BBQ Chicken Pasta is loaded with the sauciest, creamiest, and meatiest ingredients you can ever think of. Thanks to the barbecue sauce, this dish is sure to have a barbecue touch you never knew pasta could actually pair with excellently!
A serving of this recipe and you will taste the well-seasoned thick sauce coating the pasta in the best way possible. The whole dish is cheesy, savory, and smoky, with tender chicken breast and sauce that boasts all the good tastes— a perfect meal idea for anyone! Turning your head away from this recipe will definitely be similar to turning away from a good meal.
This pasta dish can be served anytime you would want to have a taste of its bursting flavor. You can have it for lunch after a busy morning, or at dinner surrounded by your friends or family. Although this recipe may seem to be a convenient quick meal idea for a busy weeknight, it can still be cooked and served for a holiday occasion!
This dish is simple, yet the taste is very delightful and savory, and your little gathering will certainly be brightened up by its addition to the menu.
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The Best BBQ Chicken Pasta Recipe
Who would have thought that there is another wonderful way to enjoy a barbecue-themed dish? This BBQ Chicken Pasta is your new way to indulge yourself and those who are close to you with the delectable and flavor-packed pasta dish at home.
From the pasta to chicken, down to the sauce rich with flavorful seasoning and spice, no one will ever say no to having a serving of this dish.
Why Does This Recipe Work?
Pasta dishes are among the most favorite of everyone to experiment or cook at home, whether for their weekday and weeknight meal or for a special gathering that would take place in the residence. This particular dish should be added to your recipe book not only for its taste but also for its convenience, here are some things that could prove this dish to be a must-try in the kitchen:
- This dish is a great recipe for a quick and easy dinner on a hectic night. It is simple to prepare and even simpler to clean up. It is also made with ingredients that can easily be found in your pantry, and if some are unavailable, you can easily buy it from the store at a budget-friendly cost!
- A savory, and delicious comfort meal you can make on your own without having to spend so much time or effort to perfect it!
- This dish can quickly be paired up with other side dishes, which will allow you to conveniently plan out a detailed menu for your dinner.
- The whole recipe can be adjusted to your preference. You can swap some ingredients to your liking without having to worry if the dish will turn out excellently.
What's in This Recipe?
Penne Pasta. One of the most popular pasta in the market, you will have no trouble finding penne pasta in your nearest convenience store. Penne pasta is the ideal type of pasta for this recipe because it will easily absorb the sauce, making the dish more flavorful.
Garlic. As a flavoring agent, adding garlic to this recipe makes all the present flavors more prominent.
Red Onion. With its sharp and spicy taste, the red onion will surely help make your BBQ Chicken Pasta more appealing to taste.
Olive Oil. Cook your sauce in olive oil as it does not add any undesirable taste to what is being cooked in the pan. It also has a high smoke point which allows you to cook faster and thoroughly.
Red Bell Pepper. Sweet with a touch of citrusy taste, adding red bell pepper adds color to the flavor of this dish.
Chicken Breasts. Among the parts of the chicken, the breast is the most tender and meaty, which makes it the ideal chicken part to add to this dish. Tender, juicy, and meaty chicken breast is indeed the most suitable for this recipe.
Plain Flour. Plain flour is not only used for baking. We can also add this to our pasta recipe to make the sauce thicker in texture.
Tomato Puree. Tomato puree will add a burst of flavor to your pasta sauce, not to mention that it will also assist in making the texture thicker.
Chicken Stock. Chicken stock adds more chicken flavor to the dish, and it also helps improve the mouthfeel of each bite. With chicken stock in the mix, the presence of the chicken breast in the recipe will be more pronounced.
BBQ Sauce. To give this dish its barbecue taste, use barbecue sauce for the pasta sauce!
Heavy Cream. A creamy sauce for the pasta will be better with heavy cream in it.
Cheddar. Pasta and cheese go well together. Add grated cheddar cheese to add a pungent, slightly earthy, and cheesy flavor to the dish.
Mozzarella. Melty cheese in the form of mozzarella is never a bad thing to add to a pasta dish either.
Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Salt, and Pepper. Seasoning the sauce for the pasta is important so that the taste won't appear bland. With the addition of cayenne pepper, paprika, and pepper, the pasta will have that spicy and smoky flavor akin to barbecue.
Parsley. Garnishing this recipe with parsley is optional, you can opt it out if you wish.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Pasta?
Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, and add onion, garlic and red pepper for 1-2 minutes.
Now, turn up the heat and add the chicken. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the chicken changes colour.
Stir in flour, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
Stir in bbq sauce, tomato puree and chicken stock, mix everything together and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the heavy cream, half of the cheese and the pasta, and mix well until the pasta is well coated with the sauce.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and the parsley on top. Serve!
Top Tips!
- Your only chance to season the pasta itself will come from the salt you add to the water, will it? To impart flavor to the pasta, the water must have "the taste of the sea" in it. A minimum of one tablespoon of salt is required for every three liters of water.
- Before adding the pasta, the water should be brought to a boil first. Because starches are so quickly absorbed by water, you need the temperature of the water to be high enough before you can start cooking the penne pasta correctly. If the pasta is added too soon, it will get mushy and will not be cooked properly.
Some Variations
- If you have a leftover chicken rotisserie in your fridge, this recipe is the best way to use it! Use the leftover chicken rotisserie in place of the chicken breast. It is not only useful but also flavorful.
- You may use cornstarch instead of plain flour to thicken the pasta sauce.
- Add some vegetables to the recipe for more flavor! Such as spinach,
celery or carrot; it also adds that appealing crunch to the dish.
Serving Suggestions
Classic cheesy garlic bread will go well with this cheesy, savory, and smoky BBQ Chicken Pasta. Sauteed vegetables will also be a good side dish for this recipe if you plan to serve it for an intricate meal with the family or friends.
Storage
Store this dish in an airtight container before keeping it in the fridge for up to three days.
Freeze: To freeze this dish means a longer shelf-life of up to three months. Just make sure you have placed it in an airtight container before freezing it.
Recipe FAQs
Of course! You may use rigatoni, fusilli, or mostaccioli pasta for this dish.
Yes. You can skip cheddar and mozzarella in this recipe if you want your pasta free from any cheesy taste. However, adding cheese to this recipe really makes it a whole lot better when it comes to taste.
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Recipe Card
Creamy BBQ Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 350 g Penne Pasta
- 2 Cloves Garlic , peeled and chopped
- 1 Red onion , peeled and sliced
- 1 Bell Pepper , sliced
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 Chicken Breasts (skinless and boneless) , cut into small chunks
- 1 tablespoon Plain Flour
- 2 teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 250 ml Chicken Stock
- 100 ml BBQ Sauce
- 100 ml Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Cheddar grated
- ½ cup Mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon Parsley , chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, and add onion, garlic and red pepper for 1-2 minutes.
- Now, turn up the heat and add the chicken. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the chicken changes colour.
- Stir in flour, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
- Stir in bbq sauce, tomato puree and chicken stock, mix everything together and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream, half of the cheese and the pasta, and mix well until the pasta is well coated with the sauce.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and the parsley on top. Serve!
Notes
- Your only chance to season the pasta itself will come from the salt you add to the water, will it? To impart flavor to the pasta, the water must have "the taste of the sea" in it. A minimum of one tablespoon of salt is required for every three liters of water.
- Before adding the pasta, the water should be brought to a boil first. Because starches are so quickly absorbed by water, you need the temperature of the water to be high enough before you can start cooking the penne pasta correctly. If the pasta is added too soon, it will get mushy and will not be cooked properly.
Variations
- If you have a leftover chicken rotisserie in your fridge, this recipe is the best way to use it! Use the leftover chicken rotisserie in place of the chicken breast. It is not only useful but also flavorful.
- You may use cornstarch instead of plain flour to thicken the pasta sauce.
- Add some vegetables to the recipe for more flavor! Such as spinach, celery or carrot; it also adds that appealing crunch to the dish.
Catrina
This recipe is easy and so delicious, I am happy that i gave it a try.