Chicken Fajita Pasta

Chicken Fajita Pasta is a fun and easy pasta dish, great for family dinner. The rich creamy sauce spiced with fajita seasoning coats the chicken and penne pasta, while sweet onion and red bell pepper add a texture and a hint of sweetness to the meal.

A meal that brings the flavors of chicken fajitas and cheesy pasta with cream sauce together. Great easy weeknight dinner that will quickly become a family favorite!

Fajita Chicken Pasta: An Easy Dinner!

This marriage of Chicken fajitas and pasta in cream sauce is a dreamy couple. The fajita seasoning makes the cream sauce more exciting, and the creamy pasta soothes the fire and makes the dish more hearty. This is fun comfort food.

No fussing with wraps and toppings with this chicken fajita dish. Simply scoop some of the pasta into a dish and dinner is served. If you want a to serve courses, a simple green salad with Avocado Lime Ranch dressing to start the meal and a Strawberry Pie or Banana Bundt Cake would be perfect.

How to Make Chicken Fajita Pasta

Let's make this simple creamy chicken pasta recipe. As you will see it is quite easy to prepare. Printable recipe card can be found below.

The recipe makes 4 servings.

The dish only takes just over 15 minutes to make if you have cooked pasta on hand. If you need to cook pasta, it will take a couple more. Start cooking the chicken, veggies and sauce just as you put the pasta in the water and it should only take about 20 minutes total. 

Ingredients for this easy pasta dish

Here are all the ingredients you need to make this creamy spicy penne recipe with chicken and peppers.

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• ¼ teaspoon of Kosher or sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon olive oil (avocado or any other high heat oil is fine)
• 1 sweet red pepper, sliced (feel free to use yellow bell pepper or even green bell pepper if you prefer)
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced *** optional (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
• 2 teaspoon fajita seasoning, homemade or store bought (if you don't have this on hand, Taco seasoning or Cajun Seasoning are good stand-ins)
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese or Mexican blend (shredded)
• 8 oz dry pasta, cooked al dente (if starting with uncooked pasta, plan enough time to allow for cooking)

You will also need a large pot. I used a large extra deep skillet, but a Dutch oven would also do the trick. There is a black version of the pan I use on Amazon.

Preparation

I prefer to cook pasta separately. The texture is better over cooking in same pan together.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Place a Dutch oven or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot pour in oil. Add bell peppers and onion slices, then toss with the seasoning and cook for 4-5 minutes stirring a few times.

Reduce burner to medium. Add minced garlic and the chicken breast chunks to the pan. Saute for about 6 minutes, until chunks of chicken are cooked.

Turn off the burner and stir in the cream and cheese.

Once the cheese is smoothly melted, toss in the penne and stir to combine.

Top with a little chopped cilantro or green onion to serve. Other traditional fajita toppings like sour cream and freshly diced tomatoes are also tasty additions.

Recipe Variations

There are of course many additions, swaps or other changes that can be made to the meal to suit your needs. Here are just a few.

• For a healthier version, swap sour cream or Greek yogurt for the cream. A couple tablespoons of cream cheese is also an option. You will want to add a couple tablespoons of low sodium chicken broth to the mixture.
• Rather than the penne featured here, try fettuccini noodles, bow ties or rotini pasta.
• Toss in some drained and rinsed canned pinto or black beans for added protein and fiber for the dinner or as an extender when you have less chicken.
• Use leftover rotisserie chicken. Simply add after frying the peppers and onions.
• Add diced tomatoes to the pasta, whether fresh tomatoes or a can of rotel tomatoes they will make a spicy pink sauce.
• If your family loves spicy food, add some green chiles or a generous dose of hot sauce to the recipe.

How to Store Chicken Fajita Pasta Leftovers?

Let them cool to at least close to room temperature before putting in the fridge. Cover well or store in an airtight container and refrigerate. The leftovers should last 3-4 days and are great reheated or eaten cold right out of the container. Don't ask how I know that...lol. 

Freezing is also an option. Package them with as little air as possible and the pasta should be good in the freezer for a couple months.

More Easy Chicken and Pasta Recipes to Try

• Blackened Chicken
• Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken
• Chicken and Pasta with Fresh Tomato Cream Sauce
• Spicy Chicken Pasta and Peas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce Taste and See
• Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
• Pierogies and Kielbasa Skillet
• Easy Chicken Pasta with White Wine Sauce Certified Pastry Aficionado