Description
Spice up your dinner ideas with this bold and creamy Creamy Jalapeño Garlic Chicken Bites with Twisted Cheddar Cajun Pasta. It’s a flavor-loaded comfort food that combines juicy garlic-spiced chicken with rotini pasta tossed in a rich cheddar-jalapeño Cajun sauce. This easy dinner recipe is perfect for quick weeknight meals or an indulgent weekend treat. A must-try if you’re craving easy recipes with a spicy kick, and looking for new food ideas that balance heat, creaminess, and hearty satisfaction in every bite.
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 fresh jalapeños (deseeded and finely chopped)
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
Salt and pepper to taste
10 oz rotini pasta
1 tbsp reserved pasta water (optional)
Instructions
1. Pat chicken dry and toss it with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Let it rest while prepping the other ingredients.
2. Boil salted water and cook rotini pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 tbsp pasta water, then drain and set aside.
3. In a skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high. Sear chicken in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked. Remove and keep warm.
4. In the same skillet, melt butter. Sauté garlic and jalapeños for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in Cajun seasoning.
5. Pour in heavy cream and bring to a low simmer. Gradually whisk in shredded cheddar until melted and smooth. Season to taste.
6. Add cooked rotini to the sauce and stir to coat. Loosen with reserved pasta water if needed.
7. Top pasta with seared chicken bites and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
Let the seasoned chicken sit for 10–15 minutes before cooking to develop more flavor.
Use freshly shredded cheddar for the creamiest sauce and best melt.
Add a splash of pasta water to thin the sauce if it thickens too much while sitting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 715
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 740mg
- Fat: 42g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 160mg
Keywords: easy dinner, chicken pasta, spicy pasta, creamy jalapeño chicken, cheddar pasta, comfort food, quick dinner, weeknight meal