Easy Cajun Chicken and Rice

Super flavorful, easy, and fun - these all describe this delicious Cajun Chicken and Rice recipe! Chicken coated in homemade cajun seasoning seared with bacon, the holy trinity (celery, peppers, and onions), and then cooked with rice in a creamy cajun sauce. This easy weeknight meal is here to spice up your week!

Looking for more Cajun-inspired recipes? Don't miss this Salmon New Orleans or these quick and easy Cajun Shrimp Tacos!

With my little one growing and becoming more active by the day, I've been living for quick and easy meals that don't require a lot of fuss. My time at home has been spent running up and down the stairs, prepping bottles, cleaning up, and just trying to keep my head attached to my body!

I made this meal with this in mind - because let's be clear, aren't we all just out here, busy as ever?! What does we deserve as a treat for just getting through the day? A darn good meal.

Hence as to why I made this crazy delicious and flavorful cajun chicken and rice recipe.

Out with the mundane weeknight dinners. This Cajun Chicken and Rice is here to save the day! Step aside boring weeknight meals, we're adding some flavor to the mix! This recipe will easily become a family favorite meal that everyone will love.

Not to mention, this meal makes for some awesome leftovers in case you can't finish everything in one sitting. I made a big pot of this and have been eating it throughout the week and I swear, with every day that goes by, it tastes EVEN BETTER.

Also, I teamed up with Calphalon to bring you this delicious! I used their 10 inch Premier Hard Anodized Nonstick Fry Pan in this recipe and it cooks like a dream! Head to their website to pick up your pan and make this recipe!

How to make cajun chicken and rice

Now we're getting to the good part! Let's do a quick chat as to how to make this cajun chicken and rice.

1. Season chicken with cajun seasoning and chop bacon into tiny bits. Add bacon to a skillet over medium low heat and allow the fat to render out and the bacon to become crispy.
2. Increase the heat to medium high and add chicken. Sear on both sides. Remove chicken from the pan and add celery, peppers, and onions. Let everything cook down and come together then add rice and butter and toast the rice until the butter is melted.
3. Add chicken stock and add the chicken back to the pot and cook until the chicken stock is fully absorbed and rice is fluffy, about 15-20 minutes.
4. In a separate pan, combine garlic, tomato paste, heavy cream, and cajun seasoning and cook on low until mixture begin to thicken. Pour on top of rice and mix together. Slice chicken and enjoy!

Here's a video tutorial on how to make it!

What to eat with cajun chicken and rice

There are SO many delicious food pairings for this Cajun Chicken and Rice recipe. For starters, cornbread! Omg, cornbread with this dish is insanely delicious! My skillet cornbread and my brown butter bacon and jalapeno cornbread are excellent options!

Don't forget about my rosemary dinner rolls too, perfect with this dish!

Soup and or salad also work really well here too! Might I mention, this dish is amazing on its own but by golly, adding something with it makes it even better!

Recipe substitutions

• To make this recipe dairy free, you can you can omit the butter and swap out heavy cream for non-dairy milk or coconut cream.
• This recipe is naturally gluten free so no worries there!
• For vegan options, you can use your favorite vegan chicken or tofu and season accordingly. Also, swap out butter for vegan butter.

Tips for making cajun chicken and rice

• If you're sensitive to spice, reduce the amount of cayenne pepper in the cajun seasoning.
• I highly recommend using a 10-inch Calphalon fry pan - they're amazing and make making this recipe so smooth. Easy clean up too!
• Use a long grain white rice to prevent the rice from becoming mushy.
• Consider using Calphalon Premier Cookware as well as their Antimicrobial Cutlery to make this dish. Their cookware and cutlery are easy to use and clean, have superior nonstick coating, and are both oven AND dishwasher safe! I have a 25% code 'BRITNEY25' so that you can get your cookware at a great price!

More Cajun recipes you'll Love!

• Crispy Shrimp Po'boy with Old Bay Sauce
• Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad
• Cajun Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Lime Ranch
• Cold Cajun Shrimp Salad
• Cajun Steak Sandwich
• Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
• New Orleans Style Beignets

This blog post for Cajun Chicken and Rice was made in partnership with Calphalon! I received compensation in exchange for this work. My opinions on their products are genuine. If I didn't love their products, I would certainly mention it! Thanks for your continued support!

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Easy Cajun Chicken and Rice

By: Britney

Super flavorful, easy, and fun - Chicken coated in homemade cajun seasoning seared with bacon, and then cooked with rice in a cajun sauce.

Serving: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Calories: 594kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  12-inch Skillet

Ingredients

Cajun Seasoning

• ▢ 2 tbsps smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 tbsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tbsp onion powder
• ▢ 2 tsp chili powder
• ▢ 2 tsp thyme
• ▢ 2 tsp oregano
• ▢ 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Chicken and Rice

• ▢ 1 yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 2 bell peppers, diced
• ▢ 3 stalks celery, diced
• ▢ 4 chicken breasts
• ▢ 6 pieces bacon, sliced
• ▢ 2 cups white rice
• ▢ 4 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 2 lemons
• ▢ ⅓ cup tomato paste
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, diced

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine ingredients for cajun seasoning - smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Mix together.
• Season chicken with half of the cajun seasoning (the rest will be used later in the recipe) and salt and pepper as desired. Add sliced bacon to a skillet over medium low heat. Allow bacon to cook and render out the fat, about 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Add 1 tbsp butter and a drizzle of olive and and increase the heat to medium. Add chicken and sear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
• Remove chicken from the skillet onto a plate. Add onions, peppers, and celery to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and a teaspoon of the cajun seasoning. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until everything begins to soften and become fragrant.
• Add rice and stir into the vegetables. Add chicken stock, squeeze one lemon, and add chicken back into the skillet. Bring to a boil and then cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• In a separate skillet or saucepan, add heavy cream, diced garlic, tomato paste, and remaining cajun seasoning. Heat over low heat until mixture begins to thicken. Then squeeze lemon juice into the sauce and remove from the heat. Whisk ingredients together to ensure lemon juice is fully incorporated. Season with a pinch of salt.
• Once rice is finished, pour sauce into the skillet with the chicken and rice. Mix together. Slice chicken and toss together.

Watch The Video

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 562mg | Potassium: 1288mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3432IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 3mg

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Cajun

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