Loaded with spicy, crispy chorizo, this chicken and chorizo pasta is on the table in under 30 minutes. Full of zesty ingredients your family will love, this easy chorizo chicken pasta is a keeper!
It’s not just the vibrant, bold flavor you’re going to love. It’s also a wholesome, protein packed dinner that you can feel good about serving to your family!
You know we’re huge fans of pasta around here! It’s such a family friendly and filling dinner option.
Luckily, you don’t have to load it up with super heavy ingredients to create something delicious. This recipe focuses on simple ingredients that are make it both kid-friendly and fast.
Don’t let the chorizo scare you off. It’s not too spicy, especially when spread throughout this pasta dish. It just gives the sauce a fabulous and zesty layer of flavor.
Let’s learn how to create this incredibly simple pasta dinner! Use the drop down Table of Contents menu to navigate this post and don’t forget to pin and save it for later.
I’m answering all your questions so you can create this meal with confidence! Choose your favorite pasta, gather your ingredients, and let’s get started.
Why You’ll Love this Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
- Fast and Easy
- Wholesome Ingredients
- Super Filling
- Easy to Customize
If you love chicken, and you love pasta, don’t skip this incredible round-up of Chicken Pasta Recipes!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive oil – to add moisture to the chicken and prevent it from sticking.
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Ground red pepper
- Chicken – Use boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenders.
- Pasta – your favorite shape
- Chorizo – Use your favorite type of chorizo, and choose a spice level according to your family’s tastes.
- White Onion – Chopped
- Garlic – Minced. Learn how to mince garlic here.
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Canned Tomatoes – Whole peeled or diced tomatoes (depending on how large you’d like the chunks to be), and you’re using the liquid too!
- Parmesan – fresh grated, to garnish
- Basil – sliced, to garnish
Variations
- Instead of parmesan, try romano or asiago
- Add heavy whipping cream to create a creamy chicken and chorizo pasta – up to one cup at the end of cooking is perfect
- Cook your chicken however you’d like! Try these Grilled Chicken Skewers, or Chicken Piccata. Or serve breaded Chicken Spiedini with this pasta dish instead of the baked chicken!
How to Make
- Prep Chicken – Preheat oven. Season chicken and bake. Set aside.
- Prepare Pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and prepare al dente.
- Brown Chorizo – In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat, add olive oil and chorizo. Brown, stirring occasionally.
- Create Sauce – Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir. Add tomatoes and juice. Allow to cook, stirring frequently and crushing tomatoes.
- Toss – Toss in pasta, reserving a little warm pasta water to help thin the sauce. Toss until coated.
- Serve – Garnish and add fresh cracked pepper to taste.
Shortcuts
- Use pre-shredded Parmesan.
- Use pre-minced garlic.
Tips
- Remove the pasta from the heat when it is al dente, so it doesn’t get soggy.
- Fresh grated parmesan important – if you can, grate it fresh!
- Fresh minced garlic cooks quickly, watch so it doesn’t burn.
- Always hold back a cup of warm, starchy pasta water. This can help thin your sauces!
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chorizo is a robustly seasoned ground pork sausage. It’s frequently used in Mexican cuisine, variations are found throughout the world. The seasonings vary widely, but most chorizo includes with pork, smoked paprika and garlic. Mexican chorizo is fresh (raw) and Spanish chorizo is smoked (cooked).
Simply add a cup of heavy whipping cream at the end of cooking this pasta dish!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this pasta with any of your favorite salads or veggie side dishes for a well-rounded meal.
How To Store
- Room Temperature – This pasta dish best served as soon as it comes off the stove. It can rest at room temperature for up to two hours before it must be refrigerated.
- Refrigerator – If you do have leftovers, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you’re ready to eat, cook in a small sauce pan and a little chicken broth or water to loosen the sauce.
- Freezer – you can also freeze this pasta dish for up to three months.
Nutritional Considerations
- Nut Free
- To make Gluten Free, choose a gluten free pasta.
Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- ½ pound Chicken Tenders or breast
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
For the Pasta and Sauce
Optional
- ½ cup heavy cream Optional, add at the end to create a creamy sauce.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Brush chicken or dish with olive oil and coat with onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Bake until internal temperature reaches 160℉. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and prepare al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain.
- In a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat, add olive oil, diced onions and chorizo. Brown, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, until onions are softened.
- Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir one minute.
- Add tomatoes and juice. Allow to cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently and pressing tomatoes with a potato masher or the edge of a spatula to crush.
- Toss in pasta and ¼ cup of reserved pasta water. Toss until coated, adding more pasta water if needed. Optional: add ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream to create a creamy sauce.
- Add fresh cracked black pepper to taste and garnish with basil and parmesan.
Tips
- Remove the pasta from the heat when it is al dente, so it doesn’t get soggy.
- Fresh grated parmesan important – if you can, grate it fresh!
- Fresh minced garlic cooks quickly, watch so it doesn’t burn.
- Always hold back a cup of warm, starchy pasta water. This can help thin your sauces!
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
I wasn’t sure from the recipe or instructions where/when to add the onion and garlic powder and the white onions. Other than that the flavor was good.