This Creamy Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken is such a delicious, quick, and easy dinner recipe. The chorizo takes it from ordinary to extraordinary with little additional effort, so it’s easy enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough for guests too!
Creamy Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken is a delightful medley of rich flavors and contrasting textures. The dish features tender pieces of chicken, seasoned and cooked to juicy perfection. Then pieces of slightly spicy, smoky chorizo add a robust depth of flavor and base for the sauce.
Red pepper gives a bright, slightly sweet crunch and onion and garlic add aromatics. The creamy tomato sauce, made with a velvety blend of cream, broth, and touch of cheese, coats the pasta for maximum flavor in every bite!
The best part is this all comes together in 35 minutes so it’s an easy weeknight meal that you can enjoy it whenever you want!
Do you meal plan your dinners? It makes weeknights so much easier! Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to your Pasta Sundays!
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Big flavor from Chorizo! – A little chorizo goes a long way here to really add so much flavor to the creamy chicken. If you find it hard to sell another chicken dinner to your family, then just add chorizo and they will love it! BTW, if you love chorizo, check out my Patatas Bravas with Chorizo recipe next.
- It only takes 35 minutes to prepare and to cook! That means it’s a great option for a busy night.
- It can be made mostly or entirely ahead! I like to wait on cooking the pasta and mixing it with the chorizo and chicken sauce until ready to serve, but you could certainly mix it and reheat the whole thing.
Simple Ingredients And Substitutes
- Chicken Breasts boneless skinless – I used boneless chicken breast and cut it into 1-2 inch pieces. You can also use chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This is for cooking the chicken.
- Seasonings: Salt, Black pepper, Paprika, Ground Cumin – You can use any seasonings you like really for the chicken. You could substitute in chili powder or coriander. Garlic powder and onion powder are also fine to add.
- Spanish Chorizo – Spanish chorizo sausage is a dry, cured hard sausage you can find in the deli section or specialty cheese section of the grocery store. (See below for more on Chorizo) Tip: generally (not always) thin chorizos are sweet, and short chorizos are spicy. I used a longer thin chorizo. It has a casing that I like to remove, but you don’t have to if it’s thin enough.
- Onion – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder.
- Red bell pepper – I love the addition of the red bell peppers to go with the peppery theme, but also bring a little sweetness to the dish. You can replace it with any bell pepper or leave it out.
- Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic, but you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! If you don’t have fresh, you can use garlic powder or flakes.
- Dried oregano – You can substitute dried Italian seasoning, marjoram, basil, or a combination.
- Chicken Broth or chicken stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
- Tomato Paste – Tomato paste gives really deep tomato flavor. If you don’t have it, you can use ½ cup of plain tomato sauce, but you may want to cook the sauce a few extra minutes to reduce the liquid before adding back the chicken.
- Lime – The lime is the acidic balance and works so nicely with the smoky chorizo. You can use lemon juice as a substitute.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with the cold half and half to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for the sauce.
- Half and Half – I used half and half to make the tomato cream sauce, but you can substitute milk (for lighter texture) or heavy cream (for richer texture)
- Parmesan cheese – Grated parmesan cheese adds a delicious nutty and salty element to the sauce and helps add to the creaminess. You can leave it out if you prefer or substitute with another hard grated cheese.
- Fresh Italian Parsley – The fresh parsley helps to brighten up the dish. You could substitute for cilantro or basil.
- Rigatoni pasta – I love the large tube shape of rigatoni pasta for this recipe, but you can use penne or any other short cut dry pasta.
See recipe card for quantities.
A little more about Chorizo: There are different types of chorizo. All are delicious, but it’s important to know the primary differences. Spanish chorizo is a dry, cured hard sausage made with pork, garlic, and smoked paprika. You can find at room temperature in the deli section or specialty cheese section of the grocery store. Also important to note is that there is sweet and spicy chorizo. Generally (not always) thin chorizos are sweet, and short chorizos are spicy. Mexican chorizo is usually raw sausage meat and a bit more spicy. It can be found in the meat section of the store and must be cooked before eating.
Simple Equipment
A large skillet or large frying pan for cooking the chicken and making the sauce. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.
Large pot for pasta and colander.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
Peel and dice the onion. Dice the red pepper. Mince the garlic.
Measure out the chicken seasonings. Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, then toss with the dry seasonings.
For the chorizo, peel off the casing and discard it.
Then dice the chorizo, so all of these bits can disperse into and flavor the sauce.
Cooking Steps
Preheat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and seasoned chicken pieces.
Before you start making the chicken and the sauce, fill a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Start the chicken and keep an eye on the water. When it comes to a rolling boil, add and cook the pasta to al dente. If the pasta is ready before the sauce, then drain it and set it aside.
Tip: reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for the sauce later.
Let the chicken sear on one side for 2-3 minutes and then stir to cook until you no longer see pink, about 5-6 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and return the pan or pot to the stove.
Add the chorizo to the same hot skillet used for the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes to render out some of the fat.
Add the onion, red pepper, and garlic to the pan and let them soften for 3-4 minutes. Then add in the broth to the mixture.
Begin to stir in the tomato paste, the remainder of the seasonings blend, oregano, and juice from a lime.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and half and half (or heavy cream) until dissolved. Then whisk it into the sauce. Stir constantly as it begins to thicken.
Add the chicken back into the sauce and stir it all together together.
Also add the parmesan cheese and parsley all to the sauce, mix gently, and let cook for a final 5 minutes to finish cooking and thicken.
