This Cajun Chicken Pasta is a dinner winner with it’s creamy cajun sauce and bites of tender pasta and chicken. It’s one of the easiest dinners, ready in less than 30 minutes.

There’s few things I love more than 30-minute meals!  This cajun pasta is quick, easy, and completely customizable!  Serve it with Homemade Breadsticks, Rolls, a Salad, or a side of Roasted Vegetables.

Cajun Chicken Pasta in a large skillet with a wooden spoon.

What I LOVE about this recipe:

  • 30 minute meal
  • Customizable:  Choose your pasta and veggies, and make it healthier if you want to! I share all of my ideas below in the post.
  • Easy to make healthier (see ideas below).

How to Make Cajun Chicken Pasta:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2. Cook chicken and veggies.  In skillet, melt the butter, add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken pieces (and any desired vegetables) and season with cajun seasoning. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until chicken is nearly cooked through.

Chicken and bell peppers sautéing in a skillet and then sauce and cream cheese added.

3. Finish sauce.  Add the milk and cream cheese, stirring well until cream cheese has melted and sauce is smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Creamy cajun sauce with chicken and veggies in a skillet.

4. Add pasta and cheese. Stir together and season with salt and pepper if needed. 

Adjust the Spice Level:

The spice in this cajun chicken pasta recipe is solely attributed to the cajun seasoning.  The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons, which gives it a mild to medium spicy flavor.  Add more for spicier pasta, add only 1 teaspoon for mild.

Choose your pasta:

I used farfalle (bowtie) pasta but you can substitute 8 oz of your favorite pasta, like penne, shells,  rotini, linguine, etc.

A bowl of cajun chicken pasta.

For Healthier Cajun Chicken Pasta:

  • Substitute whole grain pasta
  • Add veggies: Add any vegetables you’d like to use up from your refrigerator including but not limited to, sliced bell peppers, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli etc.
  • Substitute olive oil for the butter or cut the butter amount in half.
  • Use low fat cream cheese
  • Use skim milk
  • Omit the parmesan cheese

Make Ahead Instructions:

  • To make this cajun chicken pasta ahead of time, prep steps 2-4 of the recipe (make the creamy sauce with cooked vegetables and chicken).  Allow it to cool and store in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, cook noodles, reheat sauce and stir in pasta and cheese.

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Recipe

Cajun Chicken Pasta in a large skillet with a wooden spoon.
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Total 20 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 ounces farfalle pasta (or your favorite type)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts), cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning , more or less, to taste
  • 4 ounces cream cheese , softened and cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt , more to taste, if needed
  • Fresh vegetables, if desired , see note*

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
  • In a large pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the chicken pieces (and any desired vegetables*) and season with cajun seasoning. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until chicken is nearly cooked through.
  • Add the milk and cream cheese, stirring well until cream cheese has melted and sauce is smooth, 2-3 minutes. 
  • Stir in pasta, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

*Vegetables: I often like to add vegetables to the pasta that need to be used from my fridge. A more authentic cajun dish would include sliced bell peppers. Other good additions would be spinach, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini or mushrooms.
Otherwise this is the perfect pasta to serve with a side of Roasted vegetables.
For Healthier Cajun Chicken Pasta:
  • Substitute whole grain pasta
  • Add veggies: Add any vegetables you'd like to use up from your refrigerate including but not limited to, sliced bell peppers, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.
  • Substitute olive oil for butter or cut the butter amount in half.
  • Use low fat cream cheese
  • Use skim milk
  • Omit the parmesan cheese
Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare steps 2-4 of the recipe (make the creamy sauce with cooked vegetables and chicken).  Allow it to cool and store in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, cook noodles, reheat sauce and add pasta and cheese to sauce.

Macros Recipe Adaptation

1 Tablespoon of butter, ½ Tbsp Neufchatel cream cheese, ½ cup of both chopped zucchini and green bell pepper, use unsweetened almond milk.

Per Serving Amount

247 grams.

Macros

415kcal, Fat: 11g, Carbs: 38g, Protein: 39g (serves 5) | MFP: Cajun Chicken Pasta (TBFS Macros)

Nutrition

Calories: 661kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 46gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 930mgPotassium: 1178mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1800IUVitamin C: 137.6mgCalcium: 398mgIron: 2.5mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

I originally shared this recipe December 2014. Updated April 2020 with process photos, a video, and additional instructions for making it healthier and making ahead of time.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 2 stars
    It WOULD be good. We’re going to adjust it a lot next time. Very very very salty. So salty I almost can’t eat it. And too much parmesan. I would definitely not add the salt or pepper that it calls for and just salt it to taste instead. The cajun spice would probably add enough salt on its own. I’d probably go half with the parmesan as well.

