• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Together to Eat
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • FAMILY
  • START HERE
  • ABOUT ME
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • FAMILY
    • START HERE
    • ABOUT ME
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot

    Sep 14, 2022 · Jan 16, 2023 This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This Cajun Chicken Pasta NEEDS to be in your family’s meal rotation. Chicken, peppers, onions and pasta coated in a smokey, herby, creamy sauce - it’s just soo good. And bonus - it cooks in just one pot! For families with younger children and babies, don’t worry, the spice level is totally adaptable and I will recommend how you do that. 

    Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot Recipe

    How to Cook My Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot

    Watch me make this Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot step-by-step here, before or as you cook.

    Ingredients Info

    The Herbs

    I’ve used dried thyme and oregano for this recipe to keep it store cupboard friendly, but you can use fresh - just switch from 1 teaspoon of dried to 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh.

    Also, I love this pasta dish even more with a sprinkling of fresh thyme when I serve it (I leave that off the kids bowls). If you happen to have fresh thyme when you make this meal, I really recommend you garnish the adult servings with it.

    The Pasta

    I would go for a pasta shape like casarecce (what I’ve used here), penne, spirali, fusilli or rotini.

    The Cream Cheese

    I use light cream cheese (soft cheese) for this recipe, but you can also use Lightest Soft Cheese too if you like.

    Family friendly Cajun Chicken Pasta

    Eat More Sustainably

    You could use just half the chicken and add a can of white beans instead, like haricot (navy) or cannellini beans. Just add them once you’ve added the stock and water. Yum!

    Prep Tips

    You can dice everything instead of slicing if you prefer, I’ve done it both ways and as long as you don’t dice the chicken into bigger than ½ inch cubes, it will cook in the same time.

    Prep Ahead

    You can prep almost everything ahead of time if you need too. The peppers and onions can be prepped and stored in a container or resealable food bag in the fridge, as can the chicken (separately) and the cream cheese. The spices, herbs, salt & pepper can be measured out and stored in a small bowl covered with clingfilm (saran wrap) and left at room temp. Pre-prepared garlic will need to be stored in the fridge. 

    Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot family meals

    Pro Cook Tips

    Once you’ve added the liquids and it’s come to a boil, I’ve said to cook for around 14 minutes or until most of it has been absorbed and the pasta is tender. The key to getting the liquid to be mostly absorbed at that time is to stir often. And if you have a look at the video, you’ll see roughly how much liquid should remain before you add the chicken back in. When you think it’s at the right level, you can test a piece of pasta to make sure it is tender. 

    If the liquid is mostly absorbed but the pasta is not yet tender, add in a little more hot water and cook for a little longer.

    Kids Cook Too

    Younger children can get involved by helping to measure out the herbs, spices and pasta.

    A bowl of cajun chicken pasta - family meals

    Feed a Crowd

    This recipe can be doubled, but you’ll need to fry your chicken in two batches and use a large cooking pot.

    Storing My Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot

    You can store leftovers in an air-tight container or resealable food bag in the fridge for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). You can also freeze them, just defrost for 24 hours in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. As there is cream cheese in the sauce, you may find that separates while it’s in the freezer, but it is still safe to eat and will taste the same.

    For more on safe food storage and reheating read here >

    Diet Details

    My Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot is egg-free as long as you use dried pasta and not fresh. It is also nut-free. It can be made gluten-free if you switch to gluten-free pasta, but you will probably need to add more hot water and cook for a little longer until tender.

    Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot Baby Friendly Family Meals

    Adapting My Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot For Your Family 

    Here, I recommend how to tweak this recipe if you are eating with a baby or toddler and I’ll also give a tip for serving it to a fussy eater. 

    Keeping Young Children & Picky Eaters Happy

    You’ll want to keep the spice level mild so I recommend ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. This will give you a mild subtly spicy dish, and that is how much I use when I cook it (½ teaspoon was a little bit too spicy for my kids at the moment). The smoked paprika is just warming and flavourful, not spicy so that can stay as is. Other than that, serve as is and without the fresh thyme garnish. 

    See more from me on fussy eaters here >

    Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot Young Children & Fussy Eaters

    Older Children & Spice Lovers

    If your kids are used to spicy food, go for ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. This will give the pasta a medium heat kick and won’t take anyones head off! 

    Making My Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot Baby & Toddler Friendly 

    We just need to do a few tweaks here. Switch too low-salt chicken stock and don’t add salt into the cook. Once you’ve removed their serving, you can add salt to the pan and stir in well. Then dish up everyone else’s.

    For the spicing of this dish, add ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - whichever you are more comfortable with. ⅛ teaspoon (or a good pinch) will be super mild and ¼ will still be mild but slightly spicy. You don’t need to alter the smoked paprika, it’s just warming and adds flavour, not heat. 

    Cajun Pasta family meals baby led weaning

    How to Serve to Babies & Toddlers 

    I would recommend serving this as finger food (baby led weaning). The peppers are sliced already so can be palmed. If the pepper becomes too soft whilst cooking for this, dice them small. For thicker chicken slices, you can cut again once down the middle longways. 

