Description
Cheesy Cajun Garlic Chicken Rotini Skillet is a bold, cozy one-pan pasta dish featuring tender chicken, rotini, and a garlicky Cajun cream sauce finished with melted cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ tsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley or green onions (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add chicken and season with Cajun seasoning, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5–6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to combine.
- Simmer for 3–4 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Stir in cheddar or mozzarella and Parmesan cheese until melted and creamy.
- Return chicken to the skillet and add cooked pasta. Toss until everything is well coated.
- Simmer for 2–3 minutes until thickened and heated through.
- Garnish if desired and serve warm.
Notes
- You can substitute with gluten-free pasta if needed.
- For extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
- To reduce sodium, use low-sodium chicken broth and adjust salt.
- Make ahead: refrigerate chicken and pasta separately and toss together when reheating.
- If the sauce thickens too much, thin with a splash of milk or broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop, One-Pan
- Cuisine: Cajun/American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 970 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 41 g
- Saturated Fat: 21 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 60 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg
Keywords: Cheesy Cajun Garlic Chicken Rotini Skillet, Cajun pasta, garlic cream sauce, one-pan pasta, chicken skillet, cheesy chicken pasta