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious!!! A big hit with all of my children. We added spinach & bell peppers…yum!!! This will be added to the rotation. Thank you!

  3. 2 stars
    Even after adding a small additional garlic clove, and a decent portion of Cajun seasoning, both myself and my spouse felt that this tasted a bit bland. It wasn’t terrible, but it simply wasn’t flavorful, which is something that we both enjoy from our meals. I was disappointed.

  4. 5 stars
    This was SO GOOD! I did lessen the cajun seasoning to be more kid friendly, but my family of 5 raved about it. Definitely going on our regular meal rotation.

  5. 3 stars
    I think I messed it up. My family liked it but for me I feel like it was to thick? And maybe I didn’t add enough seasoning. Also don’t use Penne pasta with this it just doesn’t like holding this sauce.
    I definitely did something wrong. I’m sure if I hadn’t messed up somewhere I would have loved it. My family at the whole pot and I did it on 2x serving size.

  6. 5 stars
    So good.
    My 13 year old son and I have made this a few times so far. We’ve used chicken, shrimp, and veggies. We think the best one was when we did it with mushrooms. quick and easy.

  7. 5 stars
    I just found your meal plans and made this recipe tonight. I honestly was expecting to not like it, but it was delicious and my whole family loved it! I made it almost exactly according to the recipe. I used 2tsp Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning and it was perfectly spicy without being too hot. I added baby bella mushrooms and asparagus and I thickened the sauce with a little corn starch slurry. Great recipe! I’m looking forward to the rest of the week!

  8. 5 stars
    Made this for a few years now, it’s kinda my pasta primavera go to recipe, great with asparagus. I usually mix and match the ingredients, I use only 1 oz. cream cheese and 1/4 tsp cajun, YMMV of course!

  9. 4 stars
    Super tasty but I am wondering why it is always runny/soupy when I make it. I can’t seem to get it to thicken. Would love to know how!

    1. You can often thicken a sauce by adding a half a cup of the pasta water that has the starch in it after you’ve cooked the macaroni. Add more or less depending on how thick you need it to be. The starchy water is what thickens your sauce

    2. Use a whole block of cream cheese to thicken. But make sure to add more seasoning to compensate for the extra cheese.

  10. 5 stars
    Made this for Dinner tonight. I already had cooked shredded chicken so I used that. I also used a rotini pasta made from chickpeas. Added veggies I had in the fridge. It turned out absolutely delicious! As always Lauren your recipes are always great! Thank you 😊

  11. 5 stars
    I love how easy and yummy this recipe is. I’ve made it various times and used different ingredients with what I had on hand. Will definitely be remaking. 😊

  12. 5 stars
    I love that this recipe is so easy and yummy. I’ve made it various times and have modified it according to what I have in my fridge. Always turns out amazing.

  13. 5 stars
    This dinner was quick to make and delicious! I added red peppers to the dish and it was perfect. I have picky kiddos and they loved it too. Definitely going to save this into our family’s meal rotation!

  14. 5 stars
    Holy cow this was amazing! I added asparagus, bell pepper, and mushrooms. My kids LOVED it!!!! We all ate every last bite haha! We will absolutely be making again!!!

  15. I loved this recipe! It was quick, easy and I had everything already in my fridge or cupboards. That’s always a plus for me. I also cut up the veggies ahead of time which made it even quicker when throwing it together. It’s nice to have a recipe that’s adaptable. I had a ton a bell peppers I needed to use but next time I may try some zucchini. My husband, who doesn’t care for recipes with cream cheese in them, loved this recipe. The spice was nice (although I may amp it up a little more next time). Just an all around great recipe.

    1. I know your comment is from last year, but my husband is exactly the same way about recipes with cream cheese and I had to comment that he enjoyed this recipe very much! I think the spiciness masks the flavor of the cream cheese so that it’s just creamy and delicious!

  16. 5 stars
    Delicious! I’ve made this dish like 4 times over the last year and it’s always a winner. Bonus, my kids loved it too! Super easy to put together.

  17. This was very quick to put together and used pantry staples, only thing I had to get was cajun seasoning. Used little shells and chicken thighs, was very delicious, hubby approves too!! 🙂

  18. 5 stars
    So easy and very flavorful! I omitted the protein and served as a side with fried fish. Would love to add sautéed peppers and onions next time. My son loved it, too!

  19. 4 stars
    This pasta dish is very tasty! My only comment is that the finished product was so soupy, that I had to eat it in a bowl with a spoon. The sauce was better second day.

