Chili’s Cajun chicken pasta at home is penne in a rich, peppery cream sauce, topped with sliced Cajun-seasoned chicken breast, fresh diced tomatoes and shredded Parmesan. The chicken is coated in Cajun seasoning and cooked in butter, and the sauce is nothing more than heavy cream, butter and a few seasonings heated until it bubbles. It is ready in 25 minutes with two skillets. This is a copycat in the style of the restaurant dish, not the restaurant’s own recipe.
How to make Chili’s Cajun chicken pasta: Shake 2 chicken breasts with 4 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. Cook them in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until they reach 165°F. In a second skillet, heat 3 cups of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of butter, lemon pepper, salt, pepper and garlic powder until bubbling. Stir in 8 ounces of cooked penne. Slice the chicken and serve it over the pasta with diced tomatoes and Parmesan.
Why You’ll Love It
- Restaurant comfort at home. Creamy pasta with spiced chicken on top.
- Quick. The sauce is made while the chicken cooks.
- Simple sauce. Cream, butter and four seasonings.
- Fresh finish. Raw diced tomato cuts through the richness.
- Heat you control. It all comes from the Cajun seasoning.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts. Two, boneless and skinless.
Cajun seasoning. Four teaspoons, from a jar or homemade.
Butter. Four tablespoons, divided: half for the chicken and half for the sauce.
Heavy cream. Three cups. It is the body of the sauce.
Lemon pepper seasoning. A 1/2 teaspoon.
Salt, black pepper and garlic powder. A teaspoon each of salt and pepper and a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Penne pasta. Eight ounces, cooked and drained.
Roma tomatoes. Two, diced.
Parmesan cheese. A 1/2 cup, freshly shredded.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces penne pasta, cooked and drained
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
How to Make Chili’s Cajun Chicken Pasta
1. Season the chicken. Put the chicken breasts and Cajun seasoning in a large resealable bag. Shake until the chicken is thoroughly coated.
2. Cook the chicken. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning as needed, until a food thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part.
3. Make the cream sauce. When the chicken is about halfway done, combine the heavy cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the lemon pepper seasoning, salt, black pepper and garlic powder in a second skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture begins to bubble.
4. Coat the pasta. Add the cooked, drained penne to the bubbling cream mixture. Turn off the heat and stir well.
5. Slice and serve. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice it into strips. Divide the sauced pasta among serving plates and top with the chicken, diced tomatoes and Parmesan.
Is It Spicy, and Can You Make It Milder?
It has a kick, and the kick comes from one place: the Cajun seasoning on the chicken. The cream sauce itself is peppery but not hot. So how spicy your plate is depends almost entirely on the seasoning you use.
| Part of the dish | What seasons it | Heat |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Cajun seasoning | All of the spice comes from here |
| Cream sauce | Lemon pepper, salt, black pepper, garlic powder | Peppery, not hot |
| Toppings | Fresh tomato and Parmesan | None. They cool the plate down |
Cajun blends vary a great deal from brand to brand. Most get their heat from cayenne pepper. For a milder dinner, the surest fix is to mix your own Cajun seasoning and put in less cayenne. Then use the same 4 teaspoons on the chicken, so the flavor stays full while the burn drops.
How this compares with the heat of the restaurant’s plate is not something I can tell you. Taste your seasoning before you start, and you will know what you are in for.
If the sauce gets too thick
Cream sauce tightens as it sits and as the pasta soaks it up. Stir in a splash more heavy cream to loosen it.
Tips for Success
Should I pound the chicken?
If the breasts are very thick, slicing them in half through the middle or pounding them to an even thickness helps them cook through before the seasoning scorches.
How do I keep the seasoning from burning?
Cook over medium heat, not high. The spices on the surface darken quickly, so turn the chicken as needed.
How do I know the chicken is done?
A thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F. Color is not a reliable guide under a dark spice crust.
Should I rinse the chicken first?
No. Rinsing raw poultry is not needed. Pat it dry if it is wet.
When should I cook the pasta?
Before you start, or while the chicken cooks. It needs to be cooked and drained by the time the cream bubbles.
Why turn off the heat when the pasta goes in?
The sauce is already hot enough to coat the penne. More cooking would reduce it too far.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers. They keep for 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F on the stove with a splash of cream or milk. Cream sauces can separate after freezing, so this dish is best fresh or from the fridge.
What to Serve With It
Garlic bread and a green salad are all this rich plate needs. For more chicken pasta, try the Italian chicken pasta, the chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake or the slow cooker Amish bacon chicken pasta. For another creamy pot, there is the slow cooker cream of chicken ham pasta. And for other chicken dinners, make the one pan green chili chicken or the Ritz cracker chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chili’s Cajun pasta spicy?
The copycat has a kick from the Cajun seasoning. I cannot give a rating for the restaurant’s dish.
What are the ingredients for Cajun chicken pasta?
Chicken breasts, Cajun seasoning, butter, heavy cream, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, garlic powder, penne, Roma tomatoes and Parmesan.
How can I adjust the Cajun seasoning’s heat?
Make your own blend with less cayenne, or choose a mild store-bought one.
Can I use another pasta?
Penne is used here. Any short pasta that holds sauce will do.
Final Notes
I dice the tomatoes and shred the cheese first, so the plates can be finished the moment the chicken is sliced. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Chili's Cajun Chicken Pasta
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Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 ounces penne pasta cooked and drained
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly shredded
Instructions
- Put the chicken breasts and Cajun seasoning in a large resealable bag. Shake until the chicken is thoroughly coated.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning as needed, until a food thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part.
- When the chicken is about halfway done, combine the heavy cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the lemon pepper seasoning, salt, black pepper and garlic powder in a second skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture begins to bubble.
- Add the cooked, drained penne to the bubbling cream mixture. Turn off the heat and stir well.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice it into strips. Divide the sauced pasta among serving plates and top with the chicken, diced tomatoes and Parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
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