Bold creamy cajun chicken (Printable version)

Tender cajun-spiced chicken and sautéed peppers in a rich, garlicky cream sauce for comfort.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 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 while reserving ¼ cup of pasta water. Set pasta aside.
02 - Toss chicken strips with Cajun seasoning until evenly coated.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bell peppers, red onion, and garlic. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
05 - Pour heavy cream and chicken broth into the skillet. Stir well, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Reduce heat to low and stir in Parmesan cheese until fully melted and sauce is creamy. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
07 - Add cooked pasta, sautéed chicken, and reserved pasta water to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat with the sauce and warm through.
08 - Plate immediately, garnished with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 40 minutes but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The creamy Cajun sauce clings to every strand of pasta without being heavy or one-note.
  • You can prep the ingredients while the pasta water heats, so there's barely any downtime in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain your noodles, because it's the secret to loosening a cream sauce without making it watery.
  • Don't let the cream boil hard or it will separate and become grainy, so keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the dairy hits the pan.
  • The chicken will continue cooking slightly when you toss it back into the hot sauce, so pull it off the heat when it's just barely cooked through.
03 -
  • Buy whole Parmesan blocks and grate them just before cooking so the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce instead of becoming lumpy and separated.
  • Let your skillet get properly hot before adding the chicken so it develops a flavorful crust, which adds depth to the entire dish even though it's just a few minutes of searing.
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