Spicy Cajun Chicken Pasta (Printable version)
A bold dish with tender chicken, creamy sauce, and Cajun spices for a flavorful meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken & Seasoning
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
02 - 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
03 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Vegetables
07 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
08 - 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
09 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
10 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Pasta & Sauce
11 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
12 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
13 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon chicken broth
14 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
15 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
16 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, then drain while reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
02 - Toss chicken strips with Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
04 - Add remaining olive oil to the skillet. Sauté bell peppers and onion for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in chicken broth and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet bottom.
06 - Lower heat to medium. Mix in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, simmering for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
07 - Return chicken to the skillet, add pasta, and toss to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water as needed to adjust sauce consistency.
08 - Season with additional salt, black pepper, and chili flakes if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under 45 minutes but tastes like you've been simmering it for hours, which feels like a small kitchen miracle
- The Cajun spices give you that smoky, slightly spicy warmth that makes people ask for seconds without realizing how simple it was to pull off
- It's flexible enough to adapt when you're missing something but bold enough that it never feels like a compromise
02 -
- The Cajun seasoning is the whole point, so don't be timid with it. The chicken needs to taste bold on its own before the cream mellows it.
- Slicing your chicken before cooking instead of keeping it whole cuts your cooking time in half and lets more surface area get that golden crust you're after.
- If your sauce looks too thin when you finish, simmer it gently for another minute or two, but resist the urge to add flour. The pasta water is your friend here, use it to adjust instead.
03 -
- Don't move the chicken around constantly while it cooks. Let it sit in the hot oil so you get that beautiful golden crust that makes people think this is restaurant level.
- The difference between underseasoned and perfect is often just tasting as you go and adjusting at the end. Your palate knows what it needs better than any recipe does.
- Pasta water is liquid gold when you're making creamy sauces. The starch helps the sauce coat and cling to the pasta instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.