    If you did want to share this with your baby and spoon-feed only, I would recommend cooking up some baby pasta separately in a little saucepan and then making a cajun chicken sauce for it. To do this, once cooked pick out some chicken, peppers and onions and purée them up with some warm boiled water or low-salt stock in your stick blender pot. Or pulse them in a mini food chopper until you have chunkier sauce.

    For more info on how I keep my family meals baby & toddler friendly, read here >

    Shop at kidly for baby and toddler tablewear

    You Might Like…

    White chilli chicken Slow Cooker and Stove recipe Crop
    White Chilli Chicken
    brown butter mushroom pasta
    Brown Butter Mushroom Pasta
    Sausage & Broccoli Pasta One-Pot
    Sausage & Broccoli Pasta One-Pot
    see all recipes

    Together to Eat is reader-supported. I may earn a small commission from anything bought through links found here.

    Cajun Chicken Pasta One-Pot

    CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA ONE-POT

    Creamy, smokey, herby and with adjustable spicing, this Cajun Chicken Pasta is family friendly and cooks in just one pot.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Global
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Chopping board
    • Chef’s knife
    • Prep bowls
    • Scales
    • Medium-Large Cooking Pot
    • Measuring spoons
    • Measuring jug + mini wire hand whisk or fork
    • Slotted cooking spoon
    • Plate

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 650 g chicken breasts thinly sliced
    • 1 onion thinly sliced
    • 2 large peppers (bell), red / orange or mix thinly sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves crushed
    • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
    • ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper see notes
    • 500 ml chicken stock / bouillon
    • 600 ml hot water
    • 300 g pasta
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 150 g light cream cheese
    • Salt & pepper to taste
    • Fresh thyme leaves to garnish optional

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the oil in a medium-large saucepan over a medium-high heat for 1-2 mins until the oil is hot and simmering. Add the chicken, a little salt & pepper and cook for around 6 minutes, stirring and turning regularly, until seared all round and cooked through. Remove using a slotted spoon, leaving the chicken juices in the pan. Set aside.
    • Add the onions and mixed peppers into the same pan and fry over a medium-low heat for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add in the garlic, paprika and cayenne and fry, stirring for 1 more minute.
    • Next add in the hot stock, hot water, dried herbs and pasta. Then turn the heat up high, stir and bring to the boil. Then decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook on a rolling boil stirring regularly, for around 14 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
    • Then add the chicken back in and stir through well. Continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese.

    Notes

    STORAGE: You can store leftovers in an air-tight container or resealable food bag in the fridge for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). You can also freeze them, just defrost for 24 hours in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. As there is cream cheese in the sauce, you may find that separates while its in the freezer, but it is still safe to eat and will taste the same.

    YOUNGER CHILDREN & FUSSY EATERS

    Use ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to keep it nice and mild. Don’t add on thyme garnish.

    BABY & TODDLER

    Use a good pinch or ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper to keep it super mild. For a little heat kick add ¼ cayenne. Use low-salt chicken stock and omit the salt from the cook. Use a long pasta shape.

    Serve as finger food / baby led weaning, slice wide chicken slices in half lengthways. Peppers and pasta will be fine as they are.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 352kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 40gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1192mgPotassium: 1152mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 3495IUVitamin C: 86mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 3mg
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by Email
    Made this recipe?Leave a rating at the bottom of this page! You could also post a picture on Instagram and tag @togethertoeat to share it with me. Or post to Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

    More Main Dishes

    • Meatball Baked Bean and Potato Waffle Pie - family meals - cl
      Meatball Baked Bean and Potato Waffle Pie
    • Sticky Panko Salmon - family recipes
      Sticky Panko Salmon
    • Chicken Bacon and Vegetable Soup - family meals
      Chicken Bacon and Vegetable Soup
    • Beef & Plum Casserole
      Beef and Plum Casserole (Oven, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathryn

      October 30, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      Myself, my partner and my baby boy all really enjoyed sharing this delicious family meal together which was really easy to put together.

      Reply

    Leave a comment for me Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Emma, Creator of Together to Eat
    Hi, I’m Emma

    Welcome to my family food blog. Together to Eat is pretty new, I launched it just back in May. I create meals for parents who love food and eating together. I carefully consider how each meal can be shared with children of all ages. So whether you have a baby or a teenager, my meals can work for you. I hope my recipes can grow with your family, as they are with mine.

    Start your family food journey here, with me!

    More about me here →

    Weaning with family meals course
    Shop Kidly Tableware
    Shop Kidly Food Storage
    Shop kidly bottles
    My family kitchen essentials
    Zeal Kitchen Essentials Sidebar
    • Meatball Baked Bean and Potato Waffle Pie
    • Egg Fried Rice with Peas
    • Sticky Panko Salmon
    • Chocolate Orange French Toast
    • Chocolate Marshmallow English Pancakes

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Subscribe to my weekly email

    Contact

    • Get in touch
    • Work with me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Together to Eat. All rights reserved.