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
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.
Valentina Ablaev
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi, Natasha! Can I use rice instead of pasta ? Or what else can I use instead of pasta ?
Hi Dana, I think it would work to serve this as a chicken in sauce over rice if you preferred not to use pasta.
Hi Natasha.
We made the Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta recipe. The family on the whole loved it. They said it was a bit too spicy but OK. So next time I make it I will reduce the spice by half.
I’m so happy they loved it, Henry! That’s so great! That’s the beauty of homemade recipes – you can always adjust them!
We love this recipe! Not all of my kiddos are fans of spicy food but this has just the right amount. My husband stirred in a bit more Cajun seasoning on his own to amp up the spice. It’s quick and easy but looks and tastes like it took much longer. Thanks!
I’m so glad this was a hit with the family! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Amy!
I just finished making this and it was so good!! The only thing I changed was I used Asiago instead of Parmesan because it’s what I had on hand. Still turned out amazing and will definitely be saving this recipe for the future!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Tara!
This looks wonderful! I am hosting this dinner, however, we are having appetizers, leaving for an event for 1-2 hours, then coming back to enjoy this dish. How do you recommend making ahead and re-warming?
Hi Marilyn, we prefer this dish fresh, But I bet you can prepare the recipe ahead in stages and then rehat it all before putting it together. That sounds like a lovely evening!
I made this last night for some guests and it was a hit. Will definitely make this again. Did not have Cajun seasoning but made it from scratch.
That’s nice to know! Thanks for sharing that with us, Alexandra.
I made the pasta with spaghetti noodles. We grilled steaks to go with it. It was amazing. I love watching your videos.
Thanks for always watching my videos, Carol. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Omg this was delicious!! My 15yr old inspires to be a chef someday and tonight we made this together which for me is about the only time I can get him to spend time with good ol mom. He always watches your videos with me. We were also reading about how you got started and your history. We really enjoyed reading it. Thank you for sharing. Anyways, back to the pasta. We made it as written and it was amazing. Wouldn’t change a thing. Can’t wait to make this again. Thank you for all your awesome recipes. You are a staple in this household!
Aww, I’m so happy you & your son are doing this together! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment
Like all recipes i adapt them to suit my taste. I sauté onion, jalapeños and mushrooms to add to the sauce. Got to have my fresh veggies so i added chopped fresh spinach when i mixed everything together. I added leftover chicken and 4 pieces of shrimp . All in all i give it a 8 stars out of 5. Thanks Natasha.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Wayne!
Made this tonight. I threw in some andouille sausage and some sweet bell pepper and it was delicious! Gonna be adding this to the weekly repertoire.
Sounds awesome! Thanks for trying out this recipe, good to know that you enjoyed it!
Wow! I made this tonight and it was delicious!! I used Rotel tomatoes and had some extra spinach that I added. I made my own Cajun seasoning and the amount of heat was perfect. This dish will definitely be added to my rotation.
Perfect! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I made this for the first time for dinner tonight and it was so good that everyone had seconds. Thank you for the recipe! 😊❤️
Hi Tori, great to hear that the recipe was a huge hit!
Keeper recipe for sure! Easy to make and adjust with ingredients from your fridge and pantry. I didn’t have the tomatoes, parsley, and ended up using 1/2 cup of 2% milk because I only had 1 cup of heavy cream. Still delicious.
I’m so glad it still worked out, AK! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This was a delicious and easy recipe to follow for a foundational cream-based pasta. I used thin spaghetti and roasted red peppers instead of linguini and tomatoes. Bookmarking this one!
I’m so glad you loved this one too! It’s so good!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it and it was a success. 🙂
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Made this for the second time tonight! Absolutely amazing. This time I added red and green pepper, and then some mushrooms. It’s a must try.
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Oh my goodness! This was such a great recipe and it took no time to cook. This will definitely be added to the rotation.
Great to hear that you loved it, Cindy. Thanks for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, Just discovered your wonderful recipes. Love the Creamy Chicken and Mushroom recipe. Would like to make your Cajun Chicken Pasta but I cannot eat tomatoes. Do you have a creamy sauce recipe that I could use instead?
Delicious Wishes From Canada
Hi Yvonne, I haven’t experimented on other substitutions yet but I think you can omit it from the recipe or try using red bell peppers instead.
Thank you, Natasha for your quick reply. Will use red bell peppers. Sounds great.
Yvonne
This was a delicious and easy recipe to follow for a foundational cream-based pasta. I used thin spaghetti and roasted red peppers instead of linguini and tomatoes. Bookmarking this one!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Loyd.
Its amazing!!! My husband loves it always asks for it!!! We make it at least 1x a week…. So quick so easy and so much flavor!!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Aria!
OMG! This dish was absolutely delicious. My husband said it was restaurant worthy. Very easy and quick to make. This is a new staple in our home.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your excellent review, Marianne! Don’t you love it when a good restaurant-quality dish can be made at home?!
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I made it with chicken but next I will try it with crawfish or shrimp.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Evelyn! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.