Is Cajun chicken pasta very spicy?

Not as written. Cajun seasoning leans smoky and paprika-forward rather than hot. Three tablespoons gives a gentle warmth; drop to two for a mild version, or add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne for real heat.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?

You can, but the sauce will be thinner and more likely to split. Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the milk first and keep the heat low.

What pasta shape works best?

Penne is ideal because the ridges hold the sauce, but rigatoni, fettuccine and rotini all work. Avoid very thin shapes like angel hair.

Can I make creamy Cajun chicken pasta ahead of time?

Season the chicken and slice the vegetables up to a day ahead. The finished pasta is best fresh but reheats well in a skillet with a splash of milk for up to four days.

Home › Dinner › Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta (Easy 30-Minute Dinner)

Name: Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb), halved into 4 cutlets; 3 tbsp Cajun seasoning, divided; 12 oz penne pasta; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp butter; 1 red bell pepper, sliced; 1 green bell pepper, sliced; ½ medium yellow onion, sliced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth; 1¼ cups heavy cream, at room temperature; ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan; ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley; Salt and black pepper, to taste

By Ami · September 22, 2026 · ★★★★★ 4.9 from 61 reviews · Jump to Recipe · Print

This creamy Cajun chicken pasta is the dinner I make when I want something that tastes like a restaurant plate but only dirties one skillet. Thirty minutes, pantry spices, and a sauce that clings to every noodle.

Creamy Cajun chicken pasta in a cream bowl — penne in blush-orange Cajun cream sauce with sliced seared chicken and bell peppers — Creamy Cajun chicken pasta — 30 minutes, one skillet, 45g protein per serving.

This creamy skillet dinner basically makes itself.

One skillet, start to finish. The chicken sears, comes out to rest, and the same pan builds the sauce with all those browned bits still in it. If you like that approach, you already know it from our one pot chicken alfredo pasta and garlic parmesan chicken pasta.
45 grams of protein per serving. Two chicken breasts stretch across four generous plates, which makes this one of the easiest high protein recipes to slip into a normal weeknight. Not sure what your own number should be? Our protein calculator sorts it out in about ten seconds.
The heat is completely in your hands. Cajun seasoning is smoky and paprika-forward before it is spicy. Use two tablespoons for warm and mellow, three for the version my husband requests.

Here's what you'll need.

Nothing unusual — the whole list is chicken, pasta, dairy, peppers and a spice blend you probably already own.

Ingredients for creamy Cajun chicken pasta in small bowls — chicken breasts, penne, heavy cream, Cajun seasoning, bell peppers, onion, garlic, parmesan and broth — Everything you need for this easy Cajun chicken pasta recipe.

Here's how it all comes together.

Step 1 — Season the chicken generously

Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have four thin cutlets, then rub them all over with Cajun seasoning. Thin cutlets cook in about four minutes a side, which is the whole reason this is a 30-minute dinner.

Chicken cutlets being rubbed with rust-red Cajun seasoning on a wooden board

Step 2 — Sear until deeply golden

Get the skillet properly hot before the chicken goes in, then leave it alone. Those dark spots on the bottom of the pan are the entire flavor base of the sauce, so resist the urge to move things around.

Cajun seasoned chicken cutlets searing to a deep golden crust in a stainless skillet

Step 3 — Soften the peppers and onion

Chicken out to a plate, butter into the pan, peppers and onion in. Four or five minutes is all they need — you want them bending, not collapsing, so they still have a little bite in the finished pasta.

Sliced red and green bell peppers and onion softening in a buttery skillet

Step 4 — Build the cream sauce

Garlic for thirty seconds, then broth to lift every browned bit off the bottom, then the cream and the rest of the Cajun seasoning. Let it bubble gently until it coats the back of a spoon.

Heavy cream being poured into a skillet of Cajun spiced peppers, turning the sauce blush orange

Step 5 — Toss the pasta through

Drained penne straight into the sauce with a splash of its cooking water, then parmesan off the heat. Keep tossing for a full minute — that is when the sauce goes from loose to genuinely clinging.

Cooked penne being tossed with tongs into creamy Cajun sauce until glossy and coated

Plated creamy Cajun chicken pasta with fanned slices of seared chicken, parsley and parmesan — Slice the chicken across the grain and fan it over the top — it looks like far more effort than it was.

