This creamy cajun chicken pasta is super easy to make, and is perfect for a weeknight meal! This pasta is a combination of tender, well-seasoned meat, bell peppers, onions, and a creamy, flavorful sauce.
My New Favorite Pasta!
I've always been a big fan of anything cajun, so this is a recipe I've been wanting to experiment with for a long time! I love that it's packed with veggies, carbs, and plenty of protein all in one--all tied together with a delicious creamy sauce. ?
If it's a busy night, I sometimes don't bother to make any sides because this pasta has so much variety! However, it would pair nicely with a salad or some garlic bread.
If you are looking for more pasta recipes, try out my Creamy Tuscan Salmon and Pasta or my Italian Chicken Pasta Salad!
Cajun Chicken Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta: In this recipe I use linguine pasta, however, you can use any kind you like!
- Chicken: The chicken is seasoned with homemade cajun seasoning and cooked in a frying pan. Slicing it or pounding it thin will help the chicken cook quickly and not dry out.
- Onion and Bell Peppers: These vegetables are the perfect complement to any cajun dish. Plus, the bell peppers add some crunch! It's also nice to have vegetables cooked into a main dish so you don't have to worry about making a veggie side if you don't want to. ?
- Cajun Seasoning: This homemade cajun seasoning is worth the extra few minutes it takes to make. I've tried using pre-made cajun seasoning in this recipe, but it turned out WAY too spicy. I want the cajun flavor, but don't want my eyes to water! Making this recipe, you can control the level of heat--and I left instructions on how to do so.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes: These tomatoes add a smoky flavor that fits perfectly in this recipe. The kind that I used also had garlic in it, so if yours doesn't add a little bit of minced garlic to the recipe so that you get that garlicky flavor!
- Chicken Broth: This thins out the sauce, but also adds some great flavor. If you don't have any on hand, you can use vegetable broth, but I wouldn't recommend using water.
- Heavy Cream and Cream Cheese: These are both what make this dish creamy! If you want to make this dish lighter, I'd recommend using half and half in the place of heavy cream, and/or using a low-fat cream cheese.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch is combined with some cold water. Adding this combo to the sauce while boiling will thicken the sauce.
- Crushed Red Pepper: This ingredient is optional, but is perfect for adding a little extra kick! If you're not afraid of a little spice, definitely give this a try.
- Parsley: The parsley adds some additional herb flavor, as well as some extra color. If you don't have any fresh parsley on hand, that's fine. Just replace it with one teaspoon of dried parsley.
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese is perfect on any pasta! It adds some extra cheesiness, but also adds excellent flavor.
If you try out this creamy cajun chicken pasta or any of my other recipes, I’d LOVE to hear about it. You can leave a comment below the recipe, or if you post a picture on Instagram, be sure to tag me! Getting any feedback on my recipes is both rewarding AND helpful as I write and edit recipes in the future.
Now get cooking, and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 16 oz linguine pasta, cooked according to instructions
- 1 ½ lb chicken breast
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced in strips and halved
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips and halved
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced in strips and halved
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic*
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)**
- homemade cajun seasoning (see below)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
Cajun Seasoning
- 3 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne** (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Prepare the cajun seasoning: mix all of the seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Set aside two tablespoons of seasoning for the sauce, the rest will be used to season the chicken.
- Prepare the chicken: Pound out the chicken using a meat mallet until it's about ½ inch thick.*** Use the rest of the cajun seasoning to season each side of the chicken.
- In a large frying pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil and turn heat to medium high. Once hot, add onions and bell peppers. Sprinkle with some salt. Cook for about 4-5 minutes with the pan lid on (until onion is translucent), stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan, and add the seasoned chicken. Cook for about 4-5 minutes (covered), or until golden brown. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the heat off, place the chicken on a plate and cover. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and then slice into small strips, cutting against the grain.
- Heat a large pot on medium-high heat. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, remaining two tablespoons of cajun seasoning, one teaspoon of salt, and crushed red pepper (optional). Stir and bring to a boil.
- Add the heavy cream and cream cheese (break into small pieces) to the pot and stir. In a small bowl, whisk together two tablespoons of cornstarch and two tablespoons of cold water. Then add it to the sauce and stir until it starts to thicken. Lower heat to medium-low, then stir in parmesan cheese, veggies, chicken, and parsley.
- Serve warm on top of cooked linguine pasta, or the pasta of your choice. Top with additional parsley and parmesan cheese if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
*The canned fire roasted tomatoes I bought had garlic in it, but if yours doesn't, add about a teaspoon of minced garlic.
**This recipe has some kick, mostly due to the cayenne and crushed red pepper. I don't think it's too much, but if you are sensitive to spice, remove one or both!
***You can either pound out the chicken, or cut it into two thin slices. Whichever is easiest!
Hope says
This is a regular in our household! We’ve made it tons of times for guests and everyone always loves it!!
Maddie Saxey says
Love to hear this! Thanks for sharing your feedback with this recipe!