Creamiest, Easiest & Best Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
Cajun chicken pasta is a rich and creamy pasta dish made with chicken, onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic in a creole sauce. It’s an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
Creamy pasta tossed in the tastiest handmade cajun sauce with chunks of succulent, delicate chicken. You will adore the dish’s flavors, and because it comes together quickly, it is ideal for hectic weeknights. I’m eager to include this in our extensive menu of 30-minute meals.
What is Cajun Chicken Pasta
Cajun chicken pasta is a rich and creamy pasta dish made with chicken, onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic in a creole sauce. It’s an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love! This dish can be served as an entree or side for your next meal. You can also eat it as leftovers if you want to save time by making this ahead of time instead of cooking everything together at once.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup celery, diced (about 1 stalk) * Add more if you like it spicy!
- 1 green bell pepper (or another color will work here as well) * The color doesn’t matter as long as it has some heat retained in the dish. We love red peppers because they have lots of flavor but don’t add too much heat since this recipe calls for just a few ingredients anyway!
Instructions
- One tablespoon of salt is added to a large saucepan of boiling water. Pasta should be cooked as directed on the package until it is al dente. Drain, cover, and keep warm after reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- 1 12 Tbsp cajun seasoning is sprinkled evenly over the chicken breasts after they have been beaten to a uniform thickness.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil to medium-high heat in a sizable non-reactive skillet*. Add the chicken and sear on both sides once it is hot. Reduce heat to low and continue to sauté until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Slice into thin strips, then transfer to a chopping board and cover to stay warm.
- Sauté the butter and garlic in the same skillet over medium heat for 30 to 60 seconds, or until the garlic is aromatic. For an additional 2 minutes, add the diced tomatoes.
Bring to a simmer after adding the heavy whipping cream, remaining cajun seasoning, and parmesan cheese. If necessary, season to taste.
Once combined and heated through, add the prepared pasta and cut chicken to the sauce and toss to incorporate. If you want to thin the sauce, add warm pasta water that was set aside. Serve with finely chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan.
Special Note
As with all of our recipes, we recommend using a large skillet for this creamy cajun chicken pasta recipe. For the pasta and chicken broth, you’ll want to use a large pot. This may seem like an arbitrary distinction—why not just use whatever you have? But there are some important reasons why we recommend using a skillet and pot here:
- You must use a large skillet because it has more surface area for cooking than a smaller one does; if you don’t have room for another dish in your kitchen (or don’t want the extra effort), then choose something else!
- Using two separate pots allows us to make sure everything is properly heated throughout so no part gets overcooked or undercooked.
- It’s important that both sides of each ingredient get hot before being added into another dish or food item so they’re not cold when they go into contact with other foods later on down this line.
Cajun chicken pasta is a rich and creamy pasta dish made with chicken, onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic in a creole sauce. It’s an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
Add-Ins and Variations
Vegetables – you can add cooked broccoli or asparagus to the pasta when tossing everything together.
Vegetarian pasta – leave out the chicken or substitute chicken with mushrooms.
Substitute the chicken – try sliced sausage or kielbasa instead of chicken. You can also make it a seafood pasta like our Cajun Shrimp Pasta.
Lighter pasta – try using half and half or light cream to cut the calories, but keep in mind the sauce will be thinner.
Pro Tip
You may change the level of spice in the spaghetti by varying the amount of Cajun seasoning you use.
Cajun chicken pasta is a rich and creamy pasta dish made with chicken, onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic in a creole sauce. It’s an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