  20. I’ve made this before and LOVED it, so now I’m using this recipe, but substituting shrimp instead of chicken just to shake things up 😁

  21. 5 stars
    I literally fell in LOVE with this recipe. I added green, red, and yellow peppers and it was sooo good. My husband loves it too!

  22. 5 stars
    This was really, really good and easy to make which made it even better. I added some extra Cajun seasoning and garlic powder toward the end but keep in mind not all Cajun seasoning is created equally so your brand may be stronger or weaker than mine so just taste as you go.

  23. 5 stars
    I am currently feeding 5 student athletes, 3 of them being teenage boys while trying to stick to a budget. This recipe was AMAZING! I doubled the recipe, using chicken and andouille chicken sausage. I also added an assortment of bell pepper slices and extra cajun seasoning because we love spice. I had one small bowl, which was delicious and tasked the boys with putting away the leftovers. They had an easy job since there were none!!!!

  24. This is a family favorite! We like it with shrimp, chicken, smoked sausage, bell pepper, and Zucchuni. It’s a hit!

  25. 5 stars
    The whole family loves this one, and it’s so easy to make. It’s great made with summer squash, zucchini, tomato and onion, or even with a bag of frozen mixed veggies.

  26. 5 stars
    Easy and perfectly pleasing! Looking forward to making again and trying some different veggies and maybe shrimp instead of chicken. Yum!

  27. 5 stars
    The whole family enjoyed this. I used half of the Cajun seasoning so my children (5 & 7) would enjoy it too. Thank you for sharing.

  28. 5 stars
    This dish had great flavor and loved how versatile it was. I added mushrooms and zucchini to the pepper which was a nice combination. I’ll make this again, for sure. Thank you!!

  29. 5 stars
    Ive made this so many times . Big time favorite in my house , I add broccoli . Best part I usually just have to get cream cheese because I always have the rest of ingredients at home 👏🏼🤗💐

  30. 5 stars
    PERFECTION! I added green bell pepper, mini red/green/and yellow bell peppers, and broccoli to add as the additional veggies. I followed this recipe exactly. It truly is a family favorite. I look forward to adding it to my meals to impress for gatherings of family and friends. Thank you so much!

  31. I added broccoli, bell pepper, onion, tomato, and spinach and it was SOOOOOO good!! I put a cup and a half of Parmesan cheese in it and a lot more Cajun seasoning along with extra butter and my boyfriend wanted to propose!! LOL

    1. 5 stars
      Same here. Fantastic recipe. I doubled, added chicken and andouille sausage. Peppers and onions. LOTS of garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, and butter

  32. 5 stars
    This is a great recipe! I did not have cajun spice, so I made my own. Didn’t have the bow tie pasta so I used extra wide egg noodles and I used 1/2 whole milk with 1/2 heavy whipping cream. The kids said it was a “make it again” recipe! Will definitely make it again! Thank you!

  33. 5 stars
    Sooo Yummy…I am allergic to chicken ( i know i know) so I switched this to pork. Still yummy. A lot of the recipes I change the chicken to turkey or pork. The shrimp ( yes, allergic to shellfish as well) is a little harder, but have used pork of beef instead.

  34. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Next time we are adding more Cajun seasoning and maybe some paprika! Other than that it was perfect, thank you so much for the recipe! Definitely sending out to family!

  35. 5 stars
    This was fantastic! Didn’t dice my chicken tenders, browned them in the garlic butter with broccoli, bell pepper and carrots around. Used penne as that was what I had, still plenty of sauce (added a bit more parmesean as I increased the enoodles and chicken about 50%, didn’t increase anything else) which was awesome! Printed out to keep in my recipes, keeper for sure.

  36. 5 stars
    I just wanted to mention that I made this tonight and even with some major dietary changes, it was INCREDIBLE.
    Listen. Normally when you take all the meat and cheese components out of a dish it takes all the flavor as well.. NOT THE CASE. I made it as a side dish, omitting the chicken and cheese but using veggies (red onion & sweet pepper) instead. I used lactose-free cream cheese and oat milk in place of the full dairy components.. amazing. Just as good as alfredo full of cream. I just made sure to season the veggies and the sauce liberally. Everything was perfect. I even used leftover pasta from the fridge. It was that easy.
    I am so happy to have found a simple and delicious recipe that could be adjusted so heavily to our plant-heavy diet!! It impressed me so much I felt compelled to leave this review for anyone else worried about if this alfredo could ever be made dairy pain-free.. YES!!

  37. 5 stars
    This was so good! Thank you so much!

