One-Pot Creamy Chicken Fajita Penne

I love an easy one-pot dinner recipe and this chicken fajita pasta is a fun and delicious one to make. It borrows all the flavors from fajitas and turns them into a cozy pasta dinner. You’ve got chicken, veggies, pasta, and sauce that cook in one pot.

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: I like to slice them into strips like you would for fajitas, or you can cube the chicken. You can also use the same amount of boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• Veggies: I use red, yellow, and green bell peppers, but you can use your favorite color combination. You will also need some sliced onion and minced garlic.
• Pasta: I recommend using penne since the pasta cooks in the same pot as everything else. The recipe may not turn out if you use another pasta.
• Chicken broth: Use low-sodium broth so the pasta isn’t too salty.
• Seasonings: The sauce is flavored with chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, kosher salt, and pepper.
• Half-and-half: This is added at the end to make the sauce nice and creamy.
• Monterey Jack cheese: Once the fajita pasta is done, add some shredded cheese on top so it gets nice and melty. I’ve also used shredded pepper jack cheese, or you could try cheddar cheese – whatever you like!
• Cilantro: This is added at the end, which adds flavor and a nice pop of color. You can also use fresh parsley if that’s what you have.

How to Make One-Pot Chicken Fajita Penne

It helps to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to use before cooking. Each component is added to the pot at specific times, ensuring that everything is cooked evenly once you’re ready to serve it.

☑️Saute

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook them, stirring often, for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked and the veggies are softened. Add all of the seasonings and stir.

☑️ Boil

Add the broth and penne and stir. Bring the broth to a boil over high heat, and then cover the pot with a lid. Adjust the heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Simmer the pasta for 15 minutes while stirring it every so often so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

☑️ Make it Creamy

Uncover the pot and cook the pasta for about five minutes, uncovered, or until it’s tender. Stir in the half-and-half and cilantro to make the creamy sauce.

☑️ Make it Cheesy

Sprinkle the cheese over the top and cover the pot until the cheese is melted.

Recipe Tips

Leftovers: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for several days. When you heat them, you might want to add a splash of half-and-half or broth to loosen the sauce as it warms.

Freezer: I’ve frozen the leftovers, too, and they reheat pretty well. Allow the pasta to cool off before you store it in a freezer container. Once frozen, it will keep for a couple of months. I think it’s best to thaw it in the refrigerator before heating.

• Ricotta Pasta
• One Pan Baked Tortellini
• Beef Penne
• One Pot Sundried Tomato Spaghetti

More Pasta Recipes with Bell Peppers

• Sausage and Peppers Pasta
• One Pot Tortellini Primavera
• Orzo Chickpea Pasta Salad
• Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo

I hope you enjoy this one-pot pasta! It’s a fun twist on fajitas – enjoy 🖤

Happy easy cooking,