Ingredients
→ Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
Louisiana spicy chicken fry batter mix
Vegetable oil, for frying
→ Vegetables
2 bell peppers, diced
½ yellow onion, diced
→ Sauce
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Pasta
5 cups rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained
Steps
Mix half of the chicken fry batter according to package instructions. Spread the remaining dry batter onto a plate.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, enough to reach halfway up the chicken cutlets. Dip each chicken breast into the wet batter, let excess drip off, then coat with dry batter. Pan-fry for 9–12 minutes, flipping once, until golden and cooked through (165°F internal temperature). Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Remove all but 2–3 tablespoons of oil from the skillet. Sauté the diced bell peppers and onions for 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add heavy cream to the skillet. Stir in Cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Heat until almost simmering, then add Parmesan cheese, stirring until melted and creamy.
Toss cooked rigatoni pasta in the sauce until evenly coated.
Place a crispy chicken cutlet on top of each serving of pasta. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Slice chicken breasts into even, thin cutlets to cook evenly.
- Allow excess wet batter to drip off before coating for maximum crispiness.
- Reserve pasta water to thin sauce if it becomes too thick.
- Taste the Cajun sauce before adding extra salt, as it may already be seasoned enough.
- Serve fried chicken immediately to retain crispiness.
Required Tools
- Skillet
- Paper towels
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Plate