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A creamy & Protein-loaded pasta!
This creamy Cajun chicken pasta combines juicy blackened, chicken breasts with a light Cajun-inspired cream sauce topped with fresh tomatoes and sliced green onions. Serve it with some warm garlic bread or dinner rolls, and a side salad for an easy weeknight meal (plus, the pasta makes for great leftovers).
This recipe is adapted from The Comfortable Kitchen cookbook by The Defined Dish, though my version is made with milk and chicken broth instead of butter and cream to keep things on the lighter side.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Cajun Chicken Pasta Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Try and find chicken breasts that are equivalent in size, so they cook evenly (I like to pound them out a bit with a meat mallet to even them out). If you’d prefer seafood, feel free to use salmon, shrimp, or scallops as well. Just cook them the same way you would the chicken.
- Pasta: I like penne pasta because it has ridges for the sauce to cling to it, but go ahead and use whatever pasta you have on hand (or swap in a gluten-free option).
- Cajun seasoning: You can find this pre-made in the spice aisle of your grocery store, or you can make your own with this recipe. Add cayenne or red pepper flakes for extra kick.
- Cream sauce: Combine milk, onion, garlic, salt, and chicken broth for the sauce base. Use whole milk for the creamiest results.
- Tomatoes: I use Roma tomatoes, but you can use any type of tomato that you like. Feel free to add in sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, or yellow squash for a more vegetable-heavy iteration.
- Green onions: Use sliced green onions for garnish.
How to Make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 teaspoons cajun seasoning divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 roma tomato chopped
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 3 teaspoons of cajun spice mix all over the chicken on both sides and transfer to the heated skillet. Cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and let rest while you make the pasta.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to the same skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the uncooked pasta, milk and broth. Season with the remaining cajun seasoning and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often until pasta is al dente and liquid is absorbed and creamy, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Slice the chicken and transfer it on top of the pasta along with the chopped tomatoes and chopped green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
If you try this Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Cook your pasta until just al dente. This will allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce (without getting mushy when reheating).
- Don’t overcook your chicken. Blackened chicken should be cooked until it’s just done in the center (when it reaches an internal temp of 165°F). It will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat, so take it off the stove when it reaches 160°F.
Serving Ideas
- Green Salad. Plate your pasta with some dressed greens to balance out all the creaminess with some acidity. My go-to simple side salads is a mixed greens salad and a fresh garden salad
- Cajun Chicken Wraps. Set aside some chicken and cream sauce to use as filling for a lunchtime wrap like this chicken broccoli wrap.
- Stuffed Peppers. Hollow out red bell peppers, stuff them with leftover pasta, and bake until peppers are tender.
FAQs
This pasta dish can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, cook the pasta in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. Add a splash of milk or chicken broth if needed to thin out the sauce. You can also use the microwave to reheat this pasta dish. Place the pasta in a microwave-safe container and heat on high for 30 seconds to one minute, or until heated through.
Yes, you can! To freeze, place the pasta in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat it in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave. Be wary: Freezing may cause the sauce to thicken up quite a bit, and the milk may separate or break. This is nothing to worry about.
Hi Yumna, I have tried many of your recipes and they all turned out yummy.
I have a question regarding the creamy Cajun chicken pasta can we substitute milk with sour cream?
I haven’t tried it myself but I think it would work well! The sour cream will be thicker but you can add some milk or water to thin it out if you feel the sauce is too thick. Hope that helps!
The Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe is a gem! It’s quick, easy, and made in just one pot with minimal ingredients. The Cajun-spiced chicken is flavorful and simple to prepare. I’ve even started using the chicken method in other dishes. Highly recommend this recipe for a delicious, fuss-free meal!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Aksana! I’m so happy you love the recipe and cooking method!!
10/10 definitely recommend!! I used chicken thighs instead of breasts and subbed the milk for heavy whipping cream and it took things to another level. I will definitely be trying more of these recipes!!
Thanks, Emma!
This was fantastic, however I made some edits. I like a lot of sauce so I added probably another 1/2 cup of broth. I also did 2 cups milk and 1 cup of heavy cream. Then I added some frozen peas and 1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese towards the end. Don’t forget to taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. I think it would also be amazing with sundried tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes and spinach. We will definitely make again!
Thanks for sharing your tweaks to the recipe, they sound great!
This was excellent. Everyone loved it, even my tomato haters.
Thank you so much!
I just finished making this, it is delicious. I used Slap your Momma Cajun seasoning, added some paprika, oregano and thyme leaves to the seasoning. It is spicy and creamy. I added a 1/4 cup heavy cream at the end of cooking the pasta and some Parmesan. It’s a great recipe!
Yum!! Thank you so much, Katie!
So I made this exactly the way it is except without tomatoes. After taking a bite before serving I felt the cajun taste was very underwhelming ( i used Mccormick perfect pinch cajun seasoning) so I sprinked more in to taste. I also added shredded Parmesan to added a cheesy element. There was a kind of sweetness not sure where it was coming from- I used 2%milk so I’m thinking the sugar in the milk was the cause of that and maybe why the cajun taste wasn’t very strong. So next time I will use half n half instead. Overall it’s a very good recipe that you can customize to your own taste!
Hi Emily! Hmm, I am not sure why it would taste sweet. It could be the milk. I’ve never made it without tomatoes which adds acidity, so that might be why I haven’t experienced the sweetness. Great idea to use the half and half in place of milk. Next time you make it let me know if you’re still getting a sweet undertone.
I also noticed mine had a sweet flavor. I used whole milk. It was still pretty good not the best Alfredo I’ve made however.
I tried this recipe and was not very fond of it. It did have great flavor but the pasta dried it up too much. It did not seem like there was enough sauce. I followed the instructions to a T. I defiantly won’t make this again.
Thanks.
Oh no! Bummer, I am sorry to hear that! What type of pasta did you use? Is it possible the pasta was a little under when added to the sauce, so it continued cooking and absorbed most of the sauce?
The chicken turned out awesome but the sauce/pasta was bland and lacking something.
I’m glad you enjoyed the chicken! What would you suggest we add to the sauce or pasta?
This looks delicious! May I substitute milk with a plant based milk such as oat milk?
Thank you! Unfortunately I have yet to try that, but I don’t think it’ll result in the same lovely, rich flavor.
You could try coconut cream!!
Green goddess salad. Is it only cabbage cucumbers and green onions or does one add all the other greens garlic and lemons etc? Plus salad dressing. ?
Here is the full recipe! https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/chopped-green-goddess-salad/
Made this for dinner last night and added mushrooms in with the onions and garlic and it was so amazing! Definitely something that we’ll be adding to the weekly dinner rotation.
That sounds like such a good combination! Yay!!
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