Homemade Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is such a simple and quick recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken breast tossed in tender pasta in a creamy cajun garlic sauce.
All you need is a slice of Focaccia Bread to soak up the creamy sauce, plus a simple Caesar Salad for a memorable pasta night.
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Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
We love recreating our favorite recipes and this copycat recipe for Chili’s Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe is going to become a family favorite!
Creamy pasta with pieces of tender and juicy cajun flavored chicken in the most delicious homemade cajun sauce. You will love all the flavors from the dish and it comes together in under 30 minutes so it’s perfect for busy weeknights. I’m excited to add this to our long lineup of 30-minute meals.
Ingredients
- Pasta – For this recipe, we used linguine pasta but you can use any type of pasta: angel hair, linguine, fettuccine, elbow, macaroni, penne, bow tie pasta will all work great.
- Chicken – We used chicken breasts but chicken thighs will work as well.
- Cajun Seasoning– You can use your favorite store-bought cajun seasoning. You’ll also need salt and pepper.
- Garlic– Freshly minced or finely chopped garlic will give the best flavor, but you can substitute with 1 tsp dried garlic, or add it to taste.
- Butter – for sauteing garlic and adds flavor to the sauce.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Makes the sauce rich and creamy.
- Parmesan – Grated parmesan cheese or shredded parmesan will work great.
How to Make Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Cook Pasta – boil in a pot of salted water until al dente, according to the package instructions.
- Prepare Chicken – Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a saucepan, pound the chicken breasts into an even thickness and season both sides with cajun seasoning. Saute the chicken in a skillet with oil until fully cooked then slice into strips.
- Make the Sauce – In a deep skillet, saute the garlic in butter 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the cream, remaining cajun seasoning, and parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer.
- Combine – Add the pasta and sliced chicken to the sauce and toss to combine.
- Serve – Top with parmesan and parsley to serve.
Pro Tip: You can adjust the spiciness in the pasta by adding more or less of the Cajun seasoning.
Variations and Add-Ins
- Vegetables – you can add cooked broccoli or asparagus to the pasta when tossing everything together.
- Vegetarian pasta – leave out the chicken or substitute chicken with mushrooms.
- Substitute the chicken – try sliced sausage or kielbasa instead of chicken. You can also make it a seafood pasta like our Cajun Shrimp Pasta.
- Lighter pasta – try using half and half or light cream to cut the calories, but keep in mind the sauce will be thinner.
This restaurant copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe is sure to please. If you love comforting pasta dishes, check out the list below for more dinner inspiration.
More Pasta Recipes
- Stuffed Shells
- Baked Ziti
- Homemade Gnocchi
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Chicken Orzo Bake
- Bolognese Pasta – ValentinasCorner
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta is such a simple and quick recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken breast tossed with tender pasta in a creamy cajun garlic sauce, ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Servings: 6 servings
- 8 oz linguine pasta
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp cajun seasoning, divided, (or added to taste depending on the brand you use*)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2/3 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 Tbsp salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water then drain, cover, and keep warm.
- Beat the chicken breasts so that they are even in thickness and season all over with 1½ Tbsp cajun seasoning.
- In a large non-reactive skillet*, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and sear on both sides. Turn heat down to low and saute until cooked through and 165˚F on a thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board, slice into thin strips, and cover to keep warm.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, saute the butter and garlic for 30-60 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and saute another 2 minutes.
- Add in the heavy whipping cream, add remaining cajun seasoning to taste, and parmesan cheese, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste if needed.
- Add the sliced chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until combined and pasta and chicken are warmed through. Add warm reserved pasta water if desired to thin the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
Notes
*Avoid using cast iron or copper pans anytime you are making a creamy sauce with an acidic product like tomato or it will react and make the sauce grainy.
*If you are using a cajun seasoning that has a high salt content, start with half of the seasoning and add more to taste.
Nutrition Per Serving
480kcal Calories34g Carbs18g Protein31g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Amount per Serving
Calories
480
% Daily Value*
Fat
31
g
48
%
Saturated Fat
18
g
113
%
Trans Fat
0.2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
8
g
Cholesterol
109
mg
36
%
Sodium
214
mg
9
%
Potassium
413
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
34
g
11
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
18
g
36
%
Vitamin A
2368
IU
47
%
Vitamin C
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
142
mg
14
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Filed Under
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
I tried this recipe yesterday to pair with a watermelon, cucumber, feta salad recipe. Delicious!!!
I followed the recipe as listed and it turned out great. I did add a bit more garlic. My daughter stopped by and tried it with me. She absolutely loved it too. Will be making it again soon. I did make my own Cajun spice with spices I had on hand.
I’m so glad you loved it, Elaine!
I don’t understand what I did wrong with this recipe It is completely soup there is no consistency to the sauce It is pure liquid followed instructions by cooking it down what could have gone wrong
Hi Jason! It shouldn’t be watery. I’m sorry that was your experience. Did you use heavy whipping cream? If you used a different cream with less fat, then the sauce won’t get as thick.
