Our blackened chicken pasta is rich, creamy, and loaded with tender chicken, veggies, and spicy chipotle peppers. It’s a bold chicken dish that explodes with flavor in every bite.
Pasta recipes are a great choice for any meal or potluck because they’re so easy and so versatile. We especially love them when they pack a little kick of heat.
Dishes like chicken poblano casserole, jalapeno popper stuffed manicotti, and spicy beef pasta make it quick and easy to serve a meal that brings flavor and the perfect amount of heat to any table or gathering.
This blackened chicken pasta is the epitome of all of that. It’s quick, easy, flavorful, and has just the right amount of heat. Pair it with garlic cheese toast and no-bake chocolate cream pie for a hearty meal the family will love.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You can find everything you need for this recipe in your kitchen or at your local grocery store.
- Easy: This recipe only takes a few simple steps and about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Bold Flavor: The Cajun seasoning, chipotles in adobo sauce, and provolone cheese create a pasta dish full of big, bold, smoky, cheesy flavor.
- Rich and Creamy: The sauce is rich, creamy, and so cheesy.
- Customizable: It’s easy to tweak this recipe to make it your own.
- Versatile: This makes a great dinner or potluck dish.
Key Ingredients
You can find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken Breasts: Chicken breasts are meaty and have a mild flavor that takes on the other delicious flavors in the dish.
- Seasonings: Cajun seasoning, garlic, and onion give the dish a bold, smoky, aromatic flavor with a touch of heat.
- Chipotles in Adobo: Chipotles in adobo add a bit of heat and a smoky, vegetal note to the pasta.
- Provolone Cheese: Provolone is a bold, melty cheese that’s perfect for this dish.
Variations
- Chicken Breasts: Chicken thighs can be used for a richer flavor.
- Other Meats: Beef strips, pork strips, or seafood can be used in place of chicken.
- Kid-Friendly: Omit the chipotles for a version that most kids will enjoy.
- More Veggies: Try frozen mixed vegetables or mushrooms in this dish for more flavor.
How to Make Blackened Chicken Pasta
Step 1: Boil and drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Then, season the chicken and sear on both sides until cooked through and dark on the outside. Remove to cool.
Step 2: In the same pan, saute the onions and bell pepper until tender. Then, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Step 3: Add chicken broth and simmer until the veggies are tender. Then, add the cream and bring to a low boil
Step 4: Add the cheese and stir. Then, add the remaining ingredients and stir. Pour the sauce into the pot and stir. Serve topped with sliced chicken.
Expert Tips
- Remove any burned bits after searing your chicken before adding the other ingredients to prevent your pasta from taking on a burned flavor.
- Add your garlic after the veggies are tender to prevent burning. Burned garlic is bitter garlic!
- Be sure you use a pot large enough to accommodate the noodles, chicken, and pasta.
- DO NOT bring your sauce to anything higher than a low boil. You’ll break the sauce.
Blackened Chicken Pasta FAQs
Blackened chicken pasta is a flavorful, creamy pasta dish combining spicy Cajun seasonings with a rich, cheesy sauce and pasta.
You can make this pasta with blackened chicken, pork, beef, or seafood.
Refrigerate this pasta for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezing is not recommended, as the sauce will break when defrosted.
Tasty Pairings for Your Blackened Chicken Pasta
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Blackened Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- 1.5 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cup provolone cheese, chopped or shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan, shredded
- 15 ounce whole kernel corn, drained
- 7 ounce chipotles in adobo sauce, used about 4 peppers
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 16 ounce rotini pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pat Cajun seasoning on all sides of the chicken.
- Using a large deep frying pan or skillet, heat over medium heat.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add chicken to the pan.
- Cook over medium heat and cook the chicken approximately 6 minutes on each side, adding additional butter as needed.
- Remove chicken and let cool, remove any burnt bits from the pan, and return to medium heat.
- Add onions and bell pepper, and cook until translucent and tender.
- Next add the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Pour chicken broth into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and bring to a slight boil.
- Sprinkle the cheese, ¼ at a time, stirring constantly.
- Add corn and chipotles, and continue to cook until heated through.
- Pour sauce into the pot with the pasta. Stir to combine.
- Add pasta mixture to serving dishes and top with sliced blackened chicken.
Notes
- Remove any burned bits after searing your chicken before adding the other ingredients to prevent your pasta from taking on a burned flavor.
- Add your garlic after the veggies are tender to prevent burning. Burned garlic is bitter garlic!
- Be sure you use a pot large enough to accommodate the noodles, chicken, and pasta.
- DO NOT bring your sauce to anything higher than a low boil. You’ll break the sauce.
This was really good. I loved the spices.
VERY good. I love the big seasonings you used. I like a lot of flavor.
So flavorful and comforting! This dish has been a winter repeat for me…love the spices and it comes together surprisingly quickly!
The chicken had a great kick and the sauce was creamy. Everyone cleaned their plates!
This blackened chicken pasta has such an amazing kick! When I made this, the creamy sauce balanced out the spicy seasoning perfectly. It’s a restaurant-quality recipe! Thanks for sharing!
This blackened chicken pasta was absolutely amazing! It was easy to prepare, and the family loved it!!!