This creamy Cajun chicken pasta bake is so fast because you don’t even have to boil the noodles before it goes into the oven! The perfect easy weeknight dinner.
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If you love Cajun and Creole recipes, be sure to try this cajun shrimp pasta alfredo, one-pan chicken creole, Cajun mac and cheese, chicken and sausage jambalaya, chicken and sausage gumbo, and this authentic New Orleans red beans and rice, too!
This has become my go to pasta during the week! So easy to make. Thank you for sharing.
– Brittany
A creamy Cajun chicken pasta bake that’s easy, kid-friendly, and doesn’t require babysitting on the stovetop! What’s not to love?! The cozy casserole is a perfect example of a simple weeknight supper that brings the family together — even on busy evenings — and keeps you out of the kitchen.
Cajun Chicken Pasta – Easy To Make At Home
The great benefit of making your own Cajun chicken pasta at home (rather than ordering it from a restaurant like Chili’s or Applebee’s) is that you can completely control the ingredients. You can make it more or less spicy, adjust the garlic, or load it with extra veggies! Using our favorite dump-and-bake method, you’ll pull together a family-friendly one-dish meal that offers maximum flavor for minimum effort!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- This recipe is specifically designed for and tested with rotini pasta. If you don’t have rotini, you can substitute with other short pasta shapes like penne pasta, rigatoni, or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the rotini (about 7-8 minutes recommended on the package directions) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.
- You’ll need a total of about 2 ½ cups of Alfredo sauce, which is approximately one very large 22-ounce jar or 1 ½ 15-ounce jars.
- Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for convenience, or cook your own chicken at home. You will need about 1 lb. of raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) to equal about 2 cups of cooked, shredded meat.
- Use Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning — both work well. Since these blends include salt, you’ll want to use low-sodium broth (or even water), and wait to add salt to your dish at the end after you’ve had a chance to taste it.
How to Make Cajun Chicken Pasta
This baked Cajun chicken pasta comes together in minutes and then the oven does the work! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- In a large casserole dish, whisk together the Alfredo, broth, tomatoes, and seasoning.
- Stir in the uncooked pasta, the chicken, and the veggies.
- Cover and bake until the pasta is al dente, about 35 minutes. The total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance.
- Once the pasta is al dente, give it a stir, add cheese on top, and bake until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed. Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- Garnish with sliced green onion or chopped fresh parsley. Serve!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Cajun chicken pasta recipe with a house salad with candied pecans, okra and tomatoes, Southern collard greens, 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits, Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, 3-Ingredient sour cream muffins, or a French baguette.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the fridge overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly.
- Storage: This dish is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The pasta will dry out a bit as it sits, so you may need to stir in some additional sauce or broth when you reheat the dish. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole because pasta has a tendency to get gummy and mushy when thawed.
I just tried it and added florets from a head of broccoli. Worked fine. Great recipe.
– Walter
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Cajun Chicken Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 (22 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (about 2 ½ cups)
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, not drained
- 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic)
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- Optional garnish: fresh parsley and/or sliced green onion, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the prepared dish, whisk together the Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Stir in the uncooked pasta, chicken, bell peppers, and onion. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Uncover the dish; gently stir the pasta with a fork. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return it to the oven until the pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Once the pasta is al dente, sprinkle the cheese over top. Return the dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts and the pasta is tender, about 5-10 more minutes.
- Garnish with parsley or sliced green onion, if desired. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Use andouille sausage to make a dump-and-bake Cajun sausage pasta instead, or try this Cajun shrimp and sausage pasta. For a mild dish, try this dump-and-bake chicken pot pie pasta.
- Cooking for Two? Cut the ingredients by ¼ to get two small servings of the pasta dish. For instance, just use 4 ounces of uncooked pasta, 6 ounces of Alfredo sauce, ¾ cup of chicken broth, ½ cup diced chicken, etc. Bake in a small dish (about 5 x 6-inches) if you have one, or divide into two single-serve dishes. The cooking time will be slightly shorter, but not by much so keep an eye on it!
- This is a great way to use up leftover turkey instead of chicken.
- Add extra veggies if you’ve got them in your fridge, such as broccoli or zucchini.
More Dump-and-Bake Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole
50 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Tzatziki with Rice
1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
55 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in April, 2017. It was updated in February, 2025.
I love the sound of cajun chicken pasta! I’ve never made my own before, but you’re right, a lot of restaurants do have their own version. This dump and bake one sounds perfect for that kick of flavor when you’re short on time!
Thanks, Gayle! You should totally try this version! Great flavor for very little effort. 🙂
My family loves spicy food. This looks like a super easy dinner to make on a busy night!
You’ll love this version, then! Thanks so much, Ann! Enjoy!
Hi
I tried this recipe and though it was delicious, the sauce turned out thin and runny. Your photos how the sauce to be thick and creamy. Any idea what I might have done wrong?
I’ve tried and enjoyed many of your recipes.
Keep up your good work.
Hi, Dennis! I’m not sure — did you use penne as called for, or did you substitute with a different pasta shape? Was the pasta cooked through, or did it still need more time to finish absorbing some of the liquid? I can’t think of any other variables that would have affected the consistency of the sauce, so I’m not sure what the problem was. Sorry I don’t have a more specific suggestion.
Thanks for reading the blog! I appreciate you following along with us! Have a great weekend!
Can you boil and cook pasta before baking or will they be too mushy?
Hi, Robin! Yes, you can definitely pre-boil the pasta in the same way that you would for a more traditional casserole. That said, you’ll have to adjust the amount of liquid that you use in the dish. When you bake the UNcooked pasta, the pasta absorbs a lot of the liquid as it bakes. If you’re starting with cooked pasta, I would suggest eliminating most of the chicken broth (maybe just set aside a little bit to thin the sauce, as necessary). Hope that helps, and enjoy!
This has become my go to pasta during the week ! So easy to make. Thank you for sharing .
That’s awesome, Brittany! I totally agree — it doesn’t get much easier! 🙂
Great recipe! Could you prep it all then freeze it? Or would it need to be cooked first before frozen?
Hi, Karleigh! You can freeze it either way — before or after baking. If you freeze it before baking, the pasta may have a slightly mushier texture after baking, but it will still be okay. Enjoy!
I just tried it and added florets from a head of broccoli. Worked fine. Great recipe.
I was going to make my own Cajun seasoning for this since the manufactured ones have an awful lot of salt. Then I can adjust the salt. Do you recommend a particular “recipe” for making my own seasoning?
Hi Marion! Any cajun seasoning recipe you like best will work, but this one tends to be pretty popular.
Thanks!
We made this for supper tonight for the first time. This was so good. My husband said it was the bomb! lol! We will definitely be having this one again. I love your dump and bake recipes. So easy to have through the week to make supper after work. All your recipes always turn out so good! I use them alot!
Thank you so much, Lisa! We’re glad you enjoyed it and hope you continue to enjoy our other recipes.