Easy Cajun Chicken Pasta
This easy Cajun chicken pasta is a weeknight dinner dream. Juicy cajun-spiced chicken on top of creamy pasta is a meal the whole family will love.
Ingredients needed
- Chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts/fillets. Boneless chicken thighs can also be used for this recipe.
- Pasta. I used Rigatoni but any short pasta shape like penne or fusilli will work.
- Onion.
- Fresh garlic cloves.
- Heavy cream/whipping cream.
- Parmesan cheese.
- Fresh lemon juice.
- Cajun spice/seasoning. Cajun seasoning is a blend of paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper, often with the addition of onion powder.
- Salt and black pepper.
- Butter + Olive Oil.
- Parsley, for serving. Other herbs like oregano, thyme or basil are also delicious with this pasta dish.
- Optional: Vegetables like bell peppers and tomatoes can be added to the onion and garlic when sautéing.
How to make Cajun chicken pasta
- Prepare the chicken: Place chicken on a cutting board in front of you and carefully slice each in half, horizontally, resulting in two thin fillets. Season generously on both sides with Cajun seasoning. Heat a large frying pan and add a splash of oil. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside. If the spices have browned too much, wipe the pan out with a piece of paper towel.
- How to make creamy Cajun chicken pasta sauce: Place the pan back over mediumheat and add a tablespoon of butter (or use oil). Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent. Add 1-2 tsp of Cajun seasoning and pour in the cream and lemon juice. Allow to simmer gently for a few minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Turn down the heat then add the grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until smooth. Add the cooked pasta and a splash of the reserved cooking water to thin down the sauce if necessary.
- Combine and serve: Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips and add to the pasta. Serve sprinkled with parsley and extra Parmesan.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes, this pasta dish can be made in advance although it is definitely best served immediately after cooking. Allow the pasta and sauce to come to room temperature then transfer to airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up 3 days. Reheat in the microwave with a few tablespoons of water until hot throughout.
Chicken pasta recipes
Easy Cajun chicken pasta
This easy Cajun chicken pasta is a weeknight dinner dream. Juicy cajun-spiced chicken on top of creamy pasta is a meal the whole family will love.
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Calories: 446kcal
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
For the pasta sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1½ cups cream
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
- 500 g (½lb) pasta of your choice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Halve the chicken breasts horizontally (resulting in two thin fillets) then season generously on both sides with the Cajun seasoning.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a splash of oil then add the chicken. Cook for a few minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- By this time, the water should be boiling. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining.
- In the same pan the chicken was cooked in, add the butter, onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the Cajun seasoning and stir into the onions. Pour in the cream and lemon juice then bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat and add the Parmesan. Stir until the sauce is smooth then season to taste.
- Toss the drained pasta with the creamy sauce. Add a few tablespoons of pasta water. Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce, and add more water if you want it to be saucier. Feel free to add more grated Parmesan too. Slice the chicken thinly then add to the pasta.
- Serve topped with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan.
Nutrition
Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 586mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1722IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 4mg
I made this and it was delicious! I doubled the recipe and added 8 ounces of velveeta to heavy cream. I used 1 pound of pasta. This is a family favorite! Thank you very much!
This looks so good. Spicy chicken and creamy pasta is a deadly combination. I am surely trying this out. Keep sharing such simple yet delicious recipe
The recipe has a few problems. The pasta to sauce ratio is way too skimpy. You’ll end up with a lot of bland pasta.
Also the amount of pasta water to reserve you list is 1 cup, yet you only add a couple tablespoons to the sauce at the end.
I added some green pepper in with the onions, but I should have used my common sense and significantly reduced the amount of pasta.
So sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. I always reserve a whole cup of water because often the pasta absorbs more than a few tablespoons. I like to add the pasta water and stir until the pasta is creamy and saucy without needing to add more cream.