This creamy chicken alfredo pasta is made with penne and a tomato alfredo sauce for incredible flavor! For a southwest-inspired mix, penne, chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and more are all cooked in one pan, for the easiest weeknight pasta dinner. Everyone will love this southwest chicken alfredo!
Table of Contents
Southwest Chicken Alfredo
This creamy chicken alfredo penne recipe is the perfect easy dinner! The combination of chicken, penne, and alfredo with taco seasoning, beans, and corn makes the most delicious dish.
Creamy and cheesy, this one pan Southwest chicken alfredo pasta is all cooked on the stovetop in a skillet with a few simple, but super tasty ingredients.
This one pan pasta skillet meal is so easy and quick to make. It’s unique, comforting, and irresistible. The entire family will love this one!
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Alfredo Penne Recipe:
- ONE PAN: Make weeknight dinners easier with this one pan recipe. The whole meal is cooked in one skillet, so cooking and cleaning will be a breeze!
- 30 MINUTE MEAL: This chicken alfredo penne pasta can be made in just about 30 minutes, so you can get dinner on the table in a snap!
- CREAMY SOUTHWEST FLAVOR: The combination of heavy cream and cheese to make an alfredo sauce, with the taco seasoning and other ingredients for a southwest-inspired flavor…it’s unique, delicious, and hard to resist!
Weeknight meals are going to be so simple with this chicken alfredo penne!
If you love southwest-inspired flavors, be sure to try my Southwest Pinwheels and Southwest Chicken Bake too!
Ingredients
- Chicken: I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe. Chop it into small cubes to cook.
- Penne Pasta: Penne is the perfect pasta for this dish!
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is what turns the sauce into a creamy alfredo.
- Chicken Broth: Broth adds more flavor than water. I like using low sodium broth.
- Black Beans: Use a can of black beans, drained and rinsed. You could use kidney beans if you prefer.
- Corn: Use a can of corn, drained and rinsed. You could also use frozen corn, just thaw before using.
- Tomatoes: Use a can of diced tomatoes, drained.
- Taco Seasoning: A packet of taco seasoning adds that delicious southwest flavor!
Check the recipe card for the full ingredients list!
How to Make Southwest Chicken Alfredo Penne
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Brown the chicken in the skillet.
- Add the garlic.
- Pour in the cream and broth and stir in the seasonings.
- Add the pasta and boil.
- Add in the corn, beans and tomatoes.
- Cook until pasta is al dente.
- Stir in the cheese and serve!
This chicken alfredo penne is best served as soon as it’s ready, but leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop to serve.
Yes! Generally, you can boil pasta in liquids other than water, and chicken broth is a great option to add flavor. Here, we’re using broth instead of water to cook the pasta and bring all the ingredients together.
There are plenty of ways to change up this recipe a little bit. Make it a bit spicier by adding jalapenos or chilis. Add some spinach to sneak in more greens. Stir in some broccoli, or add more cheese.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken alfredo penne pasta is so rich, creamy, and filling on it’s own. It makes a great main dish, and definitely works as a lone dish on busy nights. But I do like serving it along with some bread, and maybe some salad or veggies.
- Garlic Pull Apart Rolls
- Spinach Salad with Bacon
- Homemade Texas Toast
- Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella
- Crockpot Potatoes
Tips!
- Drain and rinse the corn and black beans before using. They can be quite salty if not rinsed.
- You can also use frozen or fresh corn, instead of canned.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Most ingredients can easily be substituted, if needed.
What pasta should I use for this southwest chicken alfredo?
I think this southwest chicken alfredo pasta works best with penne. It’s easy to eat with all the other ingredients, and it holds both the creamy sauce and chunkier ingredients well.
You can use another type of pasta though! It works well with most short, shaped noodles, like rotini, macaroni, or farfelle. I wouldn’t recommend using fettuccine, or any long noodles.
You can use whole wheat pasta, but the cooking time will increase slightly, or use a a gluten-free pasta if you have an intolerance.
What is tomato alfredo sauce?
