry ingredients.
- Bring dinner onto the table in less than 30 minutes. This will definitely become your family’s favorite weeknight dinner.
- Mind blowing flavors! It’s got perfect combination of creamy, spicy, smoky, flavors to it!
- Creamy cajun chicken pasta is very comforting and hearty meal that will make you reach for second servings!
- Kids absolutely LOVE IT! Adjust the spice levels according to preference!
- You can easily convert this into one-pot dinner by cooking pasta as well in the same pot (instructions for how much stock/liquids to use mentioned below in the post).
- The dish has Cajun chicken and loads of veggies. Yes, you can call it “healthy dinner”! There’s protein and nutrients!
- Make your own Cajun seasoning at home!
- You can totally customize cajun chicken pasta recipe, in terms of protein, veggies of your choice plus the spiciness in Cajun seasoning.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Here’s what you’ll need-
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- homemade or store – 2 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 oz button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ of each bell peppers, red, green, yellow
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup fire roasted tomatoes (or regular roma tomatoes diced)
- ⅓ cup chicken stock
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Cajun Seasoning– make your own seasoning at home or use store bought seasoning.
To make your own seasoning here’s what you’ll need-
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes
Veggies – you can use your favorite vegetable. Some of the best veggies that works great with Cajun chicken pasta is – mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, baby spinach, kale, green beans, sun dried tomatoes.
Protein – chicken is our go to choice. Feel free to add other proteins like sausage, shrimp.
Ingredients Additions & Substitutions
Pasta – Bow-tie, large pasta noodles, rigatoni, spiralli, fusilli are all good options. I mostly prefer to use penne for my cajun chicken pasta recipe.
Protein – chicken can be substituted with shrimp, chorizo, sausage in the recipe.
Cajun – For a kick of Cajun flavor, add some seasoning to the veggies as well while making creamy sauce, chicken is also seasoned with Cajun. A little extra Cajun spice goes perfectly with the creaminess of the recipe.
Cream cheese is used in the recipe. You can use heavy cream instead of cream cheese.
Vegetarian version – to make vegetarian cajun chicken pasta recipe replace chicken with vegetarian protein like tofu or quorn or fried halloumi. You can also use vegetables like butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.
How To Make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta?
Cajun chicken pasta recipe starts with butterfly cut on chicken breasts to make equal sized (as much as you can) breasts.
Transfer chicken breasts to zip lock bag.
Season chicken with 2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to taste and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Mix everything together to coat the seasoning evenly on chicken breast.
Leave it to marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours refrigerated for best, flavorful cajun chicken pasta dish.
Heat a skillet or pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil.
Place seasoning chicken breast, cook for 3 – 4 minutes on both sides until charred on both sides.
Remove chicken breasts from pan, let it rest.
Once chicken breast is rested well, slice it into smaller cubes or long slices.
Cook pasta in salted boiling water until just cooked (very al-dente). Do not overcook pasta as it will get cooked briefly in the sauce as well.
Remember to reserve some of the pasta cooking water. You will use it later to adjust the sauce consistency of cajun chicken pasta while it cooks.
Into the same pan or skillet add slices mushrooms. Saute for a minute scrapping off all brown/burnt bits from chicken leftover in skillet.
Throw in sliced or chopped bell peppers, diced onion and minced garlic to the pan. Saute and cook for a minute.
Add extra (I used about 1 ½ teaspoon) Cajun seasoning (you can skip adding cajun seasoning to veggies if you don’t want extra kick), salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and let it cook for 60 seconds.
Add fire roasted diced tomatoes, stir and cook. Can substitute with regular roma tomatoes, diced into small cubes.
Add chicken stock, lemon zest and softened cream cheese to the pan.
Sit and cook until cream cheese is melted and blended into the sauce.
Add sliced Cajun chicken to the cream sauce.
Stir to bring everything together. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
Add cooked pasta along with 1 or 2 tablespoon of starch water in which pasta was cooked, stir everything together.
Turn off flame after a minute.
Sprinkles loads of grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley on top.
Serve cajun chicken pasta immediately hot with some garlic bread on side.