Depending on which is larger and can hold everything (the sauce pan or pasta pot) combine the Chorizo and Chicken Sauce and Pasta together.
Tip: if your pasta and sauce are too thick, you can add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water at a time until you get to the preferred sauciness.
Serve with chopped parsley over top and enjoy!
Variations on Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken
Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe
- Spicy Arrabbiata Chicken and Chorizo Pasta: – Add Italian seasonings to the mixture and some diced tomatoes. Then serve with a sprinkle of grated Pecorino Romano cheese and fresh basil leaves.
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Chorizo Pasta – add chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the mixture and substitute heavy cream for the cornstarch slurry. Serve garnished with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Lemon Garlic Chicken and Chorizo Pasta – add lemon zest, and lemon juice to the skillet. Once again, finish it with a sprinkle of chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.
FAQ
For this Pasta with Chorizo and chicken, you can use any pasta you want. Short cut pasta works well with this recipe because it’s quite chunky with the chicken and chorizo. I used rigatoni, but you can use any pasta shapes. Ziti, farfalle, fusilli, or penne pasta are all great options so the sauce will coat the pasta inside and out and give each bite a lot of flavor. You could also use long pasta, such as spaghetti, linguini, or fettuccine.
This is a savory dish, full of comfort flavors and textures. However, you could certainly add more vegetable options to boost the health factor. At the start of the sauce with the onions and red pepper, you could also add diced carrots, mushrooms, or even zucchini. Adding some chopped fresh spinach when you stir in the broth and cornstarch slurry would also be delicious.
You can use either the dry-cured Spanish chorizo or the refrigerated pre-cooked (fully cooked) links. You can also use raw sausage, just make sure to cook it through in the skillet. Make sure to remove and discard the casing. Use the leftover oil from the meat in the pan to cook the vegetables. See the section above to learn more about chorizo.
You can make the chicken and sauce ahead and mix it with the pasta when you are ready to eat. For anything cooked in advance, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
More easy Chicken and Pasta Dinners
Pasta and chicken is a go-to combo for busy weeknights in our house. If you want more easy, hearty, delicious, and easy pasta recipes like this, check these out!
Best Creamy Pasta with Chorizo and Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or spray
- 1 pound Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika or sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 6 ounces Spanish Chorizo
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 Red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth or Stock
- 1-2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 Lime
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- ½ cup Half and Half you can substitute milk (lighter texture) or heavy cream (richer texture)
- ¼ cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
- 10 ounces Rigatoni pasta, uncooked (any short cut pasta will work)
Instructions
Prep-Ahead Steps
- PREP SEASONINGS. Measure out the seasonings into a small bowl (Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Cumin) and then mix to combine. Half will be used to season the chicken and the remainder for the sauce.
- PREP CHICKEN and CHORIZO. Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, then season with about half of the seasonings you just blended together. For the chorizo, peel off and discard the outer casing and then dice it.
- PREP VEGGIES. Peel and dice the onion. Dice the red pepper. Mince the garlic.
Cooking Steps
- COOK PASTA. While you are making the chicken and the sauce, fill a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente. If the pasta is ready before the sauce, then drain it and set it aside, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
- COOK CHICKEN. Preheat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and seasoned chicken pieces. Let the chicken sear on one side for 2-3 minutes and then stir to cook until you no longer see pink, about 5-6 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and return the pan or pot to the stove.
- CHORIZO AND VEGGIES. Add the chorizo to the same hot skillet used for the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes to render out some of the fat. Then add the onion, red pepper, and garlic. If there is not enough fat from the chorizo, you can add a teaspoon or so of olive oil to help coat the veggies. Cook the veggies for 3-4 minutes.
- MAKE THE SAUCE. Add the broth/stock, tomato paste, remainder of the seasonings blend, oregano, and juice from a lime. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and half and half (or heavy cream) until dissolved. Then whisk it into the sauce. Add the chicken and any juices, plus the parmesan cheese and parsley all to the sauce, mix gently, and let cook for a final 5 minutes to finish cooking and thicken.
- MIX PASTA. Depending on which is larger (the sauce pot/pan or pasta pot/pan) combine the Chorizo and Chicken Sauce and Pasta together. Tip: if your pasta and sauce are too thick, you can add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water at a time until you get to the preferred sauciness.
Notes
Yes, you can use leftover chicken or leftover turkey in this Chicken Chipotle pasta recipe. Shred or cut the cooked chicken or turkey into cubes. Season it with the seasonings and then quickly saute it (needs only about 3-4 minutes) in the pan/pot with olive oil and a splash of water to help the seasonings to blend with the chicken. Then transfer the chicken to a plate and continue with the recipe. Can I make this Chipotle Chicken Pasta recipe ahead?
You can make the chicken and sauce ahead and mix with the pasta when you are ready to eat. Or you can make the entire dish including the pasta in advance. For anything cooked in advance, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, you can place in a wide bottom pot or pan covered in the oven at 350 F degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated through. You can add a splash of milk or chicken broth if needed for moisture. Can I freeze this Chipotle Chicken recipe?
You can freeze this recipe, but I recommend leaving the pasta out. Make the chicken, veggies, and sauce according to the instructions. Then cool the Chipotle Chicken sauce. Once cooled, store it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Then thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours before heating it up. To reheat, you can simply warm it on the stove over medium-low heat for 10 minutes covered. Then mix in freshly cooked pasta.
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