This One Pot Chicken and Pasta is so easy to make - all those beautiful cooking flavours get absorbed into the sauce and pasta making the dish taste even more delicious. It's a tasty and comforting dinner ready 30 minutes, the best part - minimal dishes!

This One Pot Chicken and Pasta is one of my favourite chicken dinners. This dish is really popular on those busy weeknights when you need dinner on the table fast! If you love the idea of this meal, you'll also love my One Pot Mince and Pasta.
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Ingredient notes:

- Chicken: This is a perfect recipe to use chicken breast or thighs in. Even though you brown it at the start, it will continue to cook in the sauce and stay nice and tender.
- Pasta: I used Boccoli Pasta for this recipe - however, macaroni, spirals, penne, or orzo would all work well with this dish.
- Chicken stock: Reduced-salt stock adds depth and savoury flavour, and makes it easier to balance the flavours at the end, rather than ending up with something overly salty.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Heat oil in a large frypan, add chicken and onion cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add garlic, Italian herbs, mustard, lemon zest and juice then stir with the chicken.

Scatter in baby spinach leaves and stir through mixture. Place the lid on top until the spinach wilts. Pour in stock, milk and pasta then stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Keep stirring every few minutes until the liquid has absorbed and pasta is cooked al dente.

Stir through sour cream and grated cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately with a fresh salad and crusty garlic bread.

Recipe FAQs:
Of course. Macaroni, spirals, penne, or orzo or any short cut pasta would work well with this dish.
Yes! The sour cream can be substituted for cream cheese, regular cream or even Greek yoghurt - whatever you have available.
For this recipe I've used chopped chicken thighs however you could substitute this for chicken breasts if you prefer. I've also made it with leftover cooked chicken in the past, just add it in at the same time as the pasta.
Storage:
Store any leftover One Pot Chicken and Pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stovetop or in microwave until piping hot. You may need to add a little more liquid to reheat.
This meal can also be frozen. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost completely before reheating.
Top tips:
For this recipe I've used chopped chicken thighs however you could substitute this for chicken breasts if you prefer. I've also made it with leftover cooked chicken in the past, just add it in at the same time as the pasta. Don't forget you can use my recipes as a guide! If you don't have wholegrain mustard you could use American or Dijon mustard and of course, your favourite type of pasta instead of spirals.
Related Recipes:
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One Pot Chicken and Pasta
A zesty and herby, one pot chicken pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 400g chicken thigh or breast, diced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp Italian herbs
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- Zest and juice of half a small lemon
- 150g baby spinach
- 600ml chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 250g pasta spirals or penne
- ½ cup sour cream (125g tub)
- ½ cup grated cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large frypan, add chicken and onion cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, Italian herbs, mustard, lemon zest and juice then stir with the chicken.
- Scatter in baby spinach leaves and stir through mixture. Place the lid on top until the spinach wilts.
- Pour in stock, milk and pasta then stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Keep stirring every few minutes until the liquid has absorbed and pasta is cooked al dente.
- Stir through sour cream and grated cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with a fresh salad and crusty garlic bread
Notes
- Any shape pasta could be swapped for spirals - penne, orzo, macaroni etc
- The sour cream can be substituted for cream cheese, standard cream or greek yoghurt.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 450Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 607mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 41g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya










Kirsty says
This was super easy and scrumptious! I used breast and was a little worried about the chicken getting dry so I browned it first and just added it in at the end. The chicken was tender and the pasta was saucy and delish. My kids ate the lot! So pleased I found your site. Thanks VJ
Colleen says
A wonderfully easy and tasty meal I made when holidaying in a Motorhome.
I halved the recipe to serve the 2 of us. I only used a ready made 250gm packet of chicken stock rather than the 300gms in recipe. Worked perfectly.
VJ cooks says
That's great to know. Thanks for the feedback, Colleen!
Susan says
Can you suggest a dairy free option to the milk and sour cream?
VJ cooks says
You could use any plant based milk. Angel Food does a dairy free sour cream here in New Zealand.
Susan says
Thanks for that, will definitely use the angel sour cream. Would you think the soy or oat milk flavor would work best?
VJ cooks says
I haven't tried either sorry. It would come down to your personal taste preference.
Joanne says
I love this recipe, I make it regularly when I can’t be bothered cooking because it’s so easy but more importantly it’s tasty, and it’s gets my protein numbers in as well. My teenagers love it too. It’s a WIN WIN on multiple levels.
VJ cooks says
Yay, I love that so much! Thanks for sharing, Joanne.
Tam says
Could you use plain yogurt instead of sour cream?
VJ cooks says
Absolutely.
Lynette says
Delicious and very easy. My grandchildren loved it. Thank you
VJ cooks says
I'm so pleased to hear that 🙂
Donna Ferriman says
Looks like milk has curdled in pan….. maybe I should have warmed it up first???
Making this for my son to take back to his uni flat….. doubled the recipe!!!
VJ cooks says
Oh how strange, I've never had this happen. I imagine it would eventually blend in though, let me know how you got on.