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One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is made in only one pot with fresh peppers, chicken, Parmesan cheese and more! It doesn’t get any easier than an easy pasta dinner recipe made in one pot in less than 45 minutes.
Make your dinner extra special with this creamy one pot recipe. Who can resist fresh ingredients, creamy cheesy goodness and perfectly cooked cajun chicken pasta made in one pot? The entire meal cooks in one pot in 35 minutes. And yes, everything cooks in one pan, including the pasta. Trust me, it works. Not only does it work, but it yields the most creamy pasta dish combined with the Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
The cajun seasoning is the highlight of this recipe. A simple seasoning mix adds so much fresh flavor.
What’s in Cajun Seasoning?
You can purchase cajun seasoning at your local grocery store or you can make homemade cajun seasoning. To make homemade cajun seasoning combine the following ingredients.
Cajun Seasoning Recipe
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes.
Is Cajun Seasoning hot?
Cayenne pepper is what makes cajun seasoning hot. The cajun seasoning recipe above includes only a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper so it’s not too hot. However, you can add more cayenne pepper for a hotter seasoning. When added to this cajun chicken pasta, the spiciness of the cayenne pepper is balanced with the creaminess of the cheese.
Is Creole the same as Cajun Seasoning?
Cajun seasoning and creole seasoning are very similar but different. Creole seasoning often includes more paprika so it is not as spicy as cajun seasoning. Cajun seasoning includes more cayenne pepper to give it more heat and spiciness. I only recommend using cajun seasoning for this recipe. You can use store-bought cajun seasoning or homemade seasoning.
How do you make creamy Cajun sauce?
For creamy cajun sauce, you can use a few different ingredients. This recipe uses cream cheese, chicken broth and parmesan cheese to make creamy Cajun sauce. However, some recipes use heavy cream, half and half or milk for the sauce. I prefer this recipe since everything cooks in one pot and results in a creamy cajun chicken pasta penne.
What kind of pasta do you use for Cajun Chicken Pasta?
For almost all of my one pot chicken pasta dinners, I use penne pasta. Penne pasta cooks easily and evenly for one pot meals and I love the texture and taste of it. I use penne pasta in this cajun chicken pasta. Combined with the other ingredients creates a rich and creamy cajun chicken pasta penne.
Other easy pasta dinners
Go ahead, enjoy this meal any night of the week. It’s one of our favorite creamy one pot pasta dinners. Don’t forget to save some of the pasta for leftovers too. This one pot meal tastes as as good, if not even better, as leftovers!
One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 to 3 teaspoons cajun seasoning, *
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced into thin strips
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced into thin strips
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded from the block parmesan cheese
- freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Season chicken with one teaspoon Cajun seasoning; set aside.
- In a 12″ pan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir until soft, about 3 minutes. Add chicken to pan and cook until brown on both sides. Stir in garlic and cook one additional minute. Add uncooked pasta, chicken broth, water, sliced peppers and remaining Cajun seasoning (use one teaspoon if you want mild Cajun flavor or the remaining two teaspoons if you want full Cajun flavor). Stir then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 22 minutes. Uncover and cook until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 additional minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- You can make your own homemade Cajun seasoning by combining the following ingredients; 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this twice now…..it’s awesome! I like to add extra pepper strips ……adds extra flavor & color. Thanks for this recipe, Ashley!
Hi, Sandra! I’m so glad you loved this cajun chicken pasta recipe. We love adding extra pepper strips for extra color and flavor. Thanks so much for your comment!
Could this be frozen?
Hi, Carolyn! I don’t recommend freezing pasta as it doesn’t hold up well.
Made this for dinner tonight, I subbed flank steak we needed to use up, and it was amazing! Thanks for another great recipe my husband can’t stop talking about! ❤
Great substitution for what you had on hand, Michele. So glad everyone loved it!
I made this tonight but used smoked sausage instead of chicken. It was delicious!! Next time I will use chicken too. Definitely a keeper!
Just wanted to know if you could use Quick Cook Penne Pasta?
No, I use regular penne pasta.
Delish! So fast and easy!!!
I made this and I LOVE IT.
I’ve made this recipe a few times and each time seems more delicious than the last! Question: do you think I could use pappardelle (or another long noodle) for this or would it get too mushy?
Hi, Steph! I am so glad to hear you love this recipe. I always use penne but it doesn’t hurt to try a different noodle. It may be a little mushy, but I would recommend checking to see if it’s done around 15 minutes or even a little less. It should taste the same but will need to be cooked in less time to ensure it doesn’t get too mushy.
Just finished making this dish and it was quick, easy, and so darn tasty. New fav!!
Made this tonight for dinner, huge success! No leftovers!
Hi, Christina! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