Bold Creamy Cajun Chicken (Printable version)

Tender Cajun-spiced chicken, peppers, and creamy sauce combine with pasta for a bold, hearty meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1 lb), sliced into strips
02 - 1 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Pasta

04 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
06 - 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
07 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - ¼ cup chicken broth
12 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh parsley, chopped
15 - Extra Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.
02 - Toss chicken strips with Cajun seasoning until evenly coated.
03 - Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until browned and fully cooked. Remove from skillet and set aside.
04 - Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers, red onion, and garlic. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
05 - Add heavy cream and chicken broth to skillet, stirring to incorporate browned bits. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Reduce heat to low, stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is creamy. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
07 - Add cooked pasta, chicken, and reserved pasta water to skillet. Toss to coat and heat through. Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken stays impossibly tender while the spice blend adds genuine depth without overwhelming heat.
  • Everything cooks in one skillet after the pasta, meaning minimal cleanup and maximum time for actual conversation.
  • The sauce coats every strand so beautifully that you'll find yourself scraping the last bit from the plate.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or becomes grainy after adding the Parmesan, it means the heat was too high; recover by removing it from heat, letting it cool slightly, and whisking in a splash of cold cream.
  • Don't let the cooked pasta sit in the colander for long—it'll stick to itself and become clumpy, and no amount of sauce will fix that.
03 -
  • Make sure your skillet is large enough to hold all the pasta and sauce comfortably; trying to toss everything in a cramped pan leads to splashing and frustration.
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh just before cooking; the quality difference is absolutely worth those ninety seconds.
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