Our Southwest Chicken Pasta Alfredo merges mouthwatering Mexican-inspired flavors and ingredients with a made-from-scratch Alfredo sauce. It’s made with chicken pieces, veggies, black beans, parmesan, tomatoes, and penne, all tossed together with a Tex-Mex taste.
Southwest Chicken Pasta Alfredo Recipe
Tex-Mex meets creamy chicken Alfredo in our easy Southwest Chicken Pasta recipe! Our family loves a good pasta recipe, but they also like food with a little bit of a kick.
This easy pasta recipe combines penne pasta, tender chicken pieces, and plenty of south-of-the-border flavors, then coats it all in a thick and creamy sauce.
This delicious recipe takes my Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Pasta and Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo meals and gives them a Tex-Mex makeover!
Ingredients Notes
- Penne pasta: Penne pasta is used for this recipe, however any short pasta will work. Rigatoni, farfalle (bow-tie), ziti, rotini, or fusilli are all great substitutes.
- Olive oil: Just for searing the chicken. You can use olive, avocado, or canola oil if you prefer.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: I use chicken breasts, but you can also use chicken thighs. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces so they’re easier and quicker to cook.
- Unsalted butter
- Yellow onion: I used yellow onion in this recipe but you can also use white or sweet onion as well.
- Garlic: You can use fresh garlic that has been minced or chopped garlic from a jar.
- Chicken broth: If you are using low sodium or no sodium chicken broth, then you will want to taste your sauce and adjust the amount of salt accordingly. Chicken stock can also be used in place of the broth.
- Petite diced tomatoes: If you prefer a little more heat in your creamy southwest pasta, you can substitute the petite diced tomatoes for a can of Rotel (or any brand you prefer) diced tomatoes with green chilies.
- Yellow corn: I use a canned corn for convenience! Make sure to drain the liquids.
- Black beans: Make sure the beans are drained and rinsed in cool water.
- Taco seasoning: You can use a store-bought packet or try our homemade taco seasoning.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Heavy cream: Don’t substitute or skip the heavy cream because it’s what makes this southwestern pasta recipe so creamy!
- Parmesan cheese: I prefer the taste of parmesan cheese in this dish, but cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend will also taste great. Use grated cheese from a block for the best results.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Southwest Chicken Pasta
- Prepare The Pasta: Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Cook The Chicken: Sear the chicken in oil until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Simmer The Sauce: Cook the butter, onion and garlic until the onions are lightly browned and translucent. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, taco seasoning, salt, black pepper, and heavy cream, stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens.
- Combine To Coat: Turn off the heat and add the remaining heavy cream, cooked chicken pieces, pasta, and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and fully coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Serve: Cool slightly, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This pasta dish is a hearty, protein-packed meal on its own, but pairs perfectly with a simple side. Try serving it with some garlic bread, Easy Cheese Stuffed Garlic Rolls, Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread, or cauliflower breadsticks.
This dish is best served warm. The sauce for this Southwest chicken penne Alfredo will thicken slightly as it cools. The bread is perfect for sopping up the sauce!
A fun way to serve this dish is to set up a topping station. Let your guests add their own garnish, like guacamole, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, thinly sliced green onion, or finely diced fresh parsley.
Tips & Variations
- Stir The Sauce: Be sure to stir the sauce often to prevent it from burning and to keep the consistency smooth.
- Serve It Spicier: Chili powder or red cayenne pepper will give your comfort food a kick! Add one or both of these spicy seasonings to the taco seasoning.
- Cook It Even Quicker: To get your creamy southwest chicken pasta on the table even quicker, use leftover rotisserie or grilled chicken from last night’s dinner. Since the chicken is already cooked, you’ve saved yourself a step!
- Make Without Meat: Even without the chicken, there is still plenty of protein from the beans and cheese. A vegetarian dish will still be delicious, hearty, and just as flavorful without the addition of meat.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Leftovers that have cooled completely can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a large skillet over low to medium heat. If the sauce has thickened too much from refrigeration, you can add a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce for heating.
Other Easy Pasta Recipes
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Southwest Chicken Penne Alfredo
Serves — 6
Southwest Chicken Pasta brings south-of-the-border flair to your favorite Alfredo sauce! An easy one pan pasta meal filled with Tex-Mex flair.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta cooked to al dente and drained according to package directions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup yellow onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 15.25 ounce can yellow corn liquids drained
- 15.25 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed in cool water
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream divided
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely diced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook the penne pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.8 ounces penne pasta
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large (12 inches wide x 3 inches deep) skillet on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and boneless skinless chicken breast pieces to the hot skillet.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cook and brown the chicken pieces for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the browned and cooked chicken from the skillet and place it onto a plate while you prepare the sauce.
- To the skillet add the unsalted butter, diced yellow onion and minced garlic. Cook the onions for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned and translucent.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ cup yellow onion, 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Add the chicken broth, petite diced tomatoes, yellow corn, black beans, taco seasoning, salt, black pepper and ¾ cup of the heavy cream. Stir to combine.1½ cups chicken broth, 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, 15.25 ounce can yellow corn, 15.25 ounce can black beans, 1 ounce packet taco seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 cup heavy cream
- Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce reduces and thickens. Be sure to stir the sauce often to prevent the sauce from burning and to keep the consistency smooth.
- Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat to the skillet and add the remaining ¼ cup heavy cream, browned chicken pieces, cooked penne pasta and the grated parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and fully coat the pasta with the sauce.1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Allow the southwest chicken penne alfredo to cool slightly, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.1 tablespoon finely diced fresh parsley
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Leftovers that have cooled completely, can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a large skillet over low to medium heat. If the sauce has thickened too much from refrigeration, you can add a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce for heating.
- Stir The Sauce: Be sure to stir the sauce often to prevent it from burning and to keep the consistency smooth.
- Serve It Spicier: Chili powder or red cayenne pepper will give your comfort food a kick! Add one or both of these spicy seasoning in with the taco seasoning.
- Cook It Even Quicker: To get your creamy southwest chicken pasta on the table even quicker, use leftover rotisserie or grilled chicken from last night’s dinner. Since the chicken is already cooked, you’ve saved yourself a step!
- Make Without Meat: Even without the chicken, there is still plenty of protein from the beans and cheese. A vegetarian dish will still be delicious, hearty, and just as flavorful without the addition of meat.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 1468mg | Potassium: 1024mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2131IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 3mg
This was absolutely delicious! I will be making this recipe on a rotating schedule!
Hi Jeannie! Thank you so much for your feedback! So glad it was a hit.