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Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe is perfect for busy weeknights and so easy to prepare. Everyone will go crazy over the creamy and delicious sauce with just the perfect amount of Cajun flavor.
Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe:
We eat a lot of chicken and I needed a way to jazz things up and keep it quick and easy. This delicious and creamy Cajun chicken pasta instant pot recipe was a huge hit and everyone declared it a keeper.
The Cajun flavor really takes the chicken up a level and provides the perfect amount of heat. The dish has the perfect amount of heat but not so much that the kids can’t enjoy it. It is perfect for the entire family!
The combination of the easy ingredients make this creamy dish simple to make. All the ingredients are added to the instant pot and it is ready in less than 30 minutes. Add a side salad and garlic bread to complete this tasty meal.
You may also love this Instant Pot Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta.
Easy Creamy Cajun Chicken Recipe:
This Creamy Cajun Chicken Recipe is made easily in the instant pot. You do not even need to boil the noodles separately. All the ingredients are cooked in the instant pot for a busy weeknight meal.
Combining the Cajun seasoning with the heavy cream, the broth and butter make the sauce so delicious. It has the perfect amount of kick to it that they whole family loved it.
It all comes together to make the chicken and pasta absolutely amazing. If you prefer to use the slow cooker, try Crock Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe.
Ingredients for Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta:
- Chicken Breasts
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Chicken Broth – You can also use chicken stock
- Butter
- Cajun Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Penne Pasta
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
How to Make Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta:
- Add Ingredients to Instant Pot – Add the chicken, heavy whipping cream, and the chicken broth. Then stir in the butter, garlic powder and cajun seasoning into at least a 6 quart instant pot.
- Seal Instant Pot and Cook – Seal and cook on high pressure for 17 minutes. Then with a quick release and make sure that the seasoned chicken is cooked through. Chicken needs to have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Cook time could vary.
- Shred Chicken – Remove the chicken from the instant pot and shred or dice it into large pieces.
- Add Chicken and Pasta – Whisk the sauce in the instant pot. Return the chicken back to the crock pot and stir in the uncooked pasta.
- Pressure Cook on High Pressure – Seal and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes with a quick release.
- Add Parmesan Cheese – Then stir in the parmesan cheese. Allow the heat from the meal to melt the parmesan cheese (do not turn the instant pot back on).
- Enjoy – Serve warm and enjoy.
Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo Tips:
- Pasta – No need to cook the pasta prior to adding to the Instant Pot. The liquid that is added to the instant pot and the heat will cook the pasta very quickly.
- Frozen Chicken – You can add use frozen chicken or thawed chicken.
- Chicken – Shred or dice chicken and mix with the other ingredients.
- Budget Friendly – This recipe uses chicken thighs so it is very frugal. The pasta also stretches the meat and helps you to feed a large family on a budget.
What to serve with Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta?
This Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta is a heavy meal, so we like to keep the sides simple. But we also like to make sure they are easy to prepare. These are some of our favorite sides to serve.
- Salad – We often serve a simple salad with this meal. It is quick and easy and goes great with the pasta.
- Vegetables – You could also try Roasted Green Beans or learn how to steam broccoli in the microwave. Both of these make for a super easy veggie side dish.
- Garlic Bread – We love to serve this creamy pasta with breadsticks or cheese sticks. We love to dip our bread with the sauce.
Instant pot Cajun Pasta Variations:
- Change the Chicken – You can substitute chicken breasts or a mix of both if you prefer. The recipe is so versatile and you could even add diced tomatoes!
- Add in Smoked Sausage – Another idea is to try smoked andouille sausage instead of chicken. You can even mix the two.
- Change the Pasta – We used penne pasta, but you can use rigatoni, bowtie pasta or fettuccini noodles.
- Add Vegetables – This is a great recipe to add in bell peppers, onions, or mushrooms.
- Diced Tomatoes – Mix in some Rotel for additional spice to the recipe. It gives it some much flavor.
- Change the Seasoning – Cajun seasoning is great but you can use different seasoning blend if you prefer.
- Cream Cheese – If you want the sauce to be more creamier you can add in some cream cheese. Combine with the heavy cream makes the sauce yummy.
- Olive Oil – We used butter but you can also use olive oil.
How to Store Instant Pot Pasta Chicken Leftovers:
Storing Cajun Chicken Alfredo Sauce is easy to do. Place leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. We think the leftovers taste even better the next day as the ingredients really marinate together.
How to Freeze Cajun Chicken Alfredo Instant Pot Recipe:
This recipe can easily be prepared for the freezer. Store the leftovers in a freezer safe container. The leftovers will last about 2 months in the freezer. We like to store in individual containers for an easy lunch idea.
Thaw ingredients in the refrigerator overnight when ready to serve. You may need to add some broth as the noodle will soak up the sauce when frozen.
When you are ready to reheat, the leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or stovetop. Place in a microwave safe dish and reheat in 1 minute intervals until hot.
You can also place in a saucepan to reheat on your stovetop over medium heat. Gently stir the ingredients on the stove so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Print this Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken pasta recipe below:
Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Chicken Breasts
- 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 pound Penne Pasta (uncooked)
- 8 oz Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Add the chicken, heavy whipping cream, chicken broth, butter, garlic powder and cajun seasoning into at least a 6 quart instant pot.
- Seal and cook on high pressure for 17 minutes with a quick release and make sure that the chicken is cooked through (has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
- Remove the chicken from the instant pot and shred or dice it into large pieces.
- Whisk the sauce in the instant pot. Return the chicken back to the crock pot and stir in the uncooked pasta.
- Seal and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes with a quick release.
- Then stir in the parmesan cheese. Allow the heat from the meal to melt the parmesan cheese (do not turn the instant pot back on).
- Serve warm and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes:
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe
- Pressure Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken Recipe
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
I add the parmesan cheese to the pasta right before serving and allow the heat from the meal to melt the cheese. If your pasta is too soupy, switch the instant pot to the sauté setting and cook off the excess liquid in the meal.
Sorry for the confusion. I stir in the parmesan cheese at the end of the cook time right before serving. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
When do you add the cheese?? It was so soupy
There is no mention of the parmesan cheese in the recipe instructions. Do you place it in the pot at the same time as the pasta or is it put in after everything is cooked?
I’m guessing the Parmesan cheese comes in at the end?
Yes, I have a crock pot version here https://www.eatingonadime.com/crock-pot-creamy-cajun-chicken-pasta-recipe/
Can you make this without an instant pot?
Do you think we can cook the linguine inside the instant pot with the chicken?