Absolutely fantastic!!! This sauce is definitely a keeper with SO MUCH FLAVOR for such a quick meal. We shredded two left over rotisserie chicken breasts and seasoned with half the Cajun seasoning for about an hour. We added the chicken with the pasta. Also, sautéed cremini mushrooms (added an additional tablespoon of butter) before adding garlic and freshly diced tomatoes. Followed the directions from there on. As others have, we will experiment with onions/shallots, sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach next time. Served with garlic sourdough bread and the crew went nuts. Thanks again for the great recipes!
Hi Don! That sounds amazing. Thank you for the wonderful feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi we absolutely LOVE this pasta dish. question, we want to make it and bring it on a family trip. does it store and reheat well? if so what do you recommend to keep it good and fresh?
Hi Madeline! You can refrigerate it. To reheat, I’ve had a few people share that it reheats well on the stovetop at low heat with a little added milk.
I made this tonight, and my entire family LOVED it! This will be added to both of my daughter’s lunch rotation when school starts back up!
That’s great, Kimberly! So glad to hear that.
Love this recipe!! I made it once before and it was delicious.
Just a quick question – can I use tomato paste in lieu of diced tomatoes? would it still taste ok?
Hi Valeria! Tomato paste is more concentrated. I think it could work but I have not tested it to provide directions. Let us know how it is if you experiment.
I made it and loved it! I think I will add more pasta next time because there was plenty of extra sauce. Thank you for an easy, delicious recipe!
You’re very welcome, Nancy! Thank you for the feedback.
Omg my family loves this recipe!!! They have asked for it weekly , all I do is change the meat and noodles but use the same sauce it’s a 10 out of 10 for me!! Thank you for sharing also I sub the heavy cream for half and half
Hi Rachel! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad it’s being enjoyed!
Hi Natasha, I have a big family, so the six servings would not be enough if I needed to make more I would just double the recipe, correct?
Yes, that will work, One of our readers shared this “You can try to make your own buttermilk at a ratio of 1 cup whole milk to 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice. Combine and let it sit 10 minutes to curdle then stir and use.” I hope that helps.
I just used this recipe recently and I really love it! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I have to watch my cholesterol intake though, so instead of using the heavy whipping cream and butter I instead used homemade cashew milk and avocado oil. It was still creamy and flavorful and no one noticed the difference, and it had only about 1/10 of the total cholesterol! The only caveat that I encountered is that I needed more of the pasta water, so I’ll make sure to save more the next time, and I also increased the amount of the cajun seasoning. I also threw in some mushrooms along with the chicken.
Overall this dish came out really yummy!
Thank you for sharing that, Jonathan! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
I absolutely love this recipe. I make your dishes at least once a week but this is my all time favorite. I have to limit my salt intake and this is delicious even with limited salt. I have a no salt cajun seasoning that is tasty with even a tiny bit of added salt. Thank you so much for all you do.
Hi Nancy! I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
Excellent recipe, we all loved it,Have a question can I freeze this dish.
Great to hear that you all enjoyed our Creamy Cajun Pasta! I think you could freeze it but I haven’t actually tested it myself.
Doubled the recipe, used diced tomatoes from a can, and subbed half the chicken for artisan smoked andouille sausage. SO freaking good, better than I expected. The sausage added a really nice smoky flavor. Kids loved it. I also made buttermilk swim biscuits with cajun seasoning added, and that was a nice side.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Billy! You’re very welcome. I’m glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Natasha, in this recipe do you use can diced tomatoes or grape tomatoes? Thank you!
Hi Denise! we used fresh tomatoes that we diced.
Made this pasta tonight for dinner….it was very tasty. I used chicken tenderloins instead, added spinach leaves when mixing the pasta and chicken into the sauce, and found my prior homemade Cajun seasoning needed to be added much more generously to season the sauce. I added a little more cream as well to make more sauce. Family friendly and will make it again. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Z! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and that you found a new one for the meal rotation.
This was excellent! I love a lot of the recipes from your site and I’m never disappointed. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear that, Alisha! Thank you.
Use the Cajun seasoning listed. Other brands have salt as the main ingredient, and it will turn into a salty mess.
I agree that seasoning is perfect for this recipe! Added a 1/4 chopped bell pepper half kielbasa half chicken, turned out perfect!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing.
My husband and I just finished eating this for supper and we both really liked it, he thought it had a lot of different flavours through it and said you could find this in a restaurant. The only thing I did extra was chopped up a little bit of peppers and added it to the tomatoes.(my preference) Other than that I followed it to a T and wouldn’t change a thing!
Nice to know that you both enjoyed this recipe, Susan! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Made this for dinner tonight. The whole family enjoyed it—even my hard-to-please husband who doesn’t typically enjoy pasta dishes. He had two helpings and said it was the beat pasta dish I’ve ever made! Thanks for a new recipe to add to my repertoire!
That’s amazing, Kathy! I’m so glad to hear that.
My family loved this so much. I added andouille sausage as well as the chicken and it was a hit. Thanks for such an awesome recipe.
That’s wonderful, Nicole! I’m so glad to hear that.
Awesome!!!!!!! Loved it. Served with garlic bread and corn on the cob!! Will make again and again!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Michelle!