Instant Pot Chilis Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta–an easy way to make a copycat version of Chili’s cajun chicken and penne. It tastes soooo good and costs a fraction of the price you’d pay at a restaurant.
Instant Pot Chilis Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta
Not gonna lie…this was so good! The chicken is perfectly cooked and seasoned and the penne and sauce are slurp slurp good. What I loved the most was the addition of the lemon zest. It really brought the flavor up to a whole new level. So don’t forget it! I hope you try out this recipe soon because I think you’ll really love it! Check below for substitution ideas and tips.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts–you can also use boneless skinless thighs or chicken tenderloins
- Olive oil
- Cajun seasoning–I used the store brand from Smiths/Kroger called Smidge and Spoon
- Garlic cloves–fresh is best for this recipe. I used my garlic press*.
- Chicken broth–or Better than Bouillon Chicken Base and water
- Penne pasta–or another short cut pasta like cavatappi or farfalle
- Butter
- Heavy cream
- Fresh lemon zest–use a microplane* or small grater to zest the lemon
- Parmesan cheese
- Roma tomatoes–or plum or cherry tomatoes
Steps
- Season the chicken: Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Add chicken, 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the cajun seasoning to a container with a lid. Shake to coat thoroughly.
- Lightly brown the chicken: When display says HOT add in the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the coated chicken into the pot and let it sit and brown on one side for 2 minutes and then flip over and brown on other side for 2 minutes. Move chicken to a plate.
- Sauté garlic: Add the garlic into the pot and sauté for about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off sauté setting. Be careful not to burn the garlic. I like to have the broth ready to go so that I can pour it in right as the garlic gets done sautéing.
- Add ingredients: Add the penne into the pot. Add the butter and chicken and place on top of the penne.
- Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Slice chicken: Move chicken to a cutting board. Slice the chicken across the grain.
- Finish up the sauce: Stir in the warm cream, lemon zest and parmesan cheese.
- Serve: Add a scoop of the penne to a bowl, top with some sliced chicken, add some tomatoes to the top and garnish with parsley, if desired. If needed add a few dashes of cajun seasoning, to taste.
Notes/Tips
- If you’d like a thicker sauce you can thicken with a cornstarch slurry. Ours was pretty slurpy, which I like but if you’d like it thicker add 1 Tbsp cornstarch to 1 Tbsp water and stir in with the cream on the sauté setting.
- All cajun seasonings differ in potency and heat level. Use your best judgement. The Smith’s brand isn’t spicy at all but it seasons everything really nicely.
- Serve with a side salad or some steamed broccoli.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with the lemon after you’ve zested it are Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Romano or Instant Pot Skinny Honey Lemon Chicken.
More Chicken Recipes to Love…
- Grandpa’s Firehouse Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Supreme Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Gloria
- Instant Pot Country Club Chicken
- Instant Pot Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
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PrintInstant Pot Chilis Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 29 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
An easy way to make a copycat version of Chili’s cajun chicken and penne. It tastes soooo good and costs a fraction of the price you’d pay at a restaurant.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (around 1 1/2 pounds)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest (or more to taste)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting.
- Add chicken, 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the cajun seasoning to a container with a lid. Shake to coat thoroughly.
- When display says HOT add in the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the coated chicken into the pot and let sit and brown on one side for 2 minutes and then flip over and brown on other side for 2 minutes. Move chicken to a plate.
- Add the garlic into the pot and sauté for about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off sauté setting.
- Add the penne into the pot. Add the butter and chicken and place on top of the penne.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Move chicken to a cutting board.
- Stir in the warm cream, lemon zest and parmesan cheese.
- Slice the chicken across the grain.
- Add a scoop of the penne to a bowl, top with some sliced chicken, add some tomatoes to the top and garnish with parsley, if desired. If needed add a few dashes of cajun seasoning, to taste.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
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Ashley says
Delicious! The lemon zest really makes the dish. I ended up using quite a bit more cajun seasoning than 1 T. Also, I only had a little over 1 lb of chicken, so I threw in half a bag of frozen broccoli at the very end to soak up the extra sauce.
Karen says
I agree! The lemon zest is everything!
Renee says
Thank you, I’ll try it with H&H.
Renee says
Can you use fat-free half and half for this recipe? Or just regular H&H?
Karen says
yes you could!