Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

This creamy Cajun chicken pasta features tender, blackened chicken tossed in a rich garlic parmesan cream sauce with just the right amount of spice. Ready in 30 minutes, this easy weeknight dinner tastes better than takeout and comes together in one pan.

 

This cajun pasta is going to knock your socks off! My Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is one of the most popular recipes on Modern Honey so this is a spicier cousin of alfredo sauce with the addition of the cajun seasoning. You can add in vegetables like peppers or keep it simple and make it a creamy cajun chicken alfredo. Either way, it is delicious! 

Some dinners just hit every note — creamy, spicy, savory, and comforting all at once — and this creamy Cajun chicken pasta is exactly that. Juicy chicken breast gets coated in bold Cajun seasoning and seared until golden, then tossed with tender pasta in a rich, garlicky parmesan cream sauce. It’s the kind of restaurant-style dish that feels indulgent but comes together in about 30 minutes, making it just as good for a busy weeknight as it is for company.

This version keeps the sauce simple and rich — a garlic parmesan cream base built on chicken broth and heavy cream, rather than a tomato-based sauce. If you’ve had a tomato-cream style Cajun pasta before (like the kind served at some restaurant chains), this is a slightly different, purely creamy take — rich, peppery, and packed with parmesan flavor in every bite. Feel free to check out the variation notes below if you’d like to add tomatoes for a different spin.

After I made it for the first time, I received texts from my teenage kids asking me when I am going to make it again. It is so flavorful, and creamy, with the perfect amount of spice!

What Is Cajun Chicken Pasta?

Cajun chicken pasta is a rich, creamy pasta dish featuring chicken seasoned with bold Cajun spices, tossed with pasta in a creamy sauce. It’s a popular restaurant-style dish inspired by Louisiana Cajun flavors, typically built around a garlic cream sauce, parmesan cheese, and a noticeable kick of heat from the Cajun seasoning. While recipes vary — some include tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes, others (like this one) keep it purely creamy — the defining features are always the bold Cajun-spiced chicken and the rich, cheesy cream sauce.

Cajun Chicken Pasta Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast — cut the boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenders into bite-size pieces.
• Cajun Seasoning — this adds spice and flavor to this pasta dish. If you prefer spicier pasta, add more cajun seasoning to taste. 
• Garlic — add fresh minced garlic or you can substitute 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Onion — I suggest using red onion in this cajun pasta dish but any type of onion will work in this recipe.
• Pasta — use your favorite type of pasta noodle. I prefer to use fresh fettuccine noodles. I find my fresh pasta at Whole Foods for $3.99 and it makes a huge difference!
• Butter and Oil — the combination of both butter and oil gives the chicken flavor.
• Heavy Cream — this is what makes this cajun chicken pasta so creamy! You can substitute half-n-half but your sauce will be thinner. 
• Chicken Broth — this adds depth of flavor to the cajun sauce. Once you toss the pasta in with the sauce, you can add more chicken broth as desired.
• Parmesan Cheese — adds the perfect nutty, salty flavor to the sauce. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese on the top when serving.
• Optional Vegetables — Red Pepper and Orange Pepper — for extra fresh flavor, add in peppers when you add in the chicken breast.

Using both oil and butter to cook the chicken and onions gives you the best of both worlds — the higher smoke point of the oil prevents burning, while the butter adds richness and flavor.

How to Make Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta:

1. Sauté the onion. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and butter, then add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes.
2. Cook the chicken. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring often, until cooked through. If using bell pepper, add it in with the chicken.
3. Season. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper, stirring to coat everything evenly.
4. Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
5. Build the sauce. Add the chicken broth and heavy cream to the skillet with the chicken. Add the parmesan cheese in increments, stirring well after each addition to help it melt smoothly into the sauce.
6. Let it thicken. Let the sauce simmer and thicken while coating the chicken, about 5 minutes.
7. Combine. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more Cajun seasoning if you’d like extra spice.
8. Serve. Top with extra parmesan cheese and fresh chopped Italian parsley before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this recipe include tomatoes? No, this version is a purely creamy garlic parmesan sauce without tomatoes. If you’d like a tomato-cream style sauce, see the variations section above for how to add diced or sun-dried tomatoes.

How spicy is this dish? The spice level depends largely on your Cajun seasoning blend, since they vary widely in heat. Start with the amount listed and taste before adding more — you can always add extra Cajun seasoning or a pinch of cayenne for more heat.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast? Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well in this recipe and tend to stay juicy, making them a great substitute if you prefer dark meat.

Why did my sauce turn grainy? This is usually caused by adding the parmesan cheese too quickly or over heat that’s too high. Add the cheese gradually, stirring well after each addition, and keep the heat at medium or lower once the cheese is added.

Can I make this ahead of time? This dish is best served fresh, since the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce the longer it sits. If needed, you can prepare the chicken and sauce ahead of time and store separately, then cook fresh pasta and combine just before serving.

What’s the best pasta shape for this recipe? Fettuccine and farfalle both work great, as noted in the recipe, but penne, linguine, or angel hair pasta are all good substitutes depending on what you have on hand.

Can I make this dish less rich? Substituting half-and-half for some or all of the heavy cream will lighten the sauce, though it won’t be quite as thick or rich as the original.

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