    My fiancé and I like spicy food, so I added about a tablespoon of hot sauce and some extra chili power, paprika, and cumin, and it was perfect for us.

  38. I made this and for the spicy addition I used Tony Chachere’s Bold Creole Seasoning on the chicken and in the pan. You can find this spice in the spice aisle or near the cajun food section. I also used zucchini and mushrooms and also added Andouille sausage along with the chicken breast. It was amazing. Great leftover too! I want to make it again right now because it’s so delicious but I don’t want to get burned out on it. I can’t wait to make it again. I can’t wait to make this for the rest of the family.

  39. 5 stars
    Not too spicy but sooo delicious! Instead of pasta, I roasted butternut squash separately and added it in at the very end. Definitely a good addition!

  40. 5 stars
    Is the whole thing 661 calories and then divided it’s less? Or is one serving 661 calories? And how much is one serving?

  41. 5 stars
    Loved it! Easy, and tasty! I added mushrooms, red and yellow peppers And zucchini plus 2 tablespoons of flour to thicken the sauce. Everyone loved it.

  42. Made it for me and my boyfriend and we loved it!! Perfectly creamy and I added extra cajun seasoning for a great kick!

  43. 5 stars
    I love this! So tasty! I just had a problem with my sauce being more soupy then creamy. What can I do to fix this?

    1. Soupy for me too. I did mix the soupy sauce with a bit of corn starch (like 1/2 tsp) and then incorporated back in. That did the trick!

  44. 5 stars
    This was fast, easy, and delicious! I was surprised at how much flavor it had for being just a 30-minute make. My kids and husband all had seconds (two even had thirds!). Adding this into my regular rotation for sure!

  45. 5 stars
    Had this last night and it was delicious! Seriously so good. Hubby said it was a little to salty for him but I think that was the cajun seasoning I used. So next time I just won’t add the salt called for in the recipe. But it wasn’t too salty for me! I absolutely lo ed it! Thanks for always having such tasty recipes!

  46. 5 stars
    This was another great meal that we both loved. I will be making this again soon. It wasn’t too spicy or too runny. Next time I think I will shrimp or add some bell peppers or maybe both.

  47. 5 stars
    I made this for supper tonight – delicious! I added a chopped up zucchini and a handful of spinach. Very quick and easy. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for this recipe. Yum!

    1. I always make a basic white sauce first (make roux, slowly whisk in milk) as a base for my cheese sauces. The flour will help make a thicker sauce. This probably would end up making it a two pot meal instead of one pot meal though, as you’d end up making the sauce separate :/

    2. 5 stars
      You can use 1 cup of the pasta’s cooking water. I just scooped it from the pot before draining the pasta. The starch in the water thickens the sauce. I heard on a cooking podcast that it is the Italian method for making sauces. My sauce turned out great and everyone enjoyed it.

  48. I used up three kinds of pasta because I had just a little of each! I also used homemade Cajun seasoning. I added orange bell peppers and onions, plus green onions on top. I only added about half cup milk because it was 1%. Really easy, great for weeknights and soooo good!! I skipped the Parmesan because that doesn’t seem Cajun to me lol.

    1. I would make your own–just requires a few pantry spices. A google search will pull up many good recipes.

  49. 5 stars
    This recipe was a hit w/my family of 6, even my 8 year-old twins. I had to double the recipe. I would really, really, love it with less black pepper & more broccoli. I left this recipe for my husband to make and he did an excellent job. I did have him make a few minor changes no added salt, a cup of cream & half and half since we doubled the recipe. Will definitely be making this recipe again. I also used mini farfalle.

  50. 5 stars
    I made a double batch and my whole family was SILENCED!!! Even the two year old was stuffing her face! Absolutely amazing thank you so much! I will definitely be making this many times again!

  51. 5 stars
    Amazing dish! I used penne noodles and Neufchatel cheese instead of regular cream cheese, and I added in a chopped red bell pepper! The sauce seemed very thin at first but thickened beautifully.

    It is for sure on our list to make again! I am not sure if it was the addition of the bell pepper but this dish was INCREDIBLY filling and I think it was more like six adult servings as opposed to four.

  52. 5 stars
    I am super excited to make this tonight. One question: I only have lactose free 2% milk on hand. Would that still work?

  53. 5 stars
    I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this !! It’s my daughters all time favorite . I can’t trll you how many people I’ve told yo follow you on here and FB . I make so many of your recipes because they are user friendly . Merry Christmas ?

  54. This was amazing! I need to find a good cajun seasoning without salt, mine was salty but not spicy enough. I added a red pepper and doubled the recipe. I can’t wait to make this again!

