Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Creamy cajun chicken pasta is the 30 minute dinner that tastes like a Louisiana restaurant but cooks in one skillet at home. ♡

This creamy cajun chicken pasta recipe layers seared cajun chicken over a silky parmesan cream sauce with sweet bell peppers and a kick of spice. Everything comes together in 30 minutes in one skillet, which makes it a real weeknight dinner hero. If you love creamy pastas like my creamy Tuscan orzo and marry me chicken, this one is going straight into the rotation.

No heavy roux, no endless simmering. Just seared chicken, a quick cream sauce, and pasta you cook right in the same pan. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
• 2 tbsp cajun seasoning, divided
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• lemon wedges, for serving

Optional add ins

• andouille sausage, sliced
• shrimp, added in the last 5 minutes
• halved cherry tomatoes
• baby spinach, stirred in at the end

How to Make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

1. Season. Toss the sliced chicken with 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning and the salt. Let it sit 5 minutes while the seasoning blooms onto the meat.
2. Sear. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Sear the chicken in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
3. Sauté. Add the remaining oil and the sliced bell peppers to the pan. Cook 3 minutes until the edges char. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste for 30 seconds.
4. Simmer. Pour in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and remaining cajun seasoning. Add the uncooked penne and stir to submerge.
5. Cook. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and cook 12 to 14 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened.
6. Finish. Stir in the parmesan and butter until the sauce is glossy. Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat.
7. Serve. Scatter parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Why This Recipe Works

Cooking pasta directly in the sauce is a game changing one pot pasta move. The starch released from the penne thickens the cream and chicken broth into a silky emulsion that coats every noodle. You never pour starchy water down the drain, which is where most of the flavor hides in a typical pasta dinner.

Searing the chicken before the sauce builds fond on the bottom of the pan. That brown crust you scrape up when the broth hits the skillet is pure concentrated flavor, which is why this creamy cajun chicken pasta tastes like it simmered for hours when it really took half an hour.

Tomato paste adds depth and a subtle sweetness that rounds out the heat of the cajun seasoning. Cajun blends are smoky, peppery, and salty but they need something rich to lean against or the dish tastes sharp. The tomato paste plus the parmesan at the end does exactly that.

Tips

• Storage. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta absorbs sauce overnight so it thickens noticeably.
• Reheating. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of cream or broth over low heat. The microwave works in 30 second bursts but stir between each.
• Meal prep. Portion into four glass containers for quick weeknight dinners or lunches for the week.
• Mistake to avoid. Do not use pre grated parmesan. It contains anti caking agents that clump when they hit hot cream and ruin the sauce texture.
• Ingredient swap. Swap penne for rigatoni, rotini, or even short rigatoni. Any short sturdy pasta shape works.
• Spice level. Cajun blends vary. Start with 1 tablespoon, taste, then add more. Tony Chachere’s is saltier than Slap Ya Mama.
• Freshness tip. Always grate parmesan from a block. The flavor is double what you get from the shaker can.

Variations

• Cajun chicken and shrimp: add 1/2 pound shrimp in the last 5 minutes
• Andouille kick: slice 6 oz andouille and sear it with the chicken
• Tuscan twist: stir in 1 cup baby spinach and 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes at the end
• Blackened version: dust the chicken heavier and let it blacken in a cast iron
• Lightened up: swap heavy cream for half and half and finish with extra parmesan
• Gluten free: use chickpea or brown rice penne and cook 2 minutes longer

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcooking the chicken. Pulling the chicken early and returning it at the end keeps it juicy. Fully cooking it in the sauce turns it dry.
• Not stirring the pasta. One pot pasta needs stirring every few minutes or it sticks to the bottom and clumps.
• Too much cajun seasoning up front. Most blends are salt heavy. Taste before adding more or the dish will turn salty.
• Skipping the tomato paste. It is the backbone of the sauce. Without it the cream tastes flat and one dimensional.
• Letting the sauce boil hard. A vigorous boil breaks the cream and leaves you with a grainy sauce. Keep it at a gentle simmer.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

One skillet creamy cajun chicken pasta with seared cajun chicken, sweet bell peppers, and silky parmesan cream sauce in 30 minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 620

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast sliced into 1/2 inch strips
• 2 tbsp cajun seasoning divided
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil divided
• 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 12 oz penne pasta uncooked
• 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Method

 

1. Toss sliced chicken with 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning and salt. Let sit 5 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Sear chicken in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add remaining oil and bell peppers. Cook 3 minutes until edges char. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste for 30 seconds.
4. Pour in chicken broth, heavy cream, and remaining cajun seasoning. Add uncooked penne and stir to submerge.
5. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and cook 12 to 14 minutes stirring every few minutes until pasta is al dente and sauce thickened.
6. Stir in parmesan and butter until glossy. Return chicken to the pan and toss to coat.
7. Scatter parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Grate parmesan fresh from a block for the silkiest sauce. Cajun seasoning varies in salt so taste before adding more. Keep the simmer gentle.

FAQ

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