Alfredo is a cream-based sauce, traditionally made with heavy cream, butter, and cheese. It’s super creamy and rich in flavor. Tomato alfredo just adds tomatoes into the mix, combining two great sauces with a red-tinged color.
With this chicken alfredo penne recipe, everything is made together in one pan. So the tomatoes, cream, taco seasoning, and everything else creates a unique, southwest inspired flavor.
More Chicken Pasta Recipes We Love
- Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken Fettuccine
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Florentine Pasta
- Chicken Enchilada Pasta Bake
This Southwest chicken alfredo penne pasta is one delicious and easy dinner. Being able to cook everything in one skillet on the stovetop makes it a perfect go-to after a busy day.
More One Pan Skillet Meals
- Honey Mustard Pork Chops Skillet
- Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
One Pan Southwest Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 ounce 1 packet taco seasoning
- 7 ounces about 1/2 a can corn, drained and rinsed
- 7 ounces about 1/2 a can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 7 ounces about 1/2 a can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
- chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Toss in the chicken cubes and brown each side for about 1-2 minutes. You don’t have to cook the chicken completely through, but enough so they are almost cooked.2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Add minced garlic to the skillet and continue cooking for another minute.2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Pour in the cream, broth, and taco seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup low sodium chicken broth, 1 ounce 1 packet taco seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
- Add pasta and bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally.8 ounces penne pasta
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and add in corn, beans, and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cover and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, or until pasta is al dente.7 ounces about 1/2 a can corn, drained and rinsed, 7 ounces about 1/2 a can black beans, drained and rinsed, 7 ounces about 1/2 a can diced tomatoes, drained
- Just before serving, stir in your parmesan cheese and garnish with either chopped cilantro or parsley.1/2 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish
- Serve hot. Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Drain and rinse the corn and black beans before using. They can be quite salty if not rinsed.
- You can also use frozen or fresh corn.
- I like to make this with black beans, but red kidney beans would work great too.
Nutrition Information
This was so good. And so simple that I can’t believe I’ve never thought about it myself before. Scouring the rest of your site now for more recipes. :)
Thanks for stopping by, Paige!
This was super easy to make and also delicious! My fiancé loved it too! We left out the beans and cheese but it was still great. I added a touch of cumin and it gave a nice sweet touch! Also used garlic powder instead of garlic. Yum!
Great substitutions! I may have to try it that way some time!
I made this for dinner tonight after I saw it on your Instagram account. It was a hit. I will definitely make it again. Easy and one pot for a family of four.
Thanks, Robyn! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!!
I absolutely love this recipe!! It’s a great comfort food dish! I was wondering if anyone has made it with rice instead of pasta? I am going to try it tonight!
Let us know how it goes!
It was delicious! We put it in tortilla shells and it was like a home made Chipotle burrito!!
Thanks, Cathy!
Amazing! Easy to make! Picky kids all loved it! Will definitely be adding this to my meal rotation!
Thanks, Jennifer!
Great meal. My kids loved it. I accidentally got cream corn so did not use it but it was still very good.
Thanks! I am glad your family loved it!
My kids loved this! Wondering if you think there is any way to make double and freeze some for a future meal more casserole style? Would it work?
I think it might work, but haven’t tried it so I don’t have exact tips to share. I don’t see why not though! So glad your kids loved it :) :)
I know I’m missing it but how many servings is this?
This dish is just ridiculously amazing!!! I am so glad that I doubled the recipe right out of the gate. We could not stop eating this! And my Daughter in law, who has never eaten a leftover in her life, asked that if there was any left over would it be ok if she took it for lunch the next day!!! The only thing I did differently was to use fire roasted garlic diced tomatoes. Just ridiculously delicious. I have never left a comment on a recipe before, and I’ve made some pretty delicious RECIPEs. It’s just not something I do. Congrats. This is over the top!!
YAY! Can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear that!! Love that you guys loved it. And LOVE the idea of fire roasted tomatoes. YUM!
How many calories in a serving and how big is a serving?