Cajun Chicken Pasta
Blackened chicken and a paprika-cream sauce over pasta — roadhouse food, home prices.
Ingredients
- 200 g Pasta
- 300 g Chicken
- 200 ml Cream
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Bell pepper (optional)
- 30 g Hard cheese (optional)
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Boil the pasta in the salted water one minute shy of al dente (firm to the bite).
- Reserve a mugful of the pasta water, then drain.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss them in the cajun seasoning.
- Sear the seasoned chicken hard in the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until charred at the edges and cooked through, about 6 minutes, then set aside.
- Slice the bell pepper and mince the garlic.
- In the same pan, soften the sliced pepper and garlic over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the cream and simmer gently for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Toss the drained pasta and seared chicken through the sauce, loosening with pasta water, and melt in the grated cheese.
- Serve the pasta hot with extra cajun dust if you dare.
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About Cajun Chicken Pasta
Cajun chicken pasta is an American roadhouse favorite, the kind of generous, spice-flecked, creamy pasta you find on casual restaurant menus across the South and beyond. Blackened chicken meets a paprika-forward cream sauce and gets tossed with pasta, delivering a plate that reads as indulgent restaurant food but comes together at home for a fraction of the price. It is unapologetically rich and built for a hungry weeknight table.
The pull is the contrast between the charred, boldly seasoned chicken and the mellow, peppery cream sauce it settles into, with sweet bell pepper and garlic adding body and a hint of vegetable freshness. Searing the seasoned chicken hard until the edges char is what develops that signature blackened flavor, and building the sauce in the same pan means all the browned spice clings to the cream rather than being lost. A splash of reserved pasta water loosens everything into a coating sauce, and grated hard cheese finishes it with a savory edge.
Cajun Chicken Pasta: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Cajun Chicken Pasta?
A serving has about 1251 calories — 49.8g protein, 86g carbs, 78.1g fat, 6.3g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 49.8g of protein, roughly 16% of its calories.
Is Cajun Chicken Pasta gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Pasta. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Cajun Chicken Pasta?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out bell pepper, hard cheese — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Cajun Chicken Pasta make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.