Chef Tom's recipe for Creamy Cajun Pasta with Blackened Chicken is a tantalizing treat! Let the smoky aroma of the Yoder Smokers Wood-Fired Oven whisk you away to Louisiana, where each bite is bursting with flavor and spice.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Marinating the cutlets before blackening builds flavor from the inside out. Soaking the halved chicken breasts in Smoke on Wheels BBQ Marinade for 30-60 minutes seasons the meat throughout, not just on the surface where the blackening rub sits.
- A screaming-hot wood-fired oven turns a baking pan into a griddle. Preheating the Lodge Baking Pan inside the 600°F oven gives the seasoned chicken the same hard, dark sear a stovetop griddle would, right alongside the sauce cooking on top.
- The roux gets built with a flavor boost, not just butter and flour. Adding roasted chicken base concentrate and a touch of pesto to the classic roux base layers in savory depth beyond what a standard cream sauce would have.
- Sauce and chicken cook simultaneously, not in sequence. Building the cajun cream sauce on top of the wood-fired oven while the chicken cooks inside means both components finish together, keeping the whole dish moving quickly.
Creamy Cajun Pasta with Blackened Chicken
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.7 stars by 6 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Cajun
Servings
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
18 minutes
Calories
990
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers Wood-Fired Oven for Creamy Cajun Pasta with Blackened Chicken!
Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi pasta
-
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-
1 (16 oz) bottle Smoke on Wheels BBQ Marinade
- 1 large chicken breast, halved horizontally, cutlet style
-
Cattleman’s Grill Blackening Seasoning
- 7 oz smoked andouille sausage, medium dice
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup yellow onion, medium dice
- 1 cup green bell pepper, medium dice
- 1/2 cup celery, medium dice
-
Cattleman’s Grill Blackening Seasoning
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp roasted chicken base concentrate
- 1 tsp pesto
- 3 cups half and half
- 4 oz (2 cups) parmesan, finely grated
-
Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce, as desired for garnish
- Fresh parsley, minced, for garnish
- Green onion, thin sliced, for garnish
Directions
- Place the chicken cutlets in a Briner Mini Briner Bucket. Add the Smoke on Wheels BBQ Marinade and soak the chicken for 30-60 minutes.
Cook the pasta in salted water to desired doneness. Strain off the water. Dress the pasta with 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Cover with a lid to keep warm.
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 600ºF with the Yoder Smokers Wood-Fired Oven installed over the fire box. Place a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet on top of the oven to preheat. Place a Lodge 10.5”x15.5” Baking Pan inside the oven to preheat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade. Season with Cattleman’s Grill Blackening Seasoning. Cook the chicken on the griddle-like surface of the Lodge Baking Pan inside the wood-fired oven. Cook the chicken until seared, then flip and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches at least 155ºF. Remove from the baking pan and rest before slicing.
- At the same time, melt the butter in the skillet on top of the wood-fired oven. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and season with Cattleman’s Grill Blackening Seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the garlic. Cook briefly, 30-60 seconds. Add the flour and let roux darken, stirring frequently. Add the roasted chicken base, pesto and half and half. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then whisk in the parmesan. Remove from the grill. Cover the skillet with a lid.
- Pour the cajun cream sauce over your cooked pasta. Slice the chicken and serve over the creamy pasta, topped with parsley, green onion and Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why marinate the chicken before blackening it?
Soaking the cutlets in BBQ marinade for 30-60 minutes seasons the meat all the way through, so the flavor doesn't stop at the surface where the blackening rub sits.
Why preheat the baking pan inside the wood-fired oven before adding the chicken?
A hot pan gives the seasoned chicken immediate contact with intense heat, searing it the same way a preheated griddle or skillet would.
Why add roasted chicken base and pesto to the roux?
These two ingredients layer extra savory depth into the cream sauce, going beyond what a standard butter-and-flour roux with cream alone would deliver.
What internal temperature should the chicken breast actually reach?
This recipe lists 155°F, but USDA's minimum safe internal temperature for poultry is 165°F, including the breast. Cook to at least 165°F to make sure the chicken is fully safe before slicing and serving.
Can I make the sauce and chicken separately if I don't have a wood-fired oven attachment?
Yes — sear the chicken in a hot cast iron skillet on the stovetop while building the sauce in a separate pot; both can still finish around the same time.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 — the sauce and pasta are entirely stovetop, and a hot cast iron skillet or griddle can replicate the sear on the chicken; the wood-fired oven mainly adds convenience and a bit of extra char.
Recipe Highlights
Marinating before blackening: Soaking the chicken in BBQ marinade first builds flavor throughout the meat, not just on the seasoned crust.
Preheating the baking pan as a griddle: Getting it hot inside the wood-fired oven before adding the chicken gives it an immediate, hard sear.
A boosted roux: Adding roasted chicken base and pesto layers extra savory depth into the classic butter-flour-cream base.
Simultaneous cooking: Building the sauce on top of the oven while the chicken cooks inside keeps the whole dish moving quickly and finishing together.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 22.3 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 990
- Carbs
- 92 grams
- Protein
- 47 grams
- Fat
- 48 grams
- Sodium
- 764 milligrams
