It's time to refresh ourselves with this Spicy Chicken Pasta. This mildly hot, juicy, moist chicken in a creamy yogurt sauce is ready in under 30 minutes, and you can effortlessly serve the family a satisfying dinner.
Pasta recipes (including this chicken curry pasta) are my all-time favorites. And I always store frozen chicken in the freezer, as it's very convenient to make super quick recipes like this.
Every spoonful of spicy chicken pasta is irresistible and delivers restaurant-quality food. Perfect for cozy evenings or casual dinner parties.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe?
- Packed with rich flavors and tastes!
- Effortless one-pot dish with simple ingredients.
- Perfect weekday dinner.
- Made with Greek yogurt and no cream!
The Ingredients
- Chicken: I have used chicken thighs(which are better for the flavors of this spicy chicken pasta). However, you may substitute with chicken breast as well.
- Pasta: I prefer penne or other varieties of pasta that can hold the sauce. For today's recipe, I've used ziti pasta.
- Onion: I have used red onions, but yellow onions are equally good in this recipe.
- Diced tomato: Fire-roasted diced tomatoes are sumptuous for their intense flavor, but you can also use freshly chopped tomatoes.
- Garlic powder: The flavor booster.
- Greek yogurt provides creaminess and a pleasant tangy taste to the sauce, reflected in every bite. Additionally, it gives a luscious, silky texture. Hence, you will not be missing the cheese in this recipe.
- Cilantro: Brighten up the whole dish(like this spicy rigatoni), but you can also substitute the word parsley or dried parsley.
- Jalapeno & red pepper flakes: Adjust the quantity according to your heat tolerance.
How To Make Spicy Chicken Pasta?
In a mixing bowl, add skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Add paprika, cayenne pepper, pepper, and salt. Toss well until the chicken is well quoted with the spices. Allow it to marinate for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. I cooked my ziti pasta for 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Place a pan over medium heat, add olive oil, and lay the marinated chicken over it.
Allow it to cook on both sides until the center is cooked thoroughly. This will take between 12-14 minutes over medium heat. Note that the bone-in chicken thighs need longer cooking time, say around 25-30 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, please remove it from the pan and set it aside. Once cooled, cut it into stripes(you can do this while the sauce is cooking).
Add another tablespoon of olive oil, chopped onion, jalapeno, and minced garlic in the same pan. And sauté for a while until the onion turns translucent.
Now add a can of diced tomato along with its juice.
Add red chili powder, coriander powder, and ground cumin. And cook until the sauce reduces to a thick, flowing consistency.
Now add the pasta, Greek yogurt, and chicken strips (you can save the chicken strips and serve them later over the pasta).
Gently toss until all the ingredients are combined.
Sprinkle chopped cilantro. And serve hot.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days or frozen in Ziploc bags or freezer-safe containers for up to two months.
You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. Reheat it over medium heat until warm, adding a splash of water to moisten it.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pasta: Swap ziti pasta for penne, bow tie, fusilli, or rotini(like this Tajin-spiced chicken).
- Greek yogurt: Feel free to substitute it with cream cheese, plain yogurt, or sour cream.
- Salad: Toss it over the salad and make a spicy chicken pasta salad.
♨️How To Adjust The Heat?
This spicy chicken pasta has a noticeable heat. The red pepper flakes and jalapeño combine to provide a flavorful kick.
Reduce the red pepper flakes or use milder peppers, like bell peppers, to control the heat.
FAQ
You can skip the cream or use a dairy-free alternative like coconut or cashew cream.
Serve with vegetable sides like roasted vegetables. Additionally, pair it with delicious salads such as fresco salad(chili’s copycat recipe) or spicy kale salad to complement this spicy chicken pasta's texture and flavors.
Absolutely! Vegetables like bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, or broccoli taste great in this dish. Sauté them along with the garlic and chicken.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments section below the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Spicy chicken pasta
Ingredients
For marinating the chicken
- 1 chicken thigh
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the sauce
- 6 ounces cooked pasta /3 cups uncooked pasta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion medium sized roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 10 oz diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
Marinating the Chicken
- In a mixing bowl, add chicken thigh, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and salt.
- Toss it until the spices coats the chicken well.
- Set aside for 20 minutes to get marinated.
Cook the pasta
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to the package instructions.
- Drain and set aside.
Cook the chicken
- Place a skillet over the medium heat, add olive oil and the marinated chicken thigh.
- Cook by flipping occasionaly-for 12-14 minutes or until the center is thoroughly cooked.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and cut into strips.
Make the sauce
- Over medium heat, in the same pan add olive oil, jalapeno pepper, and chopped onion.
- Sauté until the onion turns translucent.
- Then add diced tomato along with the liquid, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, cayenne powder, chicken stock, ground cumin, and salt.
- Bring it to boil, and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Add cooked pasta and the chicken strips.
- And toss until the sauce coats each pasta well.
- And finally sprinkle chopped cilantro as garnishing. Enjoy!!
Aimee Mars says
I've been looking for the perfect spicy chicken and loved that this had pasta with it. The textures and flavors were incredible. Will be adding this to our monthly dinner rotation.
pepperbowl says
AMAZING! Thank you Aimee!
Tayler says
We had this pasta for dinner last night and it was incredible! So full of flavor and totally delicious!
pepperbowl says
Yay! Thanks Tayler!