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One Pot Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta. Made in no time at all, this one pot, 35-minute pasta is one you will make on repeat! Pan-seared chicken with Cajun seasoning and poblano peppers is tossed up with bow-tie pasta in a creamy sauce made with ranch dressing and parmesan. Flavor this pasta with a couple of spoonfuls of additional Cajun seasoning and fresh basil for a simple but totally delicious meal!
I mentioned this last weekend when I shared the video for this one pot tomato basil pasta on our Instagram stories. For whatever reason, the sound of breaking out a big pot, filling it with water, and boiling off pasta is always so daunting to me.
In reality, it’s really is not that much effort, but if I can find a way to make a pasta dish all in one pot. I’m going to do it!
I love the ease and, of course, fewer dishes!
This Cajun chicken pasta dish is one I’ve been making often. It comes highly requested by my brothers every time they’re in Colorado. They’re not usually that into pasta, but when I make this (and usually with extra chicken on the side), they are always so excited!
My younger brother, Malachi, says it reminds him of the pasta he used to special order at a local Cleveland restaurant called Danny Boys!
He mentioned that the only thing missing is the yummy garlic bread. Maybe that’s a recipe to come!
These are the details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- chicken breast or thighs
- Cajun seasoning – I always make my own blend, I shared the recipe below
- yellow onions
- poblano peppers
- garlic
- Short-cut pasta – I love bow-ties for this
- fresh parsley – or you could use basil too
- chili flakes
- whole milk
- cream cheese
- ranch dressing
- parmesan cheese
Special Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a large pot but not much else!
Steps
Step 1: cook the chicken
In a big pot, toss the chicken with butter and Cajun seasoning. Get the chicken hot and let it get crispy; this will take about 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pot.
Step 2: cook the pasta
To that same pot, add the onions, peppers, garlic, and more Cajun seasoning. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
Then, toss in the pasta and parsley. Add water and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Make sure to add salt and stir often to ensure the pasta does not stick!
Step 3: add milk and the ranch dressing
Next, mix in the milk, the ranch dressing, and the parmesan. Stir until the pasta is fully cooked and the sauce is creamy.
Slide the chicken back into the pasta and give it a gentle stir.
Now, serve it up with fresh parsley! It is so quick and yummy! The ranch really adds a delicious flavor and creaminess too. I make a Greek yogurt-based ranch!
The Seasoning
As I mentioned, I do mix my own blend of Cajun seasonings. It’s one of my favorite mixes and uses the following spices:
- smoked paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- dried oregano
- dried thyme
- chili powder
- cayenne pepper
- sea salt
- black pepper
Mix all the spices together, and you’ll have my Cajun seasoning! It’s so good, and there are no weird fillers.
If you want to add some more green to this dish, I recommend stirring in a handful of spinach.
The perfect dish for livening up an average night!
Looking for other one-pot recipes? Here are my favorites:
French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 662 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs cubed
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 2 poblano peppers chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 3-4 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- chili flakes
- 2 cups milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, cook the butter with the chicken and 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Scoop the chicken out of the pot and set aside. 2. Add the onions, peppers, garlic, and 2-3 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. Cook until the veggies are soft. Add the pasta, parsley, and 2 cups of water. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, ranch dressing, and parmesan. Mix until creamy.3. Slide the chicken into the pasta and gently mix. 4. Serve the pasta immediately with fresh parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Homemade Cajun Seasoning: mix 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Makes 3/4 cup.
This post was originally published on March 6, 2025
We loved it, definitely a keeper for our house!
Thanks so much, Steven! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you! Have a great Friday! xx
This was pretty good. Maybe because I live at almost 9,000 feet in elevation, but definitely needed more than 2 cups of water to cook the pasta. Was probably closer to 4.
Hi Sarah,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a hit! Next time, I would reduce your heat when cooking the pasta. xxT
We loved this recipe. We also needed to add more water to the cooking of the pasta, more like 6 cups. We had leftover cooked bacon and added it to the recipe….delicios!
Thanks so much, Maria!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! xx
This one was okay. Not as flavorful as I’d like. Also needed 4 cups of water to cook the pasta
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xx
I made this a couple of nights ago and it was SO good! Instead of pasta, I roasted a spaghetti squash so I omitted the water and probably could have cut back on how much cream (I used heavy cream in place of milk) I added…but the flavor was amazing and I will definitely make this again.
Hey Erin,
Wonderful! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for trying it! xx
We loved the recipe! I did need to add one extra cup of water for bow tie pasta but that was just fine. It was a crowd pleaser for the family!
Hey Laura,
Wonderful! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for trying it! xx
Great recipe the whole family loved! I cut back on the cajun seasoning because we like things milder. Made the recipe as directed, but needed more then 2 cups of water to cook the pasta. Took about 3 cups if simmering on medium low. Used bowtie pasta, so it took about 12-13 minutes to cook the pasta until soft. Great taste and loved that it was a one-pot meal. Will definitely make again!
Hey Valerie,
Amazing:) Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great week!!
We loved this! It had so much flavor from the cajun spice (I used store bought but will definitely make yours next time as mine wasn’t really spicy) the homemade ranch of yours is an absolute must add in, it has so much flavour! I love the idea of just a one pot pasta dish & was a little skeptical that the 2 cups of water would be enough but after reading your comment to another reviewer that you should cook it slow & on a lower temp and stir often, it turned out perfect.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Lori,
Happy Sunday!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed:) x
I made this for my Monday night dinner group, and they loved it! I used almost two pounds of chicken thighs so there was plenty of meat with the pasta for the guys. Added an extra cup of water so the pasta would cook through too. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. Even the leftovers were great a couple of days later. Delicious! And easy! My husband said to make sure i save this recipe!
Hey Joy,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Have the best weekend:)
This recipe needs serious revision. And took over an hour.
Hi Mychelle,
So sorry to hear this took so long for you to make. Was there something specific that went wrong that I can help you with? Please let me know! xx
It needs more water, the instructions were kinda confusing. On my end, I used medium shells and that was a HUGE mistake, but not your fault. I needed a lot more water which zapped the flavor. I ended up saving it by using Creole seasoning. It was also a little bizarre to be pouring salad dressing into a pasta. It was a little off-putting for me, I can’t speak for others. It’s ok, I’ve made lots of your recipes that have turned out great.
Is the ranch dressing the powdered ranch mix or the prepared dressing?
Hi there,
It’s regular ranch dressing:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Made this tonight and it was very excited and yummy! The expecting wife loves ranch and spicy so this is perfect. Could you add the homemade ranch to the notes since when you print comments don’t show up? Thanks!
Hey Richard,
Wonderful! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Yes, I can get that added for you! xx
Made this last night and it was EXCELLENT! My family loved it and I really liked how it was all done in one pan without having to boil the pasta separately. I cut the Cajun season in half since my husband doesn’t like spicy foods and added 3 cups of water instead of 2 as I was a little worried the pasta would not have enough liquid. This will definitely be on repeat! Yum
Hey Delina,
Awesome! Thank you so much for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
How much water should I add?
Hi there,
You are going to add 2 cups of water in step 2. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Made it with Ground Chicken instead and turned out amazing!
Hey Lia,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this dish was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your comment! xx