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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
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe December 2014. Updated April 2020 and September 2024.
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!
Can this be frozen and then just make new noodles when I re-serve it?
Yes, that would work!
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.
This recipe was so easy and equally delicious! I added shrimp,mushroom and onion/pepper medley!
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!
Added mushrooms and green peppers.. turned out delicious!
Delicious! I sautéed some peppers and onions separately and adde when the recipe said to.
I made this tonight for dinner and it was amazing!
All I can say is oh my god!
How could you make the sauce thicker? Could I use whole milk instead of 2%?
You could add more cheese to thicken it and you can use whole milk.
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 :/
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.