  55. So I made this recipe for our family Christmas party and I had to double it. I didn’t put any veggies in it but I came home with an empty pot. Both the adults and kids loved it. I gave out the recipe to half of them. 🙂

  56. We are doing a Cajun food theme for Christmas this year and I saw this recipe and wanted to make it. I will need to use 16 oz of noodles so will I need to double the whole recipe?

  57. This sounds really really good, and I’m glad that you added broccoli! I need to try it with some GF pasta!

  58. Should the broccoli still be hard when the meal is finished? Putting it in the water with the noodles for just one minute doesn’t seem like it would do enough. Let me know please 🙂
    I am making this tonight it looks delicious!

    1. Hi Catie, You can cook the broccoli for as long as you like–I like mine blanched, so that it’s not soft. But you could throw it in the water with the pasta a few minutes earlier!

  59. i wanna cook the red and green bell pepper with it instead. Do I cook that with the meat? And how long would I cook it? Love trying new recipes but always second guess myself

  60. I’ve been drooling over this recipe for a few days and I’m finally going to make it tonight. Question, though – I don’t have fresh Parmesan on hand. Could I substitute grated Romano? I’ve never made my own Alfredo sauce before and just want to be sure it will work out well.
    Thank you!

    1. Hi Katie, you could definitely substitute Romano–it will change the flavor a tiny bit but it should still tastes delicious! Let me know how you like it!

      1. This was PHENOMINAL. I’ll be honest, halfway through preparing I had some serious doubts, as all of had at some point when getting a recipe off the internet. Especially since this one was so easy. But it blew my and my husband’s expectations out of the water. It tasted like order out! Thank you!!
        (I used the Romano, and for the Cajun seasoning I used the Louisiana Seasoning blend in the 2015 February/March issue of Cook’s Country.)

        1. Thanks Katie! I’m so happy you and your husband liked it!! Thanks for coming back to comment 🙂

  61. I made this tonight skinny version.No butter & the lightest Philadelphia cream cheese I could find.I added yellow peppers & broccoli left out the salt.Will be making this again for sure.It was scrumdidlumscious☺

    1. That sounds awesome! Always a fan of making things skinnier–happy to your your changes turned out yummy!

  62. I just made this tonight for my boyfriend & I. I wanted to use the asparagus I had on hand along with some red pepper instead of the broccoli. I sauteed the asparagus for a couple minutes then tossed into the finished product. I also changed up the receipe a little bit to make it a little bit healthier. Instead of using cream cheese, I used 4 oz (1/2 c) plain Greek yogurt & 1/2 cup skim milk instead of the recommended 1 cup. We couldn’t tell the difference & it was sooo good! Definitely going to make this again! Thanks for sharing!

  63. Made this for dinner tonight. It turned out pretty good. With the exception, that I got a little carried away with the cajun seasoning. Lol

  64. On the garlic are you suppose to cut it out throw it in whole? Do you take it out afterwards or leave it in there? I’m making this today so i would really appreciate your answer. .

    1. Hi Jessica, you will want to mince the garlic with a garlic press (or remove the shell and cut it in really tiny pieces) before you add it to the pan. 🙂 Let me know how you like it!

  65. Might sound like a stupid question, but does anyone know where to buy Jars of Alfredo Sauce in Britain ?
    All the usual, well known supermarkets don’t seem 2 have it, or even have a clue what it is when you ask !!!

    1. I would just make the alfredo sauce from scratch–it’s really easy and you should easily be able to find the ingredients–parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, milk.

  66. This looks delicious! My last Cajun pasta attempt was a disaster so I’m excited to try this. Do you think light cream cheese could be substituted?

    1. Hi Beth, you can definitely use light cream cheese! This recipe is super easy and yummy–hope you like it!

    2. I used plain Greek yogurt instead!! Instead of 400cal & 40g of fat, I was able to get away with 110cal & 7g of fat for 4 oz! Still tasted amazing!!

  67. This is a really good recipe. I am the cook of the family and always love trying new things. The cream cheese usage is a good attribute. I tend to use it with soups and sauces rather than half/half.
    Even better, my whole family (including the kids) LOVE it. 🙂

  68. This looks delicious. I’ve never made Alfredo with cream cheese before, I am excited to try this recipe! I think asparagus could be substituted for broccoli and it would taste great too.

  69. Hi Lauren! I found this recipe on pinterest and tried it. I am a huge pasta lover and this recipe was beyond amazing. I will definitely be making it again and for my family whenever I visit home. I loved it so much, that I’ll most likely be making my own Alfredo sauce from now. THANKS!