Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta (Copycat) delivers creamy Cajun flavor and indulgent, crispy golden meat. Try it for dinner!
If there is a ranking list of the Cheesecake Factory menu, their popular Cajun Jambalaya Pasta is on it. But that’s not their only spicy Pasta Recipe– this one has the same bold flavors and crispy chicken—it’s definitely a must-try!
Sabrina’s Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta Copycat Recipe
There are so many winning dishes across all categories on The Cheesecake Factory menu, it’s tough to pick a top recipe. My personal go-to order is Spicy Cashew Chicken with some Tamale Corn Cakes to start. And what table order would be complete without the iconic Avocado Egg Rolls? Plus, Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic is another family favorite. But I have to tell you – their Louisiana Chicken Pasta is a sleeper pick!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
CAJUN CREAM SAUCE
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese , shredded
CRISPY PARMESAN CHICKEN
- 4 chicken breasts , butterflied
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
PASTA
- 1 lb Farfalle pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper , sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper , sliced
- 1/2 red onion , sliced
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms , sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup parsley , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the Sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Set a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta to a minute shy of what is listed on the box.
- Drain but do not rinse.
- Mix the flour, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Kosher salt and black pepper together in one bowl.
- In a second bowl whisk the eggs.
- Dredge each piece of chicken into the breadcrumb mixture, then into the eggs, and finally back into the breadcrumb mixture.*
- Let chicken sit on a tray while you cook the vegetables.
- Melt butter in cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the bell peppers, onion, garlic and mushrooms.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes until just starting to brown but not break down.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan.
- Add the ¼ cup oil and let it get hot. Cook the chicken until crispy and golden brown, 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and drain the oil.
- Add the pasta and vegetables to the pan with the sauce mixture.
- Let thicken and stir for 3-5 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking slice up the chicken.
- Serve the pasta with the sliced chicken on top and extra Parmesan as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Table of contents
About this Recipe
What’s so great about this dish? Well, first of all, the chicken is super crispy, and well seasoned with Cajun spices and Parmesan Cheese. The sauce is creamy with a spicy bite, and the veggies add some nice texture. And while it does have a long list of ingredients and steps, I promise, this amazing pasta is easier than you’d think to make at home.
Chef’s Note: Copycat Recipes
I love creating copycat recipes because it lets my readers try a new dish at home without that “order regret”. If you are like me, you have my go-to dishes at most places. It’s hard to try something new because what if it ends up not as good as our usual order? In fact, I only discovered this tasty pasta because my husband decided to be adventurous, which allowed me to finally give it a try. I filled my Copycat Catalog with spot-on recipes so you can recreate your usual order or discover a new favorite that tastes as good (if not better) as the restaurant!
Ingredients
Cajun Spice Blend
If you have a cabinet full of spices and you’re looking to make your own Cajun spice mix, here is an easy Cajun Spice Blend!
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Can this be made ahead of time?
You can make some parts of this recipe ahead of time, but I would suggest breading the chicken and cooking everything all at once. This will give you the crispiest coating and the best flavor since cooking it all in the same pan builds the flavors. Combine the sauce ingredients and make the dry breading mixture, and keep them in separate containers in the fridge. This will save you a bit of prep time when you actually start making dinner.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
How to Butterfly Chicken Breast
- Start with a boneless, skinless chicken breast flat on a cutting board.
- Using a sharp, large chef’s knife, start along the long side of the breast.
- Place your knife halfway up the breast (from the cutting board) and carefully cut through one side to the other long side, stopping before you cut through fully.
- Use one hand to gently press down on the breast to anchor it as you are cutting.
- You should be able to open the breast like a book, but have it be one large, thin piece.
- Using a meat mallet, gently pound the halves in any larger areas so that they are even across.
Related Recipes
More Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipes
These photos were in a previous version of this post
The sauce ratios are way, way off. And that in turn seems to affect the salt balance making this very under-seasoned. Seemingly 1/2 cup of heavy cream is the correct amount, although I haven’t made this a second time yet to test it. I do want to compliment the chicken, the breading recipe was very good, and you can certainly salvage this recipe by draining off some of the cream sauce and then air frying the pasta for about 1 minute at 300, then adding the chicken pieces.
Hi Burton, feel free to add more salt to taste as everyone’s preferences differ. This is one of my higher rated recipes at 4.88 stars out of 116 reviews, but I haven’t received any about the cream being too much, and I appreciate the feedback. Because of the pasta not being fully cooked, it’s supposed to absorb some of the liquid as it finishes with the vegetables. Glad you enjoyed the breaded chicken.
Spicy Cajun goodness. I’ve only been to the Cheesecake factory a handful of times and each time I order the same thing, Davinci Chicken Pasta. I might have to branch out and try their version of this, but your version is delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Im from Norway and really miss the taste! Thnx for fixing it??