To Cook Cajun Chicken Pasta In One Pot
In the recipe I have followed the method of cooking pasta separately in another pot. You can easily adapt the recipe to cook pasta as well in the same pot.
Use a large pot to make this a one pot dinner.
For 8 oz pasta use 2 cup chicken stock.
Follow recipe to saute veggies in olive and butter, add cream cheese cook until its completely melted.
Add pasta, chicken stock together, turn down the heat and let pasta simmer for 15 minutes or until just cooked. That’s your one-pot cajun chicken pasta!
Is Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Spicy?
Different Cajun seasoning has varying levels of spice. Cayenne pepper used in the seasoning is what makes Cajun seasoning hot. If you want to control the amount of heat, make your own Cajun seasoning and add less or more cayenne pepper accordingly.
Cajun chicken pasta is mildly hot; the spiciness of Cajun chicken and the seasoning added to the sauce is balanced by the creaminess of cream cheese and cheese.
What Type Of Pasta Is Best For Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe?
You want to use pasta that cooks easily and evenly if you plan to make this dish in one pot. Also use pasta shapes that will have more space to hold sauce. I prefer penne for Cajun chicken pasta recipe. Bow-tie, large pasta noodles, rigatoni, spiralli, fusilli are all good options.
How To Store And Reheat Leftover Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta?
Like any creamy dishes, creamy Cajun chicken pasta won’t last long. If you have leftovers, once it cools completely store in air tight container for up to 3 days and make sure to use within 3 days.
Do not recommend to freeze the pasta, as cream in the pasta will split if frozen and reheated.
To reheat creamy Cajun chicken pasta in deep skillet with a splash of milk on stove top. Reheating in microwave can sometimes result in splitting of cream sauce. Highly recommend you reheat on stove top.
LOVE CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA RECIPE? HERE’S MORE PASTA RECIPES FOR YOU TO TRY:
Garlic Shrimp Pasta In Cream Sauce
Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese
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Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoon cajun seasoning adjust according to taste
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 oz button mushrooms sliced
- ½ of each bell peppers red, green, yellow
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup fire roasted tomatoes or regular roma tomatoes diced
- ⅓ cup chicken stock
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Start with butterfly cut on chicken breasts to make equal sized (as much as you can) breasts.
- Add cut chicken breasts into a zip-lock bag.
- Add 2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning to chicken breast. Add salt and pepper to taste and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Mix everything together to coat the seasoning evenly on chicken breast.
- Leave it to marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours refrigerated.
- Heat a skillet or pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place seasoning chicken breast, cook for 3 – 4 minutes on both sides until charred on both sides.
- Remove chicken breasts from pan, let it rest.
- Once chicken breast is rested well, slice it into smaller cubes or long slices.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until very al-dente. Do not overcook pasta as it will get cooked briefly in the sauce as well. Remember to reserve some of the pasta cooking water.
- Into the same pan or skillet add slices mushrooms. Saute for a minute scrapping off all brown/burnt bits from chicken leftover in skillet.
- Throw in sliced or chopped bell peppers, diced onion and minced garlic to the pan. Saute and cook for a minute.
- Add extra (I used about 1 ½ teaspoon) Cajun seasoning (skip extra cajun seasoning if you don't want extra kick), salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and let it cook for 60 seconds.
- Add fire roasted diced tomatoes, stir and cook.
- Add chicken stock, lemon zest and softened cream cheese to the pan.
- Mix well until cream cheese is completely melted and blends to the sauce.
- Add sliced Cajun chicken to the cream sauce.
- Stir to bring everything together. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add cooked pasta along with 1 or 2 tablespoon of starch water in which pasta was cooked, stir everything together.
- Turn off flame after a minute.
- Sprinkles loads of grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley on top.
- Serve immediately hot with some garlic bread on side.
Video
Notes
- Different Cajun seasoning has varying levels of spice. Cayenne pepper used in the seasoning is what makes Cajun seasoning hot. If you want to control the amount of heat, make your own Cajun seasoning and add less or more cayenne pepper accordingly.
- I prefer penne for Cajun chicken pasta recipe. Bow-tie, large pasta noodles, rigatoni, spiralli, fusilli are all good options.
- Leftovers can be stored in air tight container for up to 3 days and make sure to use within 3 days.
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