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. 
This recipe is excellent!! My only change – I used sun-dried tomatoes; and it was amazing!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, LeeAnn! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I vegan-ized the recipe and it still came out great. I omitted the chicken, subbed coconut cream (*not* cream of coconut for mixing drinks, actual coconut cream – Trader Joe’s carries it) for the cream, omitted the cheese and bumped up/adjusted to spices til just right. Tossed with some pre-sauteed butternut squash (to replace chicken) leftovers, “decorated”/ topped the pasta with sauteed broccoli leftovers and a heap of steamed green beans. A very satisfying and delicious meal, no animal products necessary!
Thanks for sharing that with us!
The recipe itself is great,wonderful flavors. My complaint is with the serving size…in what universe would 2 chicken breasts and only 8oz of pasta make 6 servings?? Those measurements would be lucky to cover 2 servings at our house.
Hi Caroline, Thank you for sharing your feedback. I recommend using the recipe slider to adjust the recipe to the amount of servings you would like.
We made this the other night and everyone loved it. Will definitely make again. I didn’t only used a Tablespoon of cajun seasoning because some don’t like it spicy and it was perfect.
So glad you loved it, Angela! Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! My whole family loved this including my picky daughter. I will make this often. Thank you for another scrumptious recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Suezann!
Been making this dish since the ’70s. Paul Prudhomme’s recipe called “bronzed cajun chicken pasta” green onions added!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Billy!
Holy Moley this is an amazing recipe! Made a double pot and already almost gone!! Absolutely highly recommend!!! Will make it with shrimp next time!! 🤩
So glad it was a hit! Thank you for the feedback.
Ahhmazing!! And so simple too! I wouldn’t change a thing 👍
Thanks so much, Stacie! I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
Do you use fresh tomatoes or canned? This looks absolutely delicious. 🙂
Hi Jamie, I used fresh diced tomatoes. I hope you love this recipe!
Very nice recipe! Only change I made was to put some nice carmelized onion slices in before adding the tomatoes garlic, etc. added some nice flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing with us. I’m glad you loved the recipe.
This one’s really good!
My wife saved a handful of your recipes that made it into our weekly rotation, and now I’m doing the cooking I’ve made a few adjustments but this recipe is great.
A few minor changes:
1. We always allow for/make for leftovers, so full box/16oz of pasta.
2. The recipe ordering and quantity on seasoning is a bit tough following – however much chicken, just season it on both sides as you’d season a steak (vs the 1TBSP or whatever called out), and keep 1/2TBSP to add to the sauce mix step later.
3. Have tried the chicken in strips, in chunks, etc., and wound up going with cut into strips, then half or third, but also add them in last, or a good chunk of the nicely browsed seasoning ‘washes off’ the chicken…so warm up the (6-8 cloves – oops, another minor change) garlic and butter, add tomatoes and then add the cream and parmesan, then the pasta and mix, and only then add the chicken…or lay it on top.
4. Ok, I guess I also ignore the ‘measure the parmesan’ and probably wind up with closer to a cup of parmesan.
5. Adding the extra pasta water in the recipe, even if using more parmesan like we do – just makes it too liquidy for us so we skip that, although adding pasta water is a good general tip in most cases.
Re-heating isn’t an issue here – you’ll have some cream or half and half left over, just add a capful or a bit of butter and re-heat away.
Hi Scott! Thank you for sharing. So glad this one made it to your weekly rotation. 🙂
Soooo good. Tried a few different versions of this dish and this is easily the best. Used penne as my pasta. Could see andouille sausage as a nice add or replacing the chicken.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Hudson!
Made this tonight for the first time. Excellent will put this in my rotation. Thank you.
Hi Sue! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad you found a new one for the rotation! 🙂
This Was Incredible !!!! Would recommend 100💯… I was shocked. Dumbfounded. Curious(?)… to Fine this recipe. I ate it.
Thank you for trying my recipe, Bobby! I’m so glad you loved it!
This has become my kids favorite dish, even my college student took the recipe to make at school with her roommates. I Added a handful of baby spinach in addition to the tomato and it was delicious
I’m glad it’s become a favorite, Gloria. Thank you for sharing.
I made this today and it was delicious. The only changes made were to add mushrooms and another clove of garlic. Thank you for your great recipes!
Glad you loved it, Colleen!
Perfection! This is my very favorite pasta dish and this recipe was spot on and super easy! Chef’s 💋 Kiss!
Love it! Thanks for the awesome feedback.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Gerri!
I made this for my husband’s dinner. He works 11:00-7:30 PM. It was great fresh, I had it for lunch but not so good reheated. I don’t really understand why. I used full fat coconut milk in place of half n’ half. Maybe that is why? Anyway, if you cook and eat right away, it’s fantastic!! Another great go to recipe. This is my FAVORITE go to place to cook from. Everything turns out PERFECT!!!!
Hi Vickie, that could be the case because I don’t usually recommend substituting the ingredients. But you can use half whipping cream and half whole milk next time.
How did you reheat it? If you used a microwave, in my opinion it will not re-heat well. I do mine on the stovetop with a little added milk and on the lowest setting. It comes out absolutely perfect!
Absolutely delicious! Definitely a keeper.
All of your recipes are above and beyond delicious!
Thank you, Kori! I’m so glad you love my recipes.
This was delicious!!! I upped the ingredients to feed the family and have leftovers. I added a little red bell pepper, onion & celery in with the garlic as suggested. I used a combination of half & half and heavy cream because it’s what I had. Also, I only used creole seasoning to season everything. (Tony Chachere’s). The adults wanted a little more spice but it was perfect for the kids! I will definitely be making this again!!!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Sydney. We’re so happy to know this!
To double the recipe do you just… double the recipe? Lol but a serious question!!
Hi Jessica, yes, you can double this recipe, and it should work out great!