Cajun Chicken Pasta – spicy, cajun-flavored chicken tossed into creamy melt-in-your-mouth alfredo sauce with pasta. Super easy to make with amazing flavors that’s perfect for family weeknight dinners or get together!
Pasta is a staple in most households , especially those with kids . It’s one of those meals that always gets them to the table , in less than no time . So when pasta is on sale , I stock up on it. Oh Yess! That’s the way to go .
The frugal in me doesn’t seem to agree in paying full price for pasta.
And when you have easy access to pasta combined with one of the best protein in the world for son – chicken – you’ll have a heavenly meal experience right on the table. No need to go to those fancy schmancy restaurant! Talking about “saving”, eh?
Now, my little man came home from his first day of school looking forward for his play time (as if he never had enough of those). At an early age, he seems to already know what to have on his plate, like a grown up diner who immediately knows what to order even before looking at the menu.
And so he requested a pasta and chicken for dinner. Well, this Mama here got a little bit creative and stray away from the usual pasta and meatballs combo we always have. Instead, I whipped up this juicy Cajun-flavored chicken smothered with a light creamy pasta alfredo sauce.
This Cajun Chicken Pasta has been our new favorite lately! And my” two favorite guys dig on it so heartily, that they even have it scheduled again on this week’s menu. And am not complaining , cause it’s easy to whip up. Annd, there’s sooo much to love in this new recipe.
The creamy texture of the sauce complemented so well with the heat of the Cajun spice. Of course, if you’re serving it to the kids, you can adjust the heat so as not to overwhelm their taste buds. But that extra kick in there is a gem!
Here, the chicken thighs( you may use breast) are smothered in Cajun seasoning and sauteed to blend in the flavor well into the chicken. Once it’s cooked, you can set it aside and work on the sauce.
Topped it with parmesan, and you’ll definitely come reaching for a glass of wine.
Sounds like a dinner date? Nah! But you may prep this too if you’d like to save some few bucks instead of taking your date out. And they’ll think you slaved it the kitchen just for them.
This super easy and flavorful dish will be on our weekly family dinner menu, again next week. It comes together in no time and yields with contrasting yet complementing flavors – just how I want my pasta to be. I promise that you and your family would surely love this.
Don’t forget my homemade garlic bread; it goes well with this satisfying meal.
Enjoy!
Watch How to Make It
Tips and Notes
- If you’re cooking in a big batch and want it served warm for the next meal, just reheat it on stove and add a little milk and chicken broth to keep it creamy.
- You can switch things up in this recipe to suite your taste. You can use chicken and shrimp combo or chicken and sausage. If you’ll go with sausage, you may not go all out with the Cajun seasoning since it’s already seasoned
- Your chicken is fully cooked when it is 160° Fahrenheit (74°C). It is dangerous to eat chicken lower than the stated temperature.
- To be on the safe side you may cut up chicken into bite size pieces before cooking. It cooks faster.
- Adjust heavy cream to desired thickness. I use about ¼ cup to cut down on calories – it’s less creamy with same great results. Go with ½ cup or more for creamy pasta. You may omit completely and replace with an extra tomatoes.
- I’ve tried this recipe with couple of different pasta but nothing beats Penne pasta. It’s cylinder shape and ridges does the job of holding the sauce well.
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounce pasta (penne ,fettucine)
- 2 pounds boneless,skinless chicken thighs or breast
- 2 teaspoons or more Cajun creole seasoning (salt free)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ medium onion sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon creole spice or blackened spice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 medium red or green bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup or more chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream (see notes for options and adjustments )
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- Start by boiling pasta in a large pot, according to box instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Salt according to taste . Then generously season the chicken with creole cajun spice. Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed Dutch. Pan cook chicken for about 8-10 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through and juice from the chicken runs clear. set aside.
- Add onions, and garlic. Stir for about a minute. Then add tomatoes, thyme, paprika, cajun spice, Worcestershire sauce, followed by bell peppers, chicken broth and cream
- Bring it to a boil then simmer for about 7-10 minutes.
- Mixed pasta or fettuccine . And toss with sliced chicken or serve with chicken on top.
- Sprinkle with parsley and/or Parmesan cheese.
Tips & Notes:
- Your chicken is fully cooked when it is 160° Fahrenheit (74°C). It is dangerous to eat chicken lower than the stated temperature.
- To be on the safe side you may cut up chicken into bite size pieces before cooking . It cooks faster.
- Adjust heavy cream to desired thickness. I use about ¼ cup to cut down on calories - it’s less creamy with same great results. Go with ½ cup or more for creamy pasta. You may omit completely and replace with an extra tomatoes.
Nutrition Information:
Ann says
This was sooo good! I even used that sauce for another dish today, so yes we all loved it here, thank you for sharing im so glad i found youre site, will try alot more recipes
Imma says
Ohh, Thank you so much for your love and support. I would love to hear from you about more recipes once you try them. Keep in touch 🙂
Fab says
Not sure I’d call that an alfredo sauce though
Imma says
True, it is missing the parmesan. But it is similar.
Nina Drake says
This is amazing and so easy to cook
Nina Drake says
Literally just cooked this, absolutely delicious, feel like a proper chef!! 🙂
imma africanbites says
Wohooo! So glad to know that.
Bibby says
I love the recipes.
SCOTT BYINGTON says
Hello, I made this twice believing my spices were old the first time because it tasted so bland. However, nothing was wrong with my spices…this recipe was extremely bland both times I made it. I could not do anything to make this palatable for my friends or myself.
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry to hear it didn’t work out well for you. I have made it several times with great results.
Jill says
I made this tonight for the first time and loved it! I added some butter and black pepper, adjusted the spices a little to my taste and added some flour to thicken the sauce. My husband said it’s one of the best pasta meals I’ve ever made. Thanks for sharing!
ImmaculateBites says
Fantastic!! I am so glad you gave it your own little twist and that it was a hit in your home! Thank you for letting me know :)!
Samantha says
I love this recipe, it’s HIT every time I make it! The seasonings are perfect.
imma africanbites says
Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to let me know, Samantha. Glad you like this.
Natalie Johnson says
Add creole seasoning 2 teaspoons may help.
Andrew says
This recipe is great. Couple of things i do different is use 300ml heavy cream and about 150ml flour and milk mixed and added at the same tome as the cream to give it extra thickness. And rather than chopped tomatoes, try adding whole cherry tomatoes a couple of minutes before you serve. Great recipe as it is though!