One pot pastas are some of my favorite dishes to cook. Not only are they easy to make and clean up after, you get the awesome creaminess from the natural starch in the pasta water. And this BBQ chicken pasta definitely ticks the creamy and cheesy boxes.
The recipe starts by slow cooking BBQ seasoned chicken in a Dutch oven. This creates super tender, flavorful chicken to chop or slice and leaves rich juices in the pot for the pasta to cook in. Then all the BBQ seasoning, chicken juices, and pasta water join forces with milk, a beaucoup of cheese, and fresh parsley.
Before you get cooking, I’d like to mention more one pot pastas you should try next. My lemon ricotta pasta with ground turkey and cheesy Italian chicken soup recipes are reader favorites worth bookmarking.
All right, it’s time to get cooking. I’ve included a printable recipe card below. Leave any questions you have about the recipe or ingredients in the comments at the bottom of this post. And if you love this barbecue chicken pasta, I always appreciate recipe reviews!
One Pot Cheesy BBQ Chicken Pasta
BBQ seasoned chicken is slow cooked in a Dutch oven before pasta is cooked in the juices and plenty of cheese is added.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1/4 cup (48g) Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Coarse Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 cup Chicken Broth or Water
- 1 1/2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
For the Pasta
- 8 oz Penne or Pasta of Your Choice
- 1 cup Chicken Broth or Water
- 1 cup Milk
- 8 oz Shredded Cheese (I used a blend of provolone, fontina, parmesan, and asiago)
- 1-2 handfuls Fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and mix all the chicken seasoning ingredients in a Dutch oven. Add the chicken and stir to evenly coat. Cover and bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl or cutting board to chop into bite sized pieces and add back to the pasta later.
- Place the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the pasta and remaining broth or water. (Add liquid as needed to fully submerge the pasta.)
- Cover and cook for 8 minutes, stirring every few minutes, to cook the pasta.
- Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and stir in the milk. Once the milk is evenly mixed and up to temperature, gradually fold in the cheese, adding more as the cheese fully melts.
- Once the cheese if fully incorporated, turn off the heat and add the chopped parsley and chicken to the pasta. Garnish with additional chopped parsley or chives, a drizzle of your favorite BBQ sauce, and grated parmesan. Serve immediately.
Notes
For a lower calorie version, you can swap chicken thighs for chicken breast, use a high protein pasta, and reduce the milk and cheese added by 50% to 1/2 cup and 4 oz, respectively. If you use chicken breast, you may need to reduce the cook time or use a wireless thermometer to avoid cooking beyond an internal temperature of 165ºF.
If you wanted to make this BBQ chicken pasta without the oven, you could sear the chicken over medium heat with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then add the BBQ seasoning mix, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken, add the pasta and additional liquid, and do everything else the same. See my Dutch oven shredded Mexican chicken for an example.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 363Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 901mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 32g