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. 
Very similar to a favorite old Steak and Ale recipe, thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome. Hope you loved it!
Love this recipe!! It’s a staple in our home. Only thing I would change is adding red pepper flakes to the pasta while it’s boiling, and using 5-8 tbsp Cajun seasoning instead of 1-2.
I’m so happy you are enjoying this recipe, Morgan!
I am making this now. Do you add fresh or canned tomatoes? Thanks for the great recipe.
Hi Amy, we used fresh tomatoes that we diced.
My family of 4 loved this recipe and that didn’t happen often! Thank you for sharing🫶
You’re welcome! So glad it was enjoyed.
This dish was quick and easy to prepare. My husband, who usually doesn’t do “creamy” sauce thought it was wonderful! It’s now in the rotation and I’m thinking of doing it with seafood as well, I love the flavors!
Hi Tracey! That’s great to hear. I’m so glad it was enjoyed. Thank you for the feedback.
Wasn’t expecting it to be so easy and delicious….wow. Used fusili pasta as I had no linguini. Worked great.
So glad to hear that, Reuben!
Very good and quick! Being a true cajun, that’s saying something. And also in the true cajun spirit, I will try this with crawfish! Yum!
I hope it becomes a new favorite for you!
What is the serving size? Like in oz or grams? I see it says 430 cals but wasn’t sure for how much?
Servings: 6 servings. However, I wasn’t able to measure it that way.
This was SOOOOO good. My picky kids ate every bit of it and that is all there is to say! Every one of your recipes I have tried has been a home run. Thank you.
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great, Brittany!
Fantastic!! I made with shrimp many, many times. I’ve made every creamy shrimp pasta out there and this is my favorite sauce. So great! Having it again tonight! thank you!!
I’m so glad you love it.
I made this for dinner tonight, following the recipe exactly. The flavor was exceptional. I will definitely be making this again soon. It was easy to pull together but tasted like a lot of time went into it. 5 stars!
That’s wonderful, Lisa! I’m so glad it was a hit!
Hello, I made this recipe and the cooked the shrimp recipe posted as well. Both came out too salty (I also used salted butter since it’s all I had). Even though I reduced the chicken Cajun slightly and the shrimp recipe I reduced the Cajun seasoning to 1 1/2 TB of Cajun seasoning. It was very flavorful but was noticeable salty. I would say to reduce the Cajun seasoning to one TB and maybe add garlic powder.
Hi CC, It definitely depends on the brand of cajun used: “*If you are using a cajun seasoning that has a high salt content, start with half of the seasoning and add more to taste.” We have ours linked in the recipe card. I will add an extra note higher up in the recipe though. It might be better just to write a range in the recipe card.
This recipe is killer. I know because we moved to the Yucatan from New Orleans and have to cook lunch for our childcare. Southern food is VERY different from the food in this Mexican state and this was the first dish with enthusiastic reception. Because I’m from Louisiana, I had to use “Slap Ya Mama” white pepper cajun seasoning in this and it’s amazing, so if anyone’s looking to add authenticity to it, you can buy some Amazon!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
I just came across this recipe and it looks delicious! I wanted to ask if you could replace the cream with anything? Maybe sour cream or milk?
Hi Caterina! I have not sour cream to advise. Cream with a higher fat percentage is recommended for a thicker sauce. Using just milk will result in a runny sauce.
This is the best! Very easy to follow the steps and it turned out so good! Can’t wait to fix it again.
So glad you loved the recipe, C. B!
Delicious! And sooo easy to make. Definitely a winner with my family!
I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
I have no words… This is by far my favorite recipe I’ve tried so far – and I’ve tried A LOT!!! lol MAKE THIS NOW!!!!
Thanks a lot for this wonderful feedback, Madison! We’re so glad that you love our recipe a lot!
I make this all the time, but never had left over before now. Can I freeze it for a later date, due to using whipping cream. Will it separate and be no good anymore?
Hi Pat! Great to hear that you make this all the time! I think you could freeze it but I haven’t actually tested it myself.
Second time I’ve made it, always a hit! Used ziti this time, half and half, added sautéed mushrooms as well. Easy and delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Dyan!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Can you tell me what pan you used? Thank you!
Hi Lorraine, here’s my amazon affiliate link for the Le Creuset pan that I used.
This was amazing! Whole family loved it. I will definitely be saving this recipe to add into my dinner recipe rotation.
Lovely to hear that, Candace! Happy to know that it was a huge hit with your family.