Cajun Chicken Pasta is the perfect creamy, spicy, and one-pot meal with bell pepper, Cajun seasoning, and parmesan cheese in the rich sauce.
This chicken and pasta Dinner Recipe is perfect anytime you crave spicy and delicious Cajun cuisine. For more Creole recipes, try my Cajun Jambalaya Pasta or Shrimp Etouffee.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
This chicken pasta dish is the perfect way to indulge in classic Cajun flavors. You don’t have to worry about setting aside time to marinate the meat or any other time-consuming prep work. Instead, sprinkle the juicy chicken breast meat with Cajun seasoning and cook it on the stovetop. The Cajun-Seasoned Chicken Breasts turn out nice and tender, and the seasoning on the chicken also helps flavor the creamy sauce.
Once it’s all blended, you’ll have perfect creamy pasta bowls ready. The rich, creamy, and slightly cheesy sauce coats the bites of chicken and pasta for the perfect flavorful and comforting meal.
Ingredients
- Pasta: This recipe calls for Thick Linguine pasta. The long pasta is perfect for twirling in the delicious sauce and spice mixture, and it’s thick enough that the heavy cream mixture won’t break the pasta strands.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are ideal for this recipe. Before cooking, use a kitchen mallet to get the chicken pieces to the same thickness.
- Spices: Along with the spicy flavor from the Cajun seasoning, we also added garlic, cayenne pepper, and oregano to the chicken sauce.
- Vegetables: Cook red onion and red, yellow, and orange bell peppers in butter until tender. They make the perfect flavorful veggies for Cajun Chicken Pasta.
- Cream: Heavy cream and parmesan cheese give the rich sauce the perfect consistency to coat the pasta and chicken pieces.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Large Pot: When cooking thick linguine or any type of pasta, it’s important to use a large pot to ensure the pasta cooks evenly and doesn’t stick together
- Large Skillet: Cooking the chicken in a large skillet ensures they are cooked through and nicely browned.
- Mallet: A meat mallet or meat tenderizer, is a kitchen tool used primarily for pounding and tenderizing meat.
- Colander: You’ll need a colander to drain the cooked pasta effectively. Make sure it’s sturdy and large enough to hold the spaghetti without spilling.
- Pasta Tongs: Pasta tongs are versatile. They can serve pasta, other types of noodles, such as soba or udon noodles, and salads or other dishes where you need to grip and lift ingredients delicately.
- Grater (Optional): If your parmesan cheese isn’t pre-shaved, grating it fresh adds a delightful texture to the dish.
How to Make
- Cook Pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute shy of the box instructions. Drain and set the cooked pasta to the side without rinsing. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water to use in the sauce.
- Prep Chicken
Use a meat mallet to pound chicken to an even thickness. Then season the boneless skinless chicken breast with Cajun seasoning.
- Cook Chicken
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Then cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken breast from heat, and tent it in foil to keep it warm and stop moisture from escaping while the meat rests.
- Saute Onions
Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Then, reduce the medium-high heat to medium heat. Add the onions and garlic to the melted butter. Stir during the cooking time for 4-5 minutes until the onions are softened.
- Cook Bell Peppers
Then add the bell peppers, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, oregano, and black pepper. Stir to coat and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the peppers are softened.
- Make Creamy Cajun Sauce
Then add the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and minced fresh parsley. Stir the sauce mixture until combined.
- Add chicken
Slice the cooked chicken into thin chicken strips. Then, add the chicken slices to the cream sauce.
- Add Pasta and Serve
Cook for another 2 minutes and stir to coat pasta and chicken in a creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water to thin it until creamy. Garnish the Cajun Chicken Pasta with additional parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine pasta
- 2 chicken breast , boneless and skinless
- 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided
- 1/2 red onion , thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 red bell pepper , thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper , thinly sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper , thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , shredded
- 1/2 cup parsley , minced
Instructions
- Add pasta to salted boiling water and cook one minute shy of the package instructions.
- Drain and set aside, reserving ¼ cup pasta water. Do not rinse.
- Pound chicken to an even thickness with a kitchen mallet.