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

Save a mug of pasta water. Cream sauces tighten fast off the heat. A splash of starchy water loosens things back up without watering down the flavor, and it is the single fix I reach for most.
Check your Cajun blend for salt first. Store brands vary wildly. Taste a pinch before you commit to three tablespoons, and hold back on extra salt until the sauce is finished.
Room-temperature cream behaves better. Cold cream hitting a hot pan is how sauces break. I set mine on the counter when I start boiling the pasta water.
Undercook the pasta by one minute. It finishes in the sauce and soaks up flavor doing it. Fully cooked penne goes soft by the time it is tossed.

Why this one earns a spot in the weeknight rotation.

It preps ahead cleanly. Season the chicken and slice the peppers in the morning, store both covered in the fridge, and dinner is fifteen minutes of actual work when you walk in.
It scales without drama. Double the chicken and sauce, keep the pasta at a pound and a half, and you have a pan that feeds eight — handy alongside something easy like our air fryer brussels sprouts.
It is quietly high protein. At 45g a serving this holds its own against anything in our high protein recipes collection, without tasting like a diet dinner.

Here's what I'd serve with this.

Air fryer brussels sprouts — crisp edges that cut right through the cream.
Smashed cucumber salad — cold, sharp and ready in ten minutes.
Roasted cauliflower — goes in the oven while the pasta water heats.
Mediterranean chickpea salad — a bright, no-cook side for hot nights.
Smothered pork chops — today's other new recipe, if gravy is more your mood than cream sauce.

Just in case you have leftovers.

Storing: Airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The pasta keeps drinking the sauce as it sits, so it will look thicker the next morning — that is normal and easily fixed.

Reheating: Low and slow in a skillet with a splash of milk or broth, stirring until it loosens. The microwave works at 50% power in one-minute bursts. I do not recommend freezing this one; cream sauces separate on thaw and the peppers go limp.

More easy dinner recipes to try next.

Marry me chicken

One pot chicken alfredo pasta One-pot garlic parmesan chicken pasta

Garlic parmesan chicken pasta Baked ziti with melted cheese

Baked ziti

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

★★★★★ 4.9 from 61 reviews

An easy 30-minute one-skillet dinner: seared Cajun chicken, sweet peppers and penne in a silky, smoky cream sauce. 45g of protein per serving.

Prep: 10 minCook: 20 minTotal: 30 min Servings: 4Category: DinnerCuisine: American / Cajun

Ingredients

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb), halved horizontally into 4 cutlets
3 tbsp Cajun seasoning, divided
12 oz penne pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
½ medium yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1¼ cups heavy cream, at room temperature
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Boil the pasta. Salt a large pot of water and cook the penne one minute short of the package time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
Season the chicken. Pat the cutlets dry and rub them all over with 2 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning.
Sear the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear the cutlets 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked to 165°F. Move to a plate.
Cook the vegetables. Melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the peppers and onion and cook 4–5 minutes, until just tender. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
Build the sauce. Pour in the broth and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Simmer 3–4 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Finish the pasta. Off the heat, stir in the parmesan until melted. Add the drained penne and toss for a full minute, loosening with reserved pasta water as needed.
Serve. Slice the chicken across the grain, fan it over the pasta, and scatter with parsley.

Notes: For a milder pasta, use 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning total. Half-and-half works in place of heavy cream but will give you a thinner sauce — add an extra ¼ cup parmesan to compensate. Rotisserie chicken turns this into a 15-minute dinner; skip step 3 and stir the shredded meat in at the end.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate): 712 calories · 45g protein · 58g carbohydrates · 34g fat · 4g fiber · 890mg sodium.

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Creamy Cajun chicken pasta FAQ

Is Cajun chicken pasta very spicy?: Not as written. Cajun seasoning leans smoky and paprika-forward rather than hot. Three tablespoons gives a gentle warmth; drop to two for a mild version, or add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne if you want real heat.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?: You can, but the sauce will be noticeably thinner and more likely to split. If milk is what you have, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into it before it goes in the pan and keep the heat low.
What pasta shape works best?: Penne is ideal because the ridges hold the sauce, but rigatoni, fettuccine and rotini all work. Avoid very thin shapes like angel hair — they get lost under a sauce this rich.
Can I make creamy Cajun chicken pasta ahead of time?: Season the chicken and slice the vegetables up to a day ahead. The finished pasta is best fresh, though it reheats well in a skillet with a splash of milk for up to four days.