Cajun Seasoning
Cajun seasoning for weeknight dinners — one pot creamy Cajun chicken pasta, Cajun shrimp pasta, Cajun chicken orzo, loaded Cajun fries, for busy nights.
★ dinner
dinnerIngredients
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1 lb Boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 Diced yellow onion
- 1/2 lb Penne pasta
- 15 oz Fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 c Chicken broth
- 2 oz Cream cheese
- 3 Sliced green onions
Instructions
- 1Combine the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Cut the chicken into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Place the cubed chicken in a bowl, pour the Cajun seasoning over top, and stir to coat the chicken in spices.
- 2Add the olive oil and butter to a large deep skillet. Heat the oil and butter over medium-high until the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted and foamy. Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet and cook for a couple minutes on each side, or just until the outside gets some color. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
- 3Add the diced yellow onion to the skillet and continue to sauté for about 2 minutes more, or just until the onion begins to soften. Allow the moisture from the onion to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- 4Next, add the pasta, fire roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices), and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir just until everything is evenly combined, then place a lid on top and allow the broth to come up to a boil
- 5Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pasta simmer for about ten minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and saucy
- 6Add the cream cheese to the skillet in chunks, then stir until it has melted into the sauce. Top the pasta with sliced green onions and serve
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Open in Pepper →A Little Cajun Seasoning Changes Everything
A jar of Cajun seasoning is the fastest way to make plain chicken, shrimp, or sausage taste like you planned it. Smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper do most of the work while the pasta water comes to a boil.
Cooks on Pepper reach for these on the nights everybody's hungry at once and dinner has to be one pan, twenty minutes, and no run to the store.
Every recipe here leans on that shake of spice: one pot creamy Cajun chicken pasta, Cajun pasta in 20 minutes or less with kielbasa, Cajun shrimp and sausage rice skillet, Cajun chicken orzo, loaded Cajun fries, Cajun pasta salad, and Cajun salmon and shrimp with creamy garlic sauce. There's a homemade Cajun seasoning blend in here too.
Quick Tips
- 1
Mix your own blend
Stir together 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon black pepper so you can control the salt in every dish.
- 2
Season the shrimp first
Toss raw shrimp with the seasoning 10 minutes before cooking, then sear 2 minutes per side so they stay tender.
- 3
Brown the sausage first
Cook sliced smoked sausage or andouille 4 to 5 minutes until the edges crisp, then build the sauce in those drippings.
- 4
Save the pasta water
Set aside 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining and splash it in to loosen a heavy cream sauce.
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