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One Pot Ground Chicken Fajita Pasta

This one pot ground chicken fajita pasta is the perfect busy weeknight rush dinner. Ground chicken paired with warm spices, onions, peppers, creamy sour cream, and of course – CHEESE!

one pot ground chicken fajita pasta in a skillet with a spoon

Comfort food comes in all forms and surprisingly for me, it took a move all the way to New York to realize pasta is the ultimate comfort food.

I grew up in a household where my dad wasn’t a big fan of pasta so we never ate it.

This dish is literally comfort in a bowl and packed full of Tex-Mex flavor made with ground chicken, vegetables, pasta, homemade fajita sauce, spices, and just a touch of cheese.

Trust me, if you’re looking for the perfect ONE POT pasta dish this is the recipe you need.

And if you’re loving all these flavors but craving something with fewer carbs try my stuffed Ground Chicken Fajita Spaghetti Squash which gives you all the same flavors but is made with spaghetti squash.

One Pot Ground Chicken Fajita Pasta ingredient shot.

Ingredients for One Pot Ground Chicken Fajita Pasta

  • Ground Chicken – a great low-fat ground meat option!
  • Yellow onion
  • Red and yellow bell pepper – use whatever color bell pepper you have on hand!
  • Garlic
  • Chili powder
  • Smoked paprika
  • Cumin
  • Kosher salt
  • Tomato sauce – you’ll want to use canned tomato sauce and not a spaghetti sauce with lots of Italian seasonings.
  • Chicken stock
  • Dried pasta – I used orecchiette but other shapes that work well here are bowtie, rotini, penne, or even rigatoni.
  • Sour cream – if you’re out of sour cream, cream cheese is a great substitute.
  • Cilantro
  • Shredded cheese – I used a Mexican blend of shredded cheese, but any shredded cheese will work well. A shredded pepper jack is one of my favorites!
one pot ground chicken fajita pasta with a spoon in a yellow dish

What pan works best for one pot meals?

As far as a pan goes, when you’re making one-pot pasta you want something that has nice high sides so you can add all your ingredients without worrying about anything spilling over the side.

Cleaning up a dirty stove can simply be the worst.

Especially if you have a flat-top stove as I do.

So, for this one-pot ground chicken fajita pasta, I busted out my trusty Le Creuset braiser pan.

This pan is so amazing. You need one if you don’t already own one.

TRUST ME!

If you’re looking for a pan a little less heavy than a Le Creuset you should try my other favorite pan from American Kitchen.

Can I substitute ground beef?

Of course! You can easily substitute ground turkey, ground beef, or even ground pork.

I just really happen to love the taste of ground chicken. It can really take on the flavor of the spices you bring into this recipe.

one pot ground chicken fajita pasta spooned onto a plate

Can I use Greek yogurt instead?

Yes, but you’ll want to use Greek yogurt with a little fat.

If you use non-fat it can have the tendency to break when you’re stirring it into the hot pasta dish.

What other changes can I make to this recipe?

If you’re looking for ways to change the flavor but keep the method the same here are a few ideas.

  • Switch up the ground meat to bring in a different flavor.
  • Instead of using canned tomato sauce, you could easily use 15 ounces of store-bought enchilada sauce to bring in even more flavor.
  • Double up the vegetables, use vegetable broth, use non-dairy cheese, and vegan meat crumbles for a vegetarian experience.
one pot ground chicken fajita pasta spooned onto a plate

Tips for perfecting this one pot ground chicken fajita pasta

Prep all of your ingredients ahead of time.

This will allow you to focus on the food as it’s cooking and not become overwhelmed trying to do too much at one time.

Of course, like any good one-pot meal I packed it full of flavor AND topped it with cheese.

Can you ever actually have too much for one meal?

Don’t worry. I didn’t go crazy. In fact, the only cheese I used in the whole recipe for this very top.

You can also stir in a little sour cream, I did!

If you’re a die-hard ranch fan that would work well here too.

I also decided to use ground chicken for this recipe because simply it’s easier.

one pot ground chicken fajita pasta in a yellow cast iron skillet

Want more ground chicken recipes?

one pot ground chicken fajita pasta in a yellow cast iron skillet

One Pot Ground Chicken Fajita Pasta

This one pot ground chicken fajita pasta is the perfect busy weeknight rush dinner. Ground chicken paired with warm spices, onions, peppers, creamy sour cream and of course – CHEESE! You’ll love how easy this dish is to make and it’s only one pot!
4.48 from 947 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large 12 inch high sided skillet add 1 tablespoon olive oil and set over medium heat.
  • When the oil is hot add in the ground chicken, yellow onion, bell peppers, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Cook until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink and the vegetables have started to soften.
  • Pour in the tomato sauce, chicken stock, and the dried pasta. Stir to combine.
  • Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes or until the past is fully cooked. If the mixture cooks down too much before the pasta is fully cooked add a little more stock.
  • After the pasta is fully cooked the mixture should be creamy but thick. Stir in the sour cream and cilantro.
  • Top with cheese and let the warmth of the pasta melt the cheese.
  • Optional – Melt the cheese under an oven broiler if in an oven safe dish.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 6servings | Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 487mg | Potassium: 858mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1410IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 2mg
Course Main Course
Cuisine Tex Mex
Keyword fajita pasta, ground chicken pasta, ground chicken pasta recipes, ground chicken recipes, one pot ground chicken fajita pasta, one pot pasta recipes
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and 5 star review!
one pot ground chicken fajita pasta pin for pinterest.
Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

Recipe Rating




Patty

Wednesday 6th of September 2023

Can I leave out the sour cream.

nutmegnanny

Thursday 28th of September 2023

Yes but it does bring a bit of creaminess to the finished product! You can use cream cheese or greek yogurt in place.

Dee

Saturday 2nd of September 2023

Was wondering about the 8oz of pasta… is it weighed to 8oz or 8oz as in 1 cup?

nutmegnanny

Thursday 28th of September 2023

Yes, go by weight for this as pasta is measured in weight and a measuring cup, while it can hold 8 ounces, might not be 8 ounces in weight for the pasta.

Evelyn

Saturday 29th of April 2023

Hi, just wanted to thank you for sharing this delicious and easy recipe. My kids loved it, even the picky eater.

Yuri

Tuesday 25th of April 2023

Could you freeze this meal?

Jen

Thursday 26th of January 2023

SO YUMMY!! I added zucchini for the last minute of cooking, and red pepper flakes for a spicy kick! It was such a hit that I'm making it again for dinner tonight!

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