A creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe tossed in a delicious cajun sauce with your favorite vegetables. It's made all in one pan and on the table in 20 minutes!
Do you love 30 minute meals? Make sure to try Shrimp Alfredo, Chicken Marsala Pasta, Honey Mustard Chicken, and Mediterranean Meatball Bowls!
Cajun Chicken Pasta is our favorite one-pot-meal.
Cajun Chicken Pasta is our favorite one-pot-meal.Weeknights just got an upgrade with this easy cajun chicken pasta! It's made all in one pan with simple pantry ingredients that come together so harmoniously. It's easy to customize with your favorite veggies, and it has a mild to medium spice, so my kids love it too. Check out my tips below for adjusting the spice level for your family, and if you want a healthier version. I've also included adaptations and information for anyone counting their macros or looking for high protein meals.
How to Make Cajun Chicken Pasta:
Sauté Chicken and Veggies: Cook pasta then drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. Add butter to a skillet then add garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Add chicken and vegetables then season with cajun seasoning. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until chicken is almost cooked through. Add milk and cream cheese then stir for 2-3 minutes until cream cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
Serve: Add pasta and cheese to the pan then stir to combine and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Recipe Variations:
- Spice Level: This pasta has a mild to medium spice level, if you want it less spicy, start with just 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning, or more than 2 teaspoons (or a sprinkle of cayenne), for more spicy pasta.
- Pasta: I usually use farfalle (bowtie) pasta, but you can substitute 8 oz of penne, shells, rotini, linguine, or your favorite pasta.
- Make it Healthier:
- Use whole grain pasta.
- Add extra veggies: Look in your fridge and use up what you have. Some of my favorites are: sliced bell peppers, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, etc.
- Use olive oil instead of butter, or reduce the butter in half.
- Use low fat cream cheese and skim milk in the sauce, and don't add the parmesan cheese.
Make Ahead Instructions:
Cook vegetables and chicken in the creamy sauce. Store in the fridge until ready to serve, when you can reheat it and stir in cooked pasta and shredded cheese.
More Pasta Recipes:
- Manicotti
- Pasta Primavera
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Pastalaya
- Harissa Pasta
- Baked Ziti
- Crock Pot Baked Ziti
- Chicken Parmesan
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Recipe
Cajun Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Equipment
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.
- Cook chicken: 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 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
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
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I originally shared this recipe December 2014. Updated April 2020 and September 2024.
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Delicious and surprisingly easy to put together after work on a Tuesday
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!! 🙂
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!
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.
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 😁
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!
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.
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!!!!
This is a family favorite! We like it with shrimp, chicken, smoked sausage, bell pepper, and Zucchuni. It’s a hit!
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.
So easy and good! We eat it all the time!