One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

By Beth Moncel
4.65
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447
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Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Servings 4
$9.41 recipe / $2.35 serving
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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! :)

One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta ready to be served out of the pan.
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“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!

  1. 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. :)
  2. 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.
  3. 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:

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One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cost $9.41 recipe / $2.35 serving
4.65 from 447 votes
Cook a complete dinner in one pot with this Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta, using mostly pantry-stable items. Perfect for busy weeknights! 
One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta in the pan.
Servings 4
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes

Ingredients

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)

Video

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.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 482.65kcalCarbohydrates: 51.53gProtein: 34.95gFat: 14.58gSodium: 847.23mgFiber: 3.45g
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A bowl full of One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta being eaten.

how to make One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta – step by step photos

Seasoned cubed chicken with Cajun seasoning in a glass bowl

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.

Sauté Chicken Pieces in Cajun Seasoning

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.

Onions added to skillet with cooked chicken and Cajun seasoning.

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 Pasta Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Chicken Broth

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. 

Stir Ingredients to Combine

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 Cajun Chicken Pasta

Simmer until the pasta is tender and the broth has become thicker and more saucy in texture. 

Add Cream Cheese to Cajun Chicken Pasta

Add 2 oz. cream cheese to the skillet in small chunks. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.

Finished One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Top with sliced green onions and SERVE! This One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is going to be on regular rotation in my house. :)

A bowl full of One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

I think this bowl of pasta is begging for some Freezer Garlic Bread, what about you?

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4.65 from 447 votes (3 ratings without comment)
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Rachel
10.01.25 11:57 am

This is such a family favourite, easy to make, only one pan, and they always want more!

Amber
09.28.25 7:09 pm

We thought it was just ok. Chicken gets way over cooked if you follow these steps. If I make it again I would Brown the chicken, take it out of the pan to rest. Then, cook the pasta and put chicken back when you add the cream cheese. After our first scoop, we went back and added double the cream cheese, more salt, and added Cajun / Creole seasoning.

R K
09.24.25 2:52 pm

Simply scrumptious! Thank you for another house favorite meal, Beth! I, like Puck, had way too much liquid by the time this was due to be finished. I spooned out about a half cup and left the rest to soak into the pasta. This is also the first recipe I used smoked vs normal paprika for, and I have to say smoked is a hard requirement for the flavors you want here, as are the fire roasted tomatoes. I also added a diced yellow bell pepper with the onion and then some broccoli florets for extra veggies/to coat on the sauce. Will absolutely be making this again, and soon🤤

Puck
09.22.25 6:44 pm

Tastes pretty good, I followed the directions exactly and there was way too much liquid. I added most of a block of cream cheese, and saved it with some cornstarch. Chicken was over cooked. Next time I’ll remove the chicken after cooking and add it back at the end

Kathryn
09.16.25 7:37 pm

This recipe looks delicious. I had a question please. Could you sub cottage cheese for the cream cheese? Would it change the recipe?

Paige Rhodes
09.17.25 11:07 am
Reply to  Kathryn

I haven’t tried it myself, but I know a lot people do that in similar recipes. It’s worth a shot! You could blend the cottage cheese, but the curds should melt into the sauce nicely once they warm though if you don’t.

Trish
09.15.25 11:05 am

This sounds wonderful!! My family does not like tomatoes, what could I substitute for the tomatoes?

Paige Rhodes
09.17.25 11:20 am
Reply to  Trish

Roasted red peppers would be good! Or even diced fresh bell pepper. You’ll likely need a little more liquid omitting the tomatoes so just add more broth or pasta water as needed!

Blitz
09.10.25 10:55 am

Great recipe! Great as is, subbing a bag of frozen peppers and onions for the onion makes it no chop. Definitely a great vehicle to throw any veg you want to use up into. I pull the chicken out and cook the pasta til al dente and add back in to prevent overcooking.

Colin B
09.08.25 4:24 pm

I’ve made this recipe four or so times now, and it’s a hit every time. Thank you!

Julia
09.03.25 9:33 pm

Because I’m dairy free, I can’t have the cream cheese. We add a can of coconut milk with the liquids and cut the broth down to one cup. Kids
It’s amazing and we have this on regular rotation in our house. I also like to add some celery with the onion.

Debra
09.03.25 7:51 pm

Made this tonight and OH MY!!! I was pleasantly surprised. The few changes I made was only using 1/8 cayenne pepper and I added about half a block of cream cheese. (I love cream cheese). And from reading other reviews, I boiled my pasta separately for about 6 minutes, drained and then added to skillet.

This will definitely go into the recipe box to make again. I think I’ll add more fire roasted tomatoes next time.

dani
09.02.25 7:05 pm

oh this is sooo good and so easy!

Christie
09.02.25 2:41 pm

Do I use dried thyme or ground thyme for Cajun seasoning?

Paige Rhodes
09.10.25 12:52 pm
Reply to  Christie

Dried!

Macy
08.30.25 8:36 pm

After the first bite I literally wanted to cry this was so amazing! So incredibly good especially if you like paprika and a little bit of spice!

5C2735CB-2E81-4CD0-999F-E67294B4DB33
Last edited 1 month ago by Macy
Aly
08.22.25 8:00 pm

This is a great recipe! Only edit I would make is fully cook the chicken in the first step then remove it until you’re plating. It gets very overcooked otherwise. Also add veggies! Bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli etc

Melisa
08.12.25 8:30 pm

The pasta is undercooked, greatly. Therefore, next time, I will cook the pasta separately. The chicken was also overcooked, because I had to simmer in the pot with that pasta for 10 minutes. The taste is good.