- Season chicken with Cajun seasoning.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
- Remove chicken and let rest, tented with foil.
- Add the remaining butter to the skillet and reduce heat to medium.
- Add in the red onions and garlic stirring and cooking for 4-5 minutes until onions have softened.
- Add in the bell peppers, salt, cayenne pepper, oregano and black pepper, stir to coat and cook for 4-5 minutes until bell peppers have softened.
- Add in heavy cream, parmesan cheese, parsley and stir.
- Slice the chicken thinly into strips and add to the pot stirring well.
- Cook for 2 minutes until sauce coats the pasta.
- If sauce thickens too much add in some of the reserved pasta water to thin.
- Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Can this be made ahead?
You can prep the chicken and pasta ahead of time, but this dish is best served fresh and hot. Season the chicken and keep it overnight in an airtight container before cooking, but don’t prep it more than 48 hours beforehand for the best texture and flavor.
Nutritional Facts
Cooking Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Spice Level: Adjust the amount of Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper to control the dish’s spiciness according to your preference.
- Creamy Consistency: If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of pasta cooking water or chicken broth to thin it out.
- Cook Chicken Properly: Cooking in batches can prevent overcrowding and ensure even cooking.
How to Store
- Serve: Don’t leave Cajun Chicken Pasta at room temperature for over 2 hours after cooking.
- Store: Let the chicken and pasta cool to room temperature to keep leftovers fresh. Then, transfer the food to an airtight container. If it’s carefully sealed, you can keep this recipe fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: You can also freeze Cajun Chicken Pasta for up to 3 months.
Ideas to Serve Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Garlic Bread: A classic choice that complements the creamy sauce and helps soak up any extra sauce on the plate.
- Roasted Vegetables: Roasted vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes complement the Cajun spices and add a slightly caramelized flavor.
- Cornbread: Cornbread’s slightly sweet flavor and crumbly texture contrast nicely with the spiciness of Cajun chicken pasta.
- Coleslaw: A creamy coleslaw provides a cool and crunchy side dish that balances the heat of the Cajun spices.
- Fresh Fruit or Fruit Salad: Serve fresh fruit like sliced pineapple or mango on the side for a refreshing and sweet contrast.
- Side Salad: A crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette provides a refreshing contrast to the rich flavors of the pasta. You can include mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion.
- Steamed Vegetables: Lightly seasoned steamed vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, or green beans add color and nutrients to the meal without overpowering the pasta.
- White Wine: Pair Cajun chicken pasta with a crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. The wine’s acidity can cut through the creamy sauce and enhance the dish’s flavors.
- Iced Tea: A classic choice that can be served sweetened or unsweetened. You can also add a slice of lemon or a sprig of mint for extra freshness.
- Sparkling Water: Serve plain sparkling water or flavored sparkling water like lemon, lime, or berry. It’s crisp and cleanses the palate between bites.
- Lemonade: Freshly squeezed lemonade pairs well with the spicy Cajun flavors. Adjust the sweetness to your preference.
Frequent Questions
This spice blend perfectly gives this chicken pasta recipe and other favorite meals a classic Louisiana-style flavor. The spicy blend is traditionally made with paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, onion powder, white pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Cajun seasoning always adds a nice kick of heat to recipes. But, how hot it is can vary depending on the specific blend. Traditionally, it has a bold, spicy flavor, but it’s not overwhelming, and there are earthy flavors to balance the heat.
Variations
- Shrimp Cajun Pasta: For this pasta dish, you can use shrimp instead of chicken breasts. Season shelled and deveined shrimp with Cajun seasoning, then cook over medium-high heat until the shrimp pinks up. Make the sauce as usual and combine the seafood, pasta, and sauce to finish the shrimp cajun pasta.
- Chicken thighs: If you don’t have chicken breasts, you can use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. Remember that chicken thighs take a little longer to cook than breasts.
- Vegetables: This one-pot dish can be filled with delicious vegetables, such as green bell pepper, broccoli florets, green onions, yellow onion, or sauteed mushrooms. Add the cream once the cooked vegetables are tender and continue the Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe as usual.
More Delicious Creamy Pasta Dishes
