Tender pan-fried chicken meets a spicy alfredo sauce in this easy recipe for Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta. You’ll love the warm spices and the rich, cheesy pasta, and you’ll especially love how simple it is to make!
What’s not to love about creamy penne pasta mixed with juicy, Cajun-seasoned chicken? This meal is delicious, layered with bold flavors, and includes the best homemade Cajun cream sauce that you’ll definitely want to soak up with some bread when you’ve finished eating!
Making creamy chicken pasta dishes from scratch is one of my specialities lately! You’ll want to check out my Rasta Pasta recipe which is very similar to this one but with jerk seasoning and bell peppers. Creamy Chicken Orzo is another favorite at my house!
Whole family loved this. Added green bell pepper and extra Cajun seasoning. Thank you!
MT
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta, Creamy Chicken Gnocchi, and Creamy Chicken Spaghetti are made using a similar cooking method.
This skillet cooking method is so quick and easy, that there are endless variations on this stovetop chicken pasta meal. Today, let’s make it Cajun!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Spicy Chicken Pasta – This Cajun alfredo-style pasta sauce is perfectly spicy! You can use your favorite brand of Cajun seasoning, and that will decide how spicy the dish is. Some of them are hotter than others.
- Easy 30-Minute Meal – Boil the pasta while you cook the chicken and make a quick cream sauce. Then, just mix everything together and serve! This meal is great for busy weeknights.
- Delicious Flavors– Aside from some spiciness, Cajun Chicken Pasta is full of layers of flavor from sauteed onions and garlic, salty parmesan cheese, and rich diced tomatoes.
Ingredients In This Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
Fresh ingredients make all the difference. Here’s what you’ll need:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta – Penne is delicious in this recipe, but any short pasta will work. You can try it with rigatoni, ziti, or shells too. I like to use a ridged pasta shape so that the pasta will hold on to all of the delicious sauce.
- Chicken Breast Cutlets – Slice three chicken breasts into 6 thin cutlets, or buy the cutlets already cut from the store.
- Cajun Seasoning – Pick this up from your local grocery store. Cajun seasoning is generally a blend of salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic, and other spices. It’s a bit smoky, a bit spicy, and a delicious all-purpose seasoning to cook with. Look for “Slap Ya Mama” cajun seasoning at your local store or online, or I’ve had great results with McCormick seasoning.
- Olive Oil and Butter – We’ll pan-fry the chicken cutlets in a combination of oil and butter to get a nice crust on the outside. A bit more butter will be used to cook the onions and garlic too.
- Garlic and Onions – These are the first layer of flavor in this cajun pasta dish. You can also add some finely chopped green bell pepper if you want to be super authentic. Many Cajun dishes use the “holy trinity” of aromatics: celery, onion, and green pepper (plus garlic), but we’re skipping some of that since all of those flavors should be in the cajun seasoning.
- Diced Tomatoes and Heavy Cream – These two are combined to create the bulk of our cream sauce. The acidity of the tomatoes is perfectly balanced by the richness of the cream.
- Parmesan Cheese – Grate parmesan fresh from a block or wedge. It’s so much better this way.
- You’ll also need some salt and pepper. We’ll season by taste as we cook. Fresh parsley is the perfect garnish too.
How To Make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Cook Pasta: Boil water in a medium-sized saucepan, and add salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until it’s al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water before you drain the pasta, just in case you need it later.
- Prep the Chicken: While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken cutlets on both sides with 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet.
- Cook the Chicken: Working in batches, cook the chicken cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover to keep warm.
Tip!
Clean the pan after cooking the chicken, especially if there are burnt spices at the bottom. You can simply wipe it with paper towels, or add a bit of water to deglaze the pan first, then wipe clean.
- Start the Sauce: Using the same skillet, melt the remaining butter and then saute the onion until it’s soft and translucent. Add the garlic, and saute for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes. Season with the remaining cajun seasoning and stir in the heavy cream.
- Cook the Sauce: Stir everything together with a spatula or whisk until everything is well mixed. Then add the grated parmesan cheese and let it melt into the sauce. Taste the sauce, and adjust any seasonings to your preference. If the sauce seems too thick at any point, thin it out with a bit of the pasta water that you saved earlier.
- Finish the Dish: Cut the cooked chicken into thin strips. Add the cooked pasta to the cajun cream sauce and stir to combine. Then mix in the chicken pieces. Serve, garnished with freshly chopped parsley.
