Copycat Chili’s Cajun Chicken Pasta is the perfect dinner recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make. Delicious pasta recipe made with perfectly seasoned chicken and a creamy sauce.
I love pasta, I love chicken and I love dinner recipes that can easily be made in one pan. Almost one pan. You do have to cook the pasta separately, but everything else is made on the stove in one skillet. And I love recipes that my whole family will eat! This recipe checks all the boxes and has become a regular in our meal rotation.
COPYCAT CHILI’S CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
Chicken breasts are rubbed with cajun seasoning before cooking on the stove in a little bit of olive oil. Once the chicken is cooked, you can make the sauce with a little bit of butter, onion, garlic, cream, lemon zest and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Top the whole dish with tomatoes, parsley, green onions and shredded parmesan if desired.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CREAMY PASTA RECIPE
- It’s made from scratch. Well, the noodles aren’t made from scratch, but the rest of the recipe is made with very simple ingredients.
- It’s quick. This is a great weeknight meal because of how fast and simple it is to make. The entire dish is made in just two pots on the stove and in about 30 minutes.
- It’s family friendly. The sauce is simple enough that everyone loves this dish. The cajun seasoning adds a lot of flavor without making the dish too spicy, but you can swap it out with garlic powder if it’s too much flavor/heat for your family. This dish is a great one to use when you want to please adults, children, or even the pickiest of eaters.
INGREDIENTS IN COPYCAT CHILI’S CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
Pasta: You will need 1 lb (16 ounces) of pasta. I prefer penne or bow-tie pasta, but any noodle will work. Rotini, spaghetti, angel hair or even fettucine all work great!
Chicken: The recipe calls for 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I like to pound them down just a little bit so that they are the same thickness throughout. This way they can cook more evenly. You could also use 10-12 chicken tenders if you want to save a little bit of time.
Cajun seasoning: Just a tablespoon of cajun seasoning adds the most delicious flavor to the chicken. I use Slap Ya Mama seasoning, but there are many brands that work well.
Olive oil: Just a little bit of olive oil is needed to cook the chicken and keep it perfectly moist.
Butter: You will need 3 tablespoons of butter to melt so that you can cook the garlic and onions. Salted or unsalted both work fine, but for best results, use real butter.
Onion: You will need a small yellow onion, diced. Chopped onions are something I buy frozen from the grocery store and keep stocked up in my freezer so that I never actually have to cut up onions for recipes like this one.
Garlic: The recipe calls for 3 cloves of garlic, minced. I always keep a jar of minced garlic in my refrigerator to save a few minutes in all the recipes I make with garlic.
Cream: One cup of heavy cream makes the sauce so rich and creamy. If you want to reduce calories, you can use half-and-half, but the sauce won’t be quite as thick.
Lemon zest: Just a teaspoon of lemon zest really adds such amazing flavor to the sauce.
Parmesan: You only need 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan to add flavor and cheesiness to the sauce.
Salt and pepper: Add just a little bit of salt and pepper to taste.
Tomatoes: Dice up 3 Roma tomatoes to sprinkle on top. If you’re like me and don’t like tomatoes, leave ’em off!
Parsley leaves: A couple of tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley as a garnish looks so pretty!
Green onions: A tablespoon of chopped green onion also makes a great garnish for this dish.
Parmesan: Grated parmesan always goes well with pasta, so go ahead and add a little bit on top just before serving!
How to make Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe
Cook pasta according to package directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
Pat dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel. Season with cajun seasoning and rub it all around.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 6-7 minutes. (If using large chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally to make thinner cuts. They will cook quicker.) Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
Melt butter in the same skillet or saucepan. Add diced onion and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in heavy cream, lemon zest, and grated parmesan. Whisk for 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Slice the chicken and add on top of the pasta. Spoon the sauce over the top and then garnish with diced tomatoes, parsley, green onions, and shredded parmesan. Enjoy immediately.
COPYCAT CHILI’S CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne or bow tie pasta
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)
- 3 Roma tomatoes diced for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves chopped for garnish
- 1 tablespoon green onions chopped for garnish
- Shredded parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
- Pat dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel. Season with cajun seasoning and rub it all around.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 6-7 minutes. (If using large chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally to make thinner cuts. They will cook quicker.) Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
- Melt butter in the same skillet or saucepan. Add diced onion and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Whisk in heavy cream, lemon zest, and grated parmesan. Whisk for 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Slice the chicken and add on top of the pasta. Spoon the sauce over the top and then garnish with diced tomatoes, parsley, green onions, and shredded parmesan. Enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
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HOW LONG IS CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA GOOD FOR?
This pasta is best served the night it is made, but you can keep the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can freeze the pasta for up to 2 months. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of heavy cream or chicken broth to thin out the sauce.
WHAT TYPE OF NOODLES TO USE IN CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA?
The recipe calls for penne or bow-tie pasta, but you can use any small pasta that you have on hand. I’ve used rotini, elbow macaroni and mostaccioli before and they all work great! Lately, I have been using gluten free pasta in this recipe and it works perfectly! My kids can’t even tell!
WHAT IS CAJUN SEASONING?
Cajun seasoning is typically made with salt, paprika, red pepper, black pepper, thyme, garlic, onion and cayenne pepper. I use Slap Ya Mama seasoning, but there are many brands that work well.
You only need a tablespoon of it in the recipe, so it really doesn’t make things too spicy, but if you want to swap it out, you can just rub the chicken with any spice blend you’d like. I’ve made it with just a little bit of garlic and onion powder and it’s wonderful. But try the cajun seasoning…it definitely gives this dish it’s unique flavor!
OPTIONAL PASTA ADD-INS:
If you want to change up the recipe a little bit, you can add any or all of the following:
- bell peppers
- canned chipotles in adobo
- mushrooms
- shrimp
- andouille sausage
- anything else that sounds good!
Add-ins include bell peppers, canned chipotles in adobo, mushrooms, shrimp, and andouille sausage.
MORE PASTA DISHES YOU MIGHT LOVE:
- EASY GARLIC BUTTER PASTA
- PASTA CAPRESE
- CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA
- EASY ZUCCHINI PASTA
- CHICKEN GARLIC BUTTER PASTA
- PIZZA PASTA CASSEROLE
- CHICKEN BACON RANCH PASTA
- CREAMY GARLIC PARMESAN PASTA
- TACO STUFFED PASTA SHELLS
- PASTA FAGIOLI RECIPE
- CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN PASTA
- SAUSAGE PEPPER PASTA
- CREAMY SAUSAGE SPAGHETTI
Copycat Chili’s Cajun Chicken Pasta is the perfect dinner recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make. Delicious pasta recipe made with perfectly seasoned chicken and a creamy sauce.
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