20-Minute Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe (Video)

This is the BEST Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe that’s made with pan-seared Cajun chicken strips smothered in a sun-dried tomato and Parmesan cream sauce served over perfectly cooked linguine! 

I love anything in a cream sauce, like my popular creamy chicken tarragon, and so do my kids which basically means a creamy chicken dinner of some sort is on dinner rotation quite often. 

This creamy chicken pasta is more than just a cream sauce, though! The dish is full of flavor from the Parmesan and Cajun seasoning which gives it a nice kick. It’s got a familiar chicken alfredo vibe, which is another popular dinner idea around here. Ok, so it’s less Alfredo than it is Cajun, but if you love one, you’ll love the other!

It is hands down one of my favorite easy chicken pasta recipes to make. It’s a restaurant-style dish that is ready in 20 minutes at home!

This is a one-skillet dish that is so easy to prepare any night of the week and impressive enough to serve a crowd. Your guests will love it, so keep it handy the next time you’re looking for a recipe meant for easy entertaining. 

The neat thing is, no matter how impressive it is, it’s just as easy to be enjoyed as a comfort food too, and I should know, my family eats it all the time!

Ingredients Needed

• Chicken - Boneless and skinless chicken breast butterflied then cut into strips.
• Pasta - I love using linguine for this recipe, but you can really use whatever you want! Any long or medium pasta is great.
• Seasoning - Cajun seasoning, salt, dried basil, black pepper, and garlic powder are such a delicious combination. The Cajun seasoning packs a punch but the basil gives it a herbaceous note. Plus the garlic powder pairs so well with cream sauce and Parmesan!
• Butter- Used as the base of everything! It’s the nonstick surface for the initial browning of the chicken, but it also adds a ton of buttery flavor to the sauce.
• Heavy whipping cream - Adds rich, thick, creaminess to the cream sauce!
• Sun-dried tomatoes - You can find these dry or marinated in oil in a jar. You can choose whichever you want to use, but if you’re using jarred sun-dried tomatoes, you may want to wipe a bit of the excess oil off first.
• Parmesan cheese - Freshly grated cheese adds amazing flavor to the sauce. Garlic powder, Parmesan, and cream…is there anything better?
• Green onion - A pop of green for color and presentation!

How to Make Cajun Chicken Pasta

Step 1: Cook your pasta according to the package directions.

Step 2: Place your chicken pieces in a bowl or on a plate and season both sides of the strips with Cajun seasoning.

Step 3: Heat a big skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter then add the chicken pieces in a single layer, making sure not to overlap.

Step 4: Sauté the chicken until it is tender. Flip just once during the cooking time.

Step 5: Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in heavy whipping cream. Add salt, garlic powder, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and black pepper. Allow it to come to a gentle boil.

Step 6: Toss in your pasta, garnish with Parmesan cheese and green onion and serve immediately! SERVE WITH homemade Caesar Salad. 

Cooking Tips

• Easily double or triple the recipe for a larger crowd. Just be sure to use a very large skillet to hold everything!
• I like to cook my pasta to al dente, which is cooked but still has a bite to it. That way if it simmers in the sauce, I know it won’t get too mushy.
• Don’t overlap chicken when adding them to the skillet. You want them to cook nice and evenly and get a nice browned exterior.
• Flip only once and try not to overcook them. Since they are a thinner cut, they can become dry much faster than a fattier piece of chicken.
• If you don’t have heavy whipping cream you can substitute with heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk. Keep in mind that the heavy whipping cream gives it the thickest, richest texture, and using anything else may result in a thinner sauce.

Variations & Substitutions

There are ways to incorporate different veggies and add-ins if you are looking for substitutions but you can also use them as add-ins if preferred.

• You can replace sun-dried tomatoes with fresh diced tomato or red bell pepper.
• Add in some bacon bits for a bit of a smokiness added to this dish.
• Sweet peas are another way to add a pop of green color or to replace the sun-dried tomatoes completely.
• Add a handful of spinach at the end and allow it to wilt in the residual heat in the sauce. Sun-dried tomato and spinach are awesome!

Here is how this recipe looked like back in 2014.

Can I make this a gluten-free recipe?

Absolutely, you can. You can either use a gluten-free pasta of your choice or check out this very similar gluten-free creamy chicken pasta with broccoli. Another must-try easy dinner!

More Yummy Dinner Recipes:

• 10-minute Honey Garlic Shrimp Recipe
• Loaded Mashed Potatoes
• Super Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
• Easy Oven Baked Chicken Pasta in Buttery White Sauce
• Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
• Easy Chicken Chow Mein Recipe 

 How Do I Store Leftover Creamy Chicken Pasta?

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It’s made with dairy, so you want to store it in the fridge as soon as it cools. Don’t let it sit too long at room temperature.

How to Reheat Creamy Pasta?

It will thicken as it cools, so you may need to add a splash of cream to thin it out a bit. Heat it on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. You may also find that as it heats it thins out naturally. Just use your best judgment!

📖 Recipe

Q. – Do YOU like this Creamy Pasta Recipe?

Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!

 

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This post was updated on June 21, 2022. The recipe didn't change!