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! :)
Pin this recipe for later!
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
“Good, easy, simple recipe. The sauce is perfect, and creamy, the spices are great, the only thing i did different was add a little lemon juice and it enhanced the flavor. My fiancé and I are obsessed with this meal!”
Julietta
What is Cajun Chicken Pasta?
This tasty pasta dish is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals. Everything happens in one pan, and there’s so little to clean up afterward. I mix tender cubes of chicken with plenty of savory (and hot!) spices, tomatoes, pasta, and cream cheese to create this flavorful one pot Cajun chicken pasta dish. It’s super simple to make, costs less than $10 total, and feeds the whole family!
Ingredients for One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Here’s what you’ll need to make creamy Cajun chicken pasta:
- Spices: Smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt infuse this dish with a savory and spicy flavor.
- Fats: Olive oil helps the chicken cook without burning, and butter adds richness and flavor to the dish. You can use all oil if you prefer. I like the flavor olive oil adds, but vegetable or canola oil both work well and cut costs a bit.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are my favorite lean protein for this dish. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Onion: Yellow onion adds a sweet and earthy flavor to the dish.
- Penne Pasta: Cooks perfectly right in the pan. Any short pasta shape will work, but skip longer noodles.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Add a smoky and acidic flavor to the dish.
- Chicken Broth: Helps create a rich and flavorful sauce. You can also dissolve chicken bouillon in water to help cut costs.
- Cream Cheese: Makes this dish rich and creamy.
- Green Onions: Add a pop of freshness and color to the dish.
Serving Suggestions
This is a one pot meal, so you could totally end it right there and be completely satisfied. But I like to add a salad or some bread to round it off. My classic Caesar salad really plays up the creaminess of this dish. Or try some homestyle cornbread for a little sweetness to balance out the heat!
Recipe Tips!
- 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 altogether. 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 of 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.
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
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.
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
- White Cutting Boards
- Glass Mixing Bowls
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
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
how to make One Pot 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?
This was an easy and very tasty dish. I did use extra full cream and added grated Parmesan. Will be making again
it was good ngl
I wish I got a good picture. I’ll be honest I haven’t cooked by myself/ with minimal help since I was In school, this is the first recipe where I have been the one to actually cook it (in my adult years.) Not only did I shock myself. But I shocked my bf and he’s so proud of me. It was absolutely delicious and even more so thinking about how much money I saved making it. It was so so good. He said he was very proud of me so I owe it to ya haha.
A creamy, one‑pot pasta with a little spicy kick that feels fancy but takes under 30 minutes. It’s perfect for busy nights. Everyone in our house loves this recipe! Most of the time we leave the cream cheese out and it still tastes perfect.
My partner loves this recipe and eats it weekly.
Trick*
Skip the spices and add 3/4 tablespoon of tony’s. It is the same thing 💪
This was an easy weeknight dish to make. I did cook the chicken all the way through and then take out and re-added it at the end as I was afraid it might become overcooked. I also added some diced up mushrooms and red peppers I had in the fridge, that needed to be used. My three-year-old and nine month old both ate the pasta which is a win for this mom. I did feel like it could’ve used a little extra something to make is 5 stars, like maybe a bit of bacon on top, as another reviewer suggested, or a bit of Parmesan cheese. It was very good and easy – highly recommend for an easy weeknight meal Thanks for the delicious recipe
Enjoyed this! Only downside was chicken was over cooked by staying in the pot while the pasta was cooking. Next time I’ll put it to the side and add the chicken back in at the end.
My boyfriend and I loved this recipe! We left out the green onions and added 1 cup of spinach to it instead. We made cornbread with homemade honey butter on the side and it was amazing! The way that the heat of the dish cuts through the sweetness of the cornbread was sooo good. This is a keeper for us. Thank you!
It was excellent. I added 1/2 pkg diced mushrooms. For my husband, I only put 1/2 the amount of cayenne in my homemade Cajun seasoning (Emeril’s recipe).
Do you think I could sub Greek yogurt for cream cheese?
You could give it a try, but it definitely would have that same creaminess!
i ended up using goat cheese and that actually worked great! easy and made great leftovers too!
This is an excellent and delicious chicken recipe – I’ll definitely keep it in my rotation! This makes a great jumping off place and I’ve also amped it up with different spices and the “Holy Trinity”. One small nit-pick about its name though. Because this recipe includes tomato and cream cheese, it would technically be New Orleans Creole, not Cajun. Creole cuisine, developed in New Orleans, often incorporates tomatoes and tomato-based sauces, with generous amounts of butter and cream. Traditional Cajun food, originating in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, generally avoids tomatoes and cream, and is more rustic and meat-heavy.
Keep up the good work!
This meal was delicious! The whole family loved it! We did end up adding extra cream cheese.
this recipe was so good and easy I’m 12 and I babysit and the kids go bonkers for this they ask for it every time its lunch time even the parents ask me for the recipe
Pretty good recipe. I doubled the chicken and quadrupled the seasoning and used protein pasta. My kids said it was delicious.
New family favorite, just right amount of spice, quick and easy! It’s now in the meal rotation for good.