You’re welcome and thanks for taking the time to review our recipe with a five star review!
Doesn’t specify what to do with the sauce while things are cooking but says it needs to thicken – when do we turn the sauce on? How does the sauce thicken?
Hi Meghan, you’re going to add the sauce to the hot pan in step 13, along with the pasta and the vegetables. It’s the same pan that was used to cook the chicken. Because the pan is already heated, it will thicken and heat the sauce.
Made this yesterday. I think I messed up the pasta. I wasn’t sure what “shy of a minute” meant. I should have just made the pasta fully but I had to cook it twice and leave it and it had a weird taste. However I was able to save it. I added more Cajun seasoning, salt. parmesan til it tasted better. I would add more veggies next time, It seems I was short on them.
The Chicken was delicious however. I might try this again in the future and try not to repeat these mistakes.
I followed the recipe. But mine came out very different than Cheesecake Factory’s. This was much creamier and did not come out like the picture shown, where there’s isn’t really creamy at all. Is there something I did wrong?
I gave 5 stars still because it still tasted great lol
I’ve made this a few times now and it is sooooo good. I have a question about the chicken: could it be baked, using the breading as in the recipe, but baked instead of fried?
Hi Vickie, yes you can absolutely bake the chicken instead of frying it. Depending on thickness of the breast, you’ll want to bake at 400 for 15 minutes at 1/4” thickness, or 20 minutes for 1/2” thickness. Mist lightly with cooking spray before baking to imitate frying crispness, and flip halfway through. Let me know how it turns out!
This was pretty good, but unfortunately did not taste like Cheesecake Factory. Theirs is no where near as creamy as this recipe, but it was still good.
Thank you for trying the recipe Lorissa and for the kind review.
The first time I made this recipe, it tasted almost identical to The Cheesecake Factory’s version. After making this at least a dozen times over the last few years, I can say this recipe is far superior to Cheesecake Factory’s version. It’s one of the only recipes my entire family loves without having to make any modifications for the picky eaters. Plus, I always make extra chicken and freeze it. It reheats great in the air fryer!
Wow Kevin! Thanks for the great feedback and five star review!
I have to agree–it’s better than Cheesecake Factory! Since one batch makes a lot and there’s only 2 of us, I freeze left overs in individual portions. It heats up great and makes for an easy meal on nights I don’t want to cook!
Thank you Vicki for the kind review!
This was bomb. I tripled the Cajun seasoning because we like a lot of heat/seasoning but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as written and it came out great. My chicken took a bit longer to cook but it always does. My husband and son loved it.
So glad you tried the recipe and enjoyed your feedback! You DO like a lot of spicy heat Casey! Thanks for the five star review.
this recipe is delicious, but personally, the order of cooking isn’t optimal, in my opinion. it’s best to cook the chicken first, then cook the veggies in the same pan after, add the sauce and pasta. much more logical and easier!
FOLLOWED THIS RECIPE PRETTY CLOSE AND IT CAME OUT GREAT!
TOOK ME A LITTLE LONGER THEN SUGGESTED BUT STILL REALLY WORTH THE EFFORT. WILL MAKE AGAIN SOON. THANK YOU FOR SENDING
so delicious! taste almost exactly like the cheesecake factory meal
This is the best meal I have ever eaten. Much better than the original in my opinion.
Pretty close copycat. This is a keeper. I think I will add more salt to the breading next time and Hammer the chicken breast thinner. Delicious.
SO delicious. My family loves it. We do Italian sausage instead of chicken and it’s so much better – in my opinion. Yum!!!!!
Great idea Nicole!
Love this chicken pasta! Yum!
Love hearing reviews like yours Lori and thanks for the 5 stars!
In my opinion your recipe is better than Cheesecake Factory!! It took a little longer prepping than other recipes BUT it is so worth it!!! I’ll add more veggies and maybe some spinach next time but this will definitely be in our rotation. Thank you for sharing with us!!!!
Thanks Rose! Appreciate your kind words and thank you for the five star review!
I worked at The Cheesecake Factory for 6 years and this was one of my favorite dishes. I can tell you this tastes exactly like the restaurant dish. Maybe even better. Thank you for posting.
This tastes just like the restaurant version, thank you! We love a lot of sauce however, so next time, I will double the sauce recipe. Definitely saving this one for our meal rotation.
Super delicious with the adaptations I made to the recipe. I definitely used more veggies and threw in some spinach too. I used some Asiago cheese in the pasta to add some nuttiness. Fresh squeezed lemon juice to bright up the flavors. I also used my homemade Cajun seasoning with a bit of Italian seasoning as well. I did put some Cajun seasoning in the coating of the chicken too. I definitely think the recipe is a good base to add upon.
Yummy. You’re a creative and intuitive cook! Sounds amazing.
Big hit with my boyfriend, lots of steps so definitely not a weekly rotation