Chili's-Style Cajun Chicken Pasta, Creamy and Fully Staying In

It is 7:05 on a Friday, you were going to go out, and the couch has made a stronger argument. This cajun chicken pasta recipe takes 32 minutes and makes the couch feel like a reservation for two. It is a home riff on a restaurant favorite, inspired by Chili's, with blackened chicken, peppers and a cream sauce that coats every piece of penne. SwipeCart has no affiliation with the restaurant, and this is not their recipe.

Dinner out, minus the wait, the noise and the parking.

Chicken strips rubbed with cajun seasoning go into a hot skillet until browned. Peppers and onion soften in butter. Heavy cream and parmesan turn it into a sauce, and the penne goes in last so it drinks it up. One big pot for the pasta, one big skillet for everything else, and a table that feels a little fancier than the day you had.

How to make it

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Slice the 2 bell peppers and 1 yellow onion into thin strips, and mince the 3 garlic cloves. This prep takes about 8 minutes.
2. Cook 12 oz penne pasta according to package directions until al dente, about 10 to 11 minutes, then drain and set aside.
3. Cut 1.25 lb chicken breast into thin strips and toss with 1.5 tablespoons of the cajun seasoning, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes until browned and cooked through, then transfer to a plate.
5. In the same skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the sliced onion and peppers and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and remaining 0.5 tablespoon cajun seasoning for 30 seconds.
6. Pour in 1.5 cups heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in 0.75 cup parmesan until the sauce is smooth, then return the chicken and cooked penne to the skillet. Toss for 2 minutes until everything is coated and hot. Season with remaining salt and black pepper to taste.
7. Serve immediately in bowls while the sauce is creamy.

Notes

Cooked leftovers keep three to four days refrigerated, per USDA FSIS. Reheat gently, in a skillet over low heat with a splash of cream or milk, because the sauce tightens in the fridge and the pasta keeps drinking it.

This cajun chicken pasta recipe is best eaten the night you make it. Cream and pasta do not love a second day the way a stew does, so plan the leftovers as a lunch that gets a splash of milk. Skip the freezer for this one, since cream sauces can turn grainy when thawed.

Cut the chicken into thin strips, as the method asks. Thin strips cook in five or six minutes and pick up more of the seasoning on their surface. Chicken is safe to eat once it reaches 165°F in the thickest piece, per USDA, and thin strips get there before they dry out. Pull it off the heat when it is browned and cooked through, and not a minute after. It finishes in the sauce for the last two minutes anyway, so it has time to come back to temperature.

Grate the parmesan yourself if you can. Freshly grated cheese melts into the cream more smoothly, and a pre-shredded bag can leave you with a sauce that never quite comes together.

Here is where SwipeCart gets a little flirty: this is the dish you swipe right on when you want a date night with nobody else invited, and the agent puts the penne, the cream and the peppers in your Kroger or Walmart cart so the only thing you have to make is the playlist.

Swaps that actually work

The cajun seasoning is the point of any cajun chicken pasta recipe. It is the heat, the paprika and the garlicky depth, and the dish is not the same without it. Brands differ in salt, so taste the sauce before you add the last of the salt and pepper.

Penne can become rigatoni, rotini or fettuccine, whatever holds a creamy sauce. Red, green and yellow peppers all work, and the mix is just for color, so use what is in the crisper. Red onion can replace the yellow onion if you like it a little sweeter.

Heavy cream is what gives you the body. If you try half-and-half, the sauce will be thinner and more likely to break, so keep the heat low and the simmer gentle. Shrimp can replace the chicken; cook it just until it turns pink and opaque, and note that it needs far less time than the five or six minutes the chicken gets.

The swap that costs you the dish is skipping the browning on the chicken. If you simmer it in the sauce raw, you lose the dark, spicy crust that makes this taste like something from a menu.

If it goes wrong

The sauce is too thin. It did not simmer long enough or the penne was still wet. Let it bubble gently for another minute, stirring, and let the pasta soak some of it up. The sauce also thickens as it cools slightly on the plate.

The sauce is too thick. The pasta kept drinking it. Stir in a splash of milk or cream, off the heat, until it loosens.

It looks grainy or split. The heat was too high after the cream went in, or the cheese went in too hot. Lower the heat, add a splash of cream and stir steadily. Next time take the skillet off the heat for a moment before the parmesan goes in.

It is flat or too hot. If it is flat, it is salt; add a pinch, stir and taste. If it is too spicy, a squeeze of lemon and a bit more cream calms it down.

What to serve with it

The default is a green salad with a sharp dressing, because this dish is rich. The better version is a pile of garlic bread, or some steamed broccoli with a squeeze of lemon. If there is a lemon in the fridge, put it on the table.

Does it work as lunch the next day? Yes, with a splash of milk and a gentle reheat. Add a handful of arugula on top if you want it to feel like a different meal.

Why this one earns its place

Some nights deserve a table with a little ceremony. Put a real napkin down. Pour something in a glass that is not a mug. Turn the overhead light off and the lamp on. This cajun chicken pasta recipe gives you that on a weeknight, with a pot of boiling water and a skillet. It is the dish for when you want to treat someone, or yourself, and do not want to put on shoes. Light a candle if you are feeling bold, and keep this cajun chicken pasta recipe handy for the next time the couch wins. No one has to know it came from your own stove.

More like it: creamy cajun shrimp pasta when you want a seafood version, chicken alfredo for a milder cream sauce, and meal planning for couples for more nights like this one.

More like this: all American recipes in Crave Corner.