Chicken Fajita Penne Pasta
When you need an easy, budget-friendly dinner that tastes like you spent way more than $20 on groceries, this Chicken Fajita Penne Pasta is the answer. It’s a creamy, cheesy one-pan meal loaded with juicy chicken, colorful bell peppers, tender pasta, and bold fajita flavor—all baked together in one dish for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Using simple pantry staples, a few fresh vegetables, and affordable ingredients you can grab during one quick grocery run, this recipe proves you don’t need a cart full of expensive ingredients to make a comforting homemade meal. Everything bakes together in one pan, making cleanup just as easy as dinner.
At Simply Made Dish, we’re all about creating recipes that look impressive without requiring a culinary degree or a specialty grocery store. This Chicken Fajita Penne Pasta checks every box—it’s hearty, creamy, packed with flavor, and perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or feeding a hungry family on a budget.
Whether you’re searching for an easy chicken pasta recipe, a one-pan chicken dinner, or budget-friendly family meals, this is one recipe you’ll come back to again and again.
- Servings: 8 generous portions or 10 smaller portions when served with salad or bread.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 55-60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1¼–1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 (1-ounce) packet fajita seasoning
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles - 2 bell peppers (roughly chopped)
- ½ a large onion (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup of mild cheddar cheese (mexican mix works also)
- 3 tsp of minced garlic (store-bought)
- 1 cup of water
- 1 small can of chopped green chilies
- 1 lb of Penne pasta
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Get the full printable instructions with measurements at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Skip the Drive-Thru. You’ve Got This!
- 🌮 One pan means fewer dishes to wash.
- 💲 Budget-friendly ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
- 🍗 Loaded with tender chicken, peppers, and creamy fajita flavor.
- 🧀 Rich, cheesy, and incredibly satisfying.
- ⏰ Perfect for busy weeknights and meal prep.
- 👨👩👧👦 Family-friendly and easy enough for beginner cooks.
Step-by-Step Directions:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Step 2: Roughly chop the bell peppers and half of the onion..
Step 3: In a large casserole dish or 9×13-inch baking dish, combine the uncooked penne pasta, chopped peppers and onion, diced chicken breast, minced garlic, fajita seasoning, diced tomatoes, chopped green chilies, cream cheese, and ½ to ¾ cup water. Stir everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Step 4: Sprinkle the top with ¼ cup shredded cheese. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 55-60 minutes. About halfway through cooking, carefully remove the dish from the oven and stir well. Add more water if pasta seems dry. Cover it tightly again and continue baking until the pasta is tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Step 5: Remove from the oven, stir once more until the cream cheese creates a creamy sauce, then garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!
🍋 Simply Made Tips:
- Don’t skip stirring halfway through. Giving the pasta a quick stir halfway through baking helps it cook evenly and keeps the cream cheese from clumping.
- Use freshly shredded cheese. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly than pre-shredded varieties, but either will work in a pinch.
- Need more heat? Add diced jalapeños, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or use hot diced green chilies for an extra kick.
- Save money with what’s on sale. Any color bell peppers work great in this recipe, so grab whichever ones are on sale that week.
- Swap the protein. Boneless chicken thighs also work well. If using ground turkey, cook and drain it before adding it to the dish. Stir cooked rotisserie chicken in near the end of the baking time so it doesn’t dry out.
- Make it your own. Stir in black beans, corn, or sliced mushrooms for extra flavor and to stretch the meal even further.
- Don’t overbake. Once the pasta is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F, it’s ready. Overbaking can dry out the chicken.
- Leftovers are even better. The flavors continue to develop overnight, making this a great meal-prep recipe for lunch the next day.
🍗 Before You Go…
If this Chicken Fajita Penne Pasta made weeknight dinner a little easier, don’t stop here! Browse our collection of easy chicken dinner recipes for more budget-friendly meals, one-pan dinners, comforting casseroles, and family favorites that make getting dinner on the table simple.
Whether you’re feeding a hungry family or just trying to answer the nightly question, “What’s for dinner?”, we’ve got plenty of delicious ideas waiting for you.
Chicken Fajita Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 1¼-1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (diced)
- 8 ounces 1 block cream cheese (full-fat or low-fat)
- 2 bell peppers (roughly chopped)
- ½ a large onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 ounce packet fajita seasoning
- ¼ cup of mild cheddar cheese (mexican mix works also)
- 3 tsp of minced garlic (store-bought)
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup of water
- 4 ounces can diced green chiles
- 1 lb of Penne pasta
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Roughly chop the bell peppers and half of the onion.
- In a large casserole dish or 9×13-inch baking dish, combine the uncooked penne pasta, chopped peppers and onion, diced chicken breast, minced garlic, fajita seasoning, diced tomatoes, chopped green chilies, cream cheese, and ½ to ¾ cup water. Stir everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the top with ¼ cup shredded cheese. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 55-60 minutes. About halfway through cooking, carefully remove the dish from the oven and stir well. Add more water if pasta seems dry. Cover it tightly again and continue baking until the pasta is tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove from the oven, stir once more until the cream cheese creates a creamy sauce, then garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Servings: 8 generous portions or 10 smaller portions when served with salad or bread.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: All nutrition values are per serving and approximate. They will vary depending on products and quantities used.
