It’s been a while since I’ve made a one-pot pasta! But this weekend I got a craving for a creamy, smoky, spicy, easy one pot dish, so I set to work! This One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is incredibly easy to make, so it’s perfect for weeknight dinners. I have a few variations for you below (spicy, non-spicy, creamy, non-creamy) so be sure to read on! 🙂

What is Cajun Chicken Pasta?

This tasty pasta dish is one of my favorite easy weeknight meals. Everything happens in one pan, and there’s so little to clean up afterward. I mix tender cubes of chicken with plenty of savory (and hot!) spices, tomatoes, pasta, and cream cheese to create this flavorful one pot Cajun chicken pasta dish. It’s super simple to make, costs less than $10 total, and feeds the whole family!

Ingredients for One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Spices

Fats

Chicken

Onion

Penne Pasta

Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes

Chicken Broth

Cream Cheese

Green Onions

Serving Suggestions

This is a one pot meal, so you could totally end it right there and be completely satisfied. But I like to add a salad or some bread to round it off. 

Recipe Tips!

Adjust the Heat: This pasta is spicy. BUT you can adjust the heat by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper in the Cajun seasoning. You can cut it in half for just a little heat, or if you are completely spicy intolerant, leave the cayenne out altogether. That makes me kind of sad, but I completely understand. Sometimes your body and brain don’t want the same thing. 🙂

Make it Creamy (Or Not): If you can’t do cream cheese, feel free to replace it with a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half. I’d probably use about 1/4 cup of heavy cream or 1/2 cup of half-and-half. OR, if you don’t want it creamy at all, that works too. This pasta was quite delicious even before I added the cream cheese, but the creaminess does balance the heat and acidity very well.

Make it Extra: If you want this pasta to be super over the top, try adding some cooked bacon, or a final dusting of Parmesan cheese. That little bit of extra umami flavor will really take this Cajun Chicken Pasta over the top! Or, in place of or in addition to, you could add shrimp.

HOW TO MAKE ONE POT CREAMY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA – STEP BY STEP PHOTOS

Stir together the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning in a small bowl (2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt). Cut one pound boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Place the chicken cubes in a bowl, pour the Cajun seasoning over top, then stir to coat the chicken in the spices.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted and foamy, add the seasoned chicken pieces. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, or just until they get some color. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.

Add one diced yellow onion and continue to sauté for just a couple minutes more, or until the onion just begins to soften. The moisture from the onion should help dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Add 1/2 lb. penne to the skillet along with one 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices) and 2 cups chicken broth. 

Give everything a brief stir to make sure it’s all combined, then place a lid on top and allow the broth to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn it down to medium-low, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. 

Simmer until the pasta is tender and the broth has become thicker and more saucy in texture. 

Add 2 oz. cream cheese to the skillet in small chunks. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.

Top with sliced green onions and SERVE! This One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is going to be on regular rotation in my house. 🙂