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.
Filed Under
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi we are having a girls night tomorrow and I am going to make this for us. On the tomatoes, I know you said fresh and not peeled. What tomatoes do you use and how much?
Hi Kristy! I have the quantity in the recipe card. You’ll want to use 2/3 cup diced tomatoes. You can purchase “diced tomatoes” in a can at the store or use fresh tomatoes if you prefer.
THIS RECIPE WAS PHENOMENAL! I oven roasted sweet mini bell peppers, garlic and the tomato before adding it to the heavy cream. I also added bacon! So good there were no leftovers after the fam and I were done! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Sounds so good! Great to hear that you liked it. Thank you for sharing!
Making this tonight, just wanted to comment that in the first part that lists ingredients, it does not mention the tomatoes.
Hi Jodie, in the recipe card, it mentioned 2/3 cup diced tomatoes below garlic.
Hi. The sodium is listed as 202 per serving. What Cajun seasoning did you use to get such a low sodium per serving? 2 Tbs of seasoning divided by 6 servings is 1 tsp. The Cajun seasoning linked in the recipe would be 1240mg per tsp. Asking due to a family member with kidney disease on low sodium diet. Recipe looks delicious.
Hi Karen! Thank you for pointing that out. I will have to look into it. In the meantime, you can find that same brand of Cajun Seasoning in low sodium. I’ve linked it HERE.
This is actually very important in my opinion. Good catch. I used whatever Cajun I had on hand without giving it too much thought. The dish was toooo salty and unbearable to eat. I had to toss. I will be making this again tonight with either a different brand or scale down on Cajun. Guess I’ll go check the labels now.
Hi Anna! I’m so glad Karen caught this. I verified and updated the recipe card with the brand of Cajun seasoning that we used. I think it pulled forward an old link for the Cajun Seasoning. We used this McCormick Cajun seasoning HERE which has significantly less sodium. I hope you have better results on the second attempt.
Hi Karen. I looked into this and I think it carried over a different link from a previous recipe for cajun seasoning. Here is the cajun seasoning we use, McCormick brand, it is significantly less in sodium. The calculator estimates nutrition values and will vary by different products, brands, and varieties that can have significantly more sodium. I always recommend doing your own calculations since the nutrition calculator will pull generic nutrition info for cajun seasoning rather than for a specific brand. I hope that helps clarify the issue. 🙂
I needed a Cajun alternative to a Jamaican jerk chicken pasta since I couldn’t get my hands on the right seasoning. I used creole seasoning and added garlic and onion powders for the chicken. After the chicken was done, I added half a diced onion and 3 bell peppers, diced, with two extra tablespoons of butter. Sautéed those until soft, added the garlic, and a drained can of rotell. Then went forward with the rest of the recipe, again adding garlic and onion powders as well as a little shake of cayenne as I found my creole seasoning didn’t have enough heat. I waited to cut the chicken until the end, and served on top of the pasta. Absolutely delicious, I’ll be using this again! My picky fiancé practically licked his plate clean!
That’s wonderful, Rach! So glad it was a hit.
I am making this for my partner’s 30th. We are going to be 8 adults and I am not sure how many servings I should go with. Any good suggestions?
Hi Micah! I would definitely double it. 🙂
Absolutely loved it!! My entire family did too, even my super picky 5 year old that won’t even touch beef
That is the best when kids (and family )love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Very bland. I had to add garlic powder, paprika, salt, etc. just to give this dish some flavour. The only part of this recipe that I would remake is pounding the chicken breast before cooking.
Hi Hanna, the amount of cajun seasoning in this will make it super flavorful – did you possibly forget the cajun or cut it back? I haven’t heard that feedback before which makes me think something was changed?
Lol quite insulting to insinuate that. No the Cajun wasn’t changed if anything I had to use half a bottle of the Cajun seasoning on top of all the other spices listed just to give it some flavour. Perhaps the recipes from my culture have conditioned me to expect a lot of spices and flavour and seasoning. Some people are accustomed to bland. No hate.
Hi Hanna! That was not my intent and I’m sorry if that is how it was portrayed. I was simply asking and trying to help troubleshoot if I could, that’s it. Thank you for your feedback on the recipe though, it has been noted, and I will further look into it.
This looks delicious but the instructions include diced tomatoes and I don’t see any in the picture. As they blended with the sauce?
Thank you
Hi Kathy! Yes, that’s correct. You can see the images with the steps above in the blog notes. They start to break down a bit during the cooking process so they are not as obvious in the finished product. 🙂
The sauce was really good but it turned out super thin without even adding pasta water or changing anything in the recipe. Wouldn’t stick to the pasta, so it felt like I was eating plain noodles
Hi Breanna! Did you make any substitutions to the recipe or did you possibly use a lower-fat cream? We used heavy whipping cream which has a minimum of 36% fat. Also, be sure to let the sauce simmer long enough and it will thicken and should coat the noodles nicely.
Do you think maybe people who are using canned tomatoes are not draining them and it is causing the extra liquid?
I can’t wait to try this recipe, just reading all the reviews right now. Sounds easy and delicious!
Hi Sandy, I think that’s a big possibility to have a watery sauce if they are using canned tomatoes and not draining. Thank you for your insights!
Very tasty! Also quick to make. We had this over zucchini noodles! Everyone loved it! Will be making this again♥️
I’m so glad it was a hit. Thanks for sharing, Tammy!
Simple yet so tasty & creamy! My boyfriend went back for 2nd’s then a 3rd serving.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Becky!
Fantastic recipe! I had to substitute the heavy whipping cream for 18% cream (half and half) due to dietary issues and worked out beautifully!
This a a great recipe, wouldn’t change a thing. My three boys even had seconds. This one’s a keeper! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Robin! I’m so glad you found a keeper recipe. Thank you for your feedback and review.
I just made this for my family. This was definitely a hit. Quick and easy, will be making again. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe.
You’re very welcome, Tyna! So glad it was enjoyed.
Made this tonight and it was a hit! I used a can of Rotel for diced tomatoes and the kids loved it 🙂
Great to hear that it was a huge hit!
Have you tried freezing the sauce? I froze your Tuscan Chicken in portions, thawed and made fresh pasta to serve it with and it was just as good the night I made it! I can’t see why this would be any different, but I just thought I would ask! I love all of your recipes and it’s a bonus when they freeze well for a quick weeknight meal! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Brooke! Thank you. I’m glad you love my recipes. I think you could freeze it but I haven’t actually tested it myself.
And indulgent, satisfying meal. I subbed sundries tomatoes for diced tomatoes and adding some sliced sautéed bell peppers to the mix. All three of my picky children enjoyed this meal. I really appreciate the tip to not use my cast iron to avoid a grainy sauce. Will definitely be making this one again!
That’s great, thanks for sharing! We’re happy to know that you loved this recipe a lot.
This pasta dish is easy and fast. My picky son and entire family loves it so we have it like once a week. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Sara! You’re very welcome. That’s great! I’m glad so glad it was a hit. Thank you for the review.
I made this for the wife last night. I used your recipe exactly and she loved it! Next time I will probably use half and half to make the sauce a little thinner but it was delicious! Thank you!
Hi Roy! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing your experience.
This was the easiest, tastiest Cajun chicken pasta I ever made, it was DELICIOUS! Even my son liked it and the best part was I had everything in my kitchen already, I used can tomatoes, which were great and penne pasta, perfect, my now go to dish
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, LaBrilia!
This looks really good. Does it need freshly graded Parmesan cheese or will the kind in the tub work?
Hi Shae, we always prefer using fresh ingredients but that will work too!