Tip!
Please don’t burn the garlic! Be sure that your tomatoes are ready to pour into the pan as soon as the garlic has been in for 30 seconds.
Recipe Tips
- Use your favorite brand of Cajun seasoning, but note that not all of them are the same, heat-wise. If your seasoning is particularly spicy, you may need to use a bit less in this recipe.
- Save some of the pasta water before you pour it down the drain! You may not need it, but in case your sauce seems too thick, pasta water is the perfect thing to adjust the consistency later.
- Use boneless chicken thighs if you want to. Pound them with a meat mallet if needed so that they are thin and cook quickly.
Storing Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add a splash of water and warm over low heat, just until heated through.
What To Serve With Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
All you need to turn this into a full and well-balanced meal is a veggie side dish!
Make air fryer vegetables, broccoli, or roasted broccolini. All three of these are quick and easy and will go perfectly with the creamy chicken and pasta.
Some homemade garlic bread or freshly baked olive garden breadsticks are perfect for soaking up the sauce from your plate too!
More Delicious Pasta Dishes
Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Alfredo Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups
American Chop Suey (Goulash)
Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
FAQs
Cajun is a term given to a group of people, mainly living in Louisiana, who are descendants of some of the first French settlers to North America. Originally these settlers, calling themselves “Acadians” lived in Eastern Canada, but were relocated to the southern USA.
Because of this interesting background, Cajun cuisine is a blend of things from French, Canadian, Indigenous American, and African-American traditions. Gumbo and Jambalaya are two of the most well-known Cajun dishes.
Technically, you could use a lighter cream to make cajun chicken pasta, but I don’t recommend it. Heavy cream thickens when cooked, so your sauce is rich and creamy. Half and half won’t do the same thing for the dish.
You can use already cooked chicken to make this chicken pasta dish if you have it available. Searing the chicken in the pan just before making the meal will give you the best flavor and texture though.
This Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is so simple to make, and the flavors will blow you away! Be sure to pin the recipe so you can always find it.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta uncooked. or other short pasta
- 3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced into thin cutlets
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or very finely minced
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream (double cream in the UK)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, boil water and salt it. Add your pasta, and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. When the pasta is cooked, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, season and cook the chicken. Season the chicken cutlets with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning.
- Heat olive oil and melt 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet, add the seasoned chicken cutlets and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until they are cooked through. Remove from the pan. Cover to keep warm. Cook the chicken in batches as needed so that the pieces have enough room in the pan to brown.
- If there are any burnt seasonings left in the pan, wipe them away with paper towels. You can add water to make this easier.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter, and saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds then add the diced tomatoes. Stir in the remaining cajun seasoning and heavy cream.
- Use a flexible spatula or a whisk to mix everything together. Then add the parmesan cheese and let it melt into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed. If the sauce seems too thick at any point, stir in some of the pasta water that you saved earlier.
- Slice the cooked chicken into thin strips, then mix it in with the pasta and sauce. Serve, garnished with chopped parsley and extra grated parmesan cheese.
Notes:
- Cook the pasta to al dente. Avoid overcooking the pasta. It will cook further when you add it to the sauce, so your final dish will end up mushy.
- Use your favorite brand of Cajun seasoning, but note that not all of them are the same, heat-wise. If your seasoning is particularly spicy, you may need to use a bit less in this recipe.
- You can replace the chicken breast cutlets with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you like. Pound them with a meat mallet if needed so that they are thin and cook quickly.
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat until just warmed through. You may need to add a splash of water to thin the sauce, as it will thicken when cooled.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Lynda says
Delicious recipe! The only thing I did different was added some mushrooms to the peppers and onions because I needed to use them up. Also, added one more teaspoon of cajun seasoning at the end because I like it spicy. My daughter commented this dinner is like something you’d eat in a good Italian restaurant.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
That’s a great compliment! Thank you so much for stopping back to let me know how much you enjoyed the recipe.
MT says
Whole family loved this. Added green bell pepper and extra Cajun seasoning. Thank you!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I love your add-ins! Sounds delish!
heather says
trying this tonight sounds delish, but why would you wipe pan out after cooking chicken?! thats flavor! you should never do that, just deglaze with a lil chic broth or white wine and continue with next steps!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Heather! Generally, I agree with you! When I make this recipe I find that too many of the spices end up burnt at the bottom of the pan, so I prefer to remove them.