Description
Spicy cajun honey butter chicken pasta brings together crispy chicken, a zesty sauce with just the right kick of heat, and creamy pasta that soaks up all those bold flavors. The honey cuts through the spice perfectly, so you get this balance of sweet and savory that makes each bite satisfying and hard to stop eating.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces penne pasta
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauce and Cooking Fats:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup heavy cream
Vegetables and Garnish:
- 1 cup bell peppers, sliced
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add your 8 oz of penne pasta, cooking it for 8-10 minutes until it reaches an al dente texture, then drain while keeping about 1/2 cup of the cooking water nearby for later adjustments.
- Coat your 1 lb of chicken breast pieces evenly with 2 tbsp of Cajun seasoning, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to your taste.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams, then add your seasoned chicken and sear it for 5-7 minutes at that temperature until the pieces turn golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Transfer your cooked chicken to a clean plate and reduce your skillet heat to medium.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to your skillet and let it melt completely before stirring in your 4 minced garlic cloves and 1 cup of sliced bell peppers, cooking this mixture for 3-4 minutes until the peppers soften slightly.
- Pour in your 1 cup of heavy cream and 2 tbsp of honey, stirring everything together and letting it simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until the sauce becomes noticeably thicker.
- Return your cooked pasta and chicken to the skillet, tossing everything together for about 1-2 minutes over medium heat until well combined, using splashes of your reserved pasta water if your sauce needs thinning.
- Transfer your finished pasta to serving plates and top each portion with 1/4 cup of chopped green onions as garnish.
Notes
- Don’t skip reserving pasta water before draining, since a splash or two helps loosen the sauce if it gets too thick and creamy.
- Cook your chicken pieces to similar sizes so they finish at the same time and stay tender rather than some pieces drying out.
- Add the honey slowly to the cream sauce and taste as you go, since honey sweetness varies and you can always add more but can’t take it out.
- If you’re cooking for someone avoiding dairy, use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and dairy-free butter, which gives your sauce the same rich texture and pairs well with the Cajun spices.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: More Chicken Recipes
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 615 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 330 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg