Chipotle Chicken Pasta Recipe

This Chipotle Chicken Pasta offers a delicious explosion of flavors, perfectly balancing the smoky, mild heat of chipotle peppers in adobo with a rich, velvety cream sauce. Loaded with tender chicken and mingling with penne, this one-pan wonder is ready in about 40 minutes, making it the perfect show-stopping comfort meal for a busy night.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ultimate Comfort Food: It hits all the right notes—creamy, cheesy, hearty, and just spicy enough to keep things interesting!
• Smoky & Complex Flavor: The secret ingredient, chipotle peppers in adobo, doesn’t just add heat, it delivers a deep, satisfying smoky aroma that elevates simple chicken and pasta.
• Quick Weeknight Dinner: From start to finish, this dish comes together in around 40 minutes, which is faster than ordering takeout!
• Flexible Spice Level: You are the boss here! It’s easy to adjust the amount of chipotle to match your perfect heat tolerance.

Ingredients

All you need for this incredible pasta is a big skillet and these flavor-packed ingredients. We’re breaking down the magic each one brings!

• Olive Oil: The starting base for building all our wonderful flavors.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Sliced thin so they cook quickly and soak up every drop of that smoky sauce.
• Onion and Garlic: The aromatic duo that provides a savory foundation for the whole dish.
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo and Adobo Sauce: This is the secret sauce for that deep, rich, signature smoky spice. Don’t skip the adobo sauce—it’s pure flavor gold!
• Heavy Cream and Chicken Broth: This combination creates the luxuriously creamy, spoon-coating sauce that makes this dish so irresistible.
• Diced Tomatoes (Drained): Adds a nice bit of acidity and texture to cut through the richness of the cream.
• Smoked Paprika and Chili Powder: These spices layer on even more depth, enhancing the smoky quality of the chipotles.
• Penne Pasta: We love the penne shape here—its tubes and ridges are perfect for catching and holding onto all that dreamy sauce.
• Grated Parmesan Cheese: Adds the perfect salty, nutty, and cheesy finish that brings the whole dish together.
• Salt and Pepper: Essential for seasoning and ensuring the flavor of the chicken and the sauce truly pop.
• Fresh Cilantro: A pop of vibrant green freshness at the end to brighten up the whole dish!

Note: Exact measurements and detailed nutrition information for this Chipotle Chicken Pasta Recipe will be provided right below the article in the printable recipe card.

How to Make the Chipotle Chicken Pasta

This recipe is straightforward and incredibly rewarding. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have a restaurant-quality meal on your table in no time!

Step 1: Cook the Pasta

First things first: get your penne cooking! Boil it according to the package directions, then drain it and set it aside. While you’re doing this, you can start prepping your chicken and aromatics.

Step 2: Sear the Chicken

Heat your olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add your sliced chicken, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and cook until it is beautifully golden brown and fully cooked through. Once done, you can remove it briefly to a plate if you want to keep it from overcooking while you build the sauce.

Step 3: Sauté the Aromatics

Add your diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet and sauté them until they are wonderfully soft and fragrant—you’ll be able to smell all the delicious possibilities!

Step 4: Add the Heat

Stir in your finely chopped chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce, making sure to coat the chicken (if you left it in the pan) and aromatics well. Cook this for about a minute to bloom the spices and deepen the smoky flavor.

Step 5: Build the Sauce

Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring constantly to combine. Add your drained diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Give it a good stir.

Step 6: Simmer and Thicken

Bring the sauce up to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. The liquid will reduce slightly and thicken into that rich, velvety consistency we’re looking for.

Step 7: Toss and Finish

Return the cooked pasta to the skillet, along with the Parmesan cheese. Toss everything together until the pasta is completely coated in that creamy, dreamy sauce.

Step 8: Adjust and Serve

Give the dish a quick taste test and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Finally, stir in the fresh cilantro right before serving for a pop of fresh flavor!

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

• Don’t Toss the Pasta Water: Before draining the pasta, reserve about a half cup of the starchy cooking water. If your sauce is too thick after simmering, add a splash or two of this water to achieve your perfect creamy consistency.
• Control the Spice: If you are nervous about the heat, start with just one chipotle pepper and a half tablespoon of adobo sauce. You can always add more flavor, but you can’t easily take it away!
• Let the Sauce Simmer: Don’t rush step 6. Allowing the sauce to simmer for the full 8–10 minutes is crucial for the reduction and thickening, which locks in all that amazing chipotle flavor.
• Use Rotisserie Chicken: Short on time? Swap the raw chicken breasts for two cups of shredded pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Add it in at the end with the pasta to simply warm it through.

How to Serve

This pasta is hearty enough to be a complete meal on its own, but here are a few ways to serve it up for a truly memorable dinner:

• Garnish it Up: Top with a bit more fresh chopped cilantro, a dollop of sour cream or Mexican crema, or a few slices of fresh avocado to cool down the heat.
• Simple Side Salad: Pair this rich dish with a simple, crisp green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette to cleanse the palate.
• Garlic Bread: You can never go wrong with a side of warm, buttery garlic bread for soaking up any leftover sauce!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce tends to thicken further upon chilling.

Freezing

Due to the heavy cream, the sauce may separate when thawed, affecting the texture. For best results, it’s generally best to enjoy this dish fresh, but if you must freeze it, store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheating

The best way to reheat is in a skillet over medium-low heat. You will likely need to add a splash of milk or chicken broth while reheating and stir constantly to bring the sauce back to a creamy consistency.

FAQs

1. Can I use a different type of pasta? Yes, absolutely! While penne is great because it captures the sauce inside its tubes, you can easily substitute it with any hearty pasta shape. Rigatoni, ziti, or even fettuccine would work wonderfully with this creamy, rich sauce.
2. How can I make this dish even spicier? If you like it hot, you have a few easy options! The simplest way is to increase the amount of chopped chipotle peppers from two to three, or even four, depending on your tolerance. You could also add a pinch of cayenne pepper in with the smoked paprika and chili powder, or garnish your final dish with some thinly sliced jalapeños.
3. Can I substitute the heavy cream? You can use half-and-half for a slightly less rich sauce, but you may lose some of that signature thickness. We don’t recommend using milk, as the cream is necessary for preventing the sauce from splitting or curdling when combined with the heat and acidity of the tomatoes and spices.
4. Is it better to dice or slice the chicken? Slicing the chicken into thin strips (as recommended in the recipe) is generally better because it cooks quickly and uniformly, and the strips look great mingling with the penne. However, dicing the chicken into bite-sized cubes is also perfectly acceptable and can be easier to eat in a pasta dish. It’s totally up to your preference!