Grab your favorite skillet and whip up this easy, ultra-flavorful Cajun Chicken and Rice! Made with just one pan, homemade Cajun seasoning mix, and ready in 30 minutes for a quick and simple family-favorite meal.
Loving one pot wonders for busy nights? You’ve gotta try Chicken and Potatoes with Dijon Cream Sauce, One Pot Enchilada Orzo, and One Pan Mediterranean Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
I absolutely love one pot meals because a) minimal clean up and b) minimal clean up. Can you tell I’m a fan of the minimal clean up? Between the ease of this dish and the loads of super-duper yummy flavor, I can’t get enough of it. Since the husband has been out of town, I’ve been eating leftovers all week and I am not complaining about that! I’ll take spicy Cajun chicken and rice leftovers any day!
Why This Recipe Works
Flavorful – I really wish these photos did this dish justice, but they just don’t. You can’t capture all of the flavors and spicy goodness accurately in pictures and believe me, I really really tried. This is one of those times when you really need smell-a-vision.
Easy – ONE POT DISHES ARE LIFE. There I said it. I love no muss, no fuss meals that take less than 30 minutes and taste amazing. This is it guys, the one you want to make tonight!
Few Dishes – Because this is a one-pot meal, that means there’s only one skillet to clean up. Give me a hallelujah for minimal clean-up!
Simple Ingredients – Not only is this Cajun chicken recipe simple to make, it’s made with simple ingredients, too. And you can make this spicy chicken dish even easier by making your own Cajun seasoning to go right along with it. Just make up a batch and get the seasoning out whenever you’re in the mood for something delicious with a hint of heat.
Here’s How You Make It
- First, rub olive oil all over the chicken, then season it generously with that awesome Cajun seasoning. (not pictured)
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the honey. (photo 1)
- Using tongs, place chicken in the pan. Brown the chicken on each side for 1-2 minutes. Take the chicken out and put it on a plate, cover to keep warm, and set aside. (photos 2-3)
- Add celery, bell peppers, and garlic to the pan and sauté for 1 minute (there should be enough oil/butter left in the pan from the chicken but if not you can add 1 tablespoon of butter if needed). (photo 4)
- Add rice, cajun seasoning, and broth to the pan and bring to a boil. (photo 5)
- Reduce the heat down to a simmer and add the chicken back in, right on top of the rice. Cover and cook the Cajun chicken all together for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. (not pictured)
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve the chicken and rice with a few spoonfuls of diced mango, pineapple, or salsa. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. (photo 6)
Side Dish and Serving Suggestions
Sure this one-pot meal has it all, but if you want a little something on the side (like a vegetable), then these are great complements!
- The easiest side salad ever, you can put this salad together in no time flat, with just about whatever you have in your veggie drawer. Top with homemade cilantro ranch for a great healthy side.
- Roasted veggies like asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are great with this one pot chicken and rice, and only require one more dish to clean. Not bad, not bad.
- Dinner rolls go with everything. These one-hour rolls are great with this spicy chicken dish and also you can cook them ahead of time and they make great leftovers.
- Cornbread is an excellent nosh and goes with this one-pot chicken and rice so well. Add some finely diced pickled jalapenos to the batter if you like your cornbread a little on the spicy side.
Customizations
- Add a can of fire-roasted tomatoes (drained) to the rice before adding the lid and cooking the rest of the way.
- A can of drained, rinsed white beans can up the flavor profile of this chicken dish and add texture and protein too.
- If you don’t like cilantro and lime for garnishes, consider using parsley and lemon or one or the other, or neither.
- Make this Cajun chicken even spicier by topping with red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce (I love Tabasco brand Chipotle sauce) or add a diced jalapeno to the celery and bell pepper mix.
Expert Tips
- If your kids are not a fan of spicy food, I suggest you only add the Cajun to the chicken OR the rice or leave a piece of chicken plain without the seasoning for your picky eater.
- While I highly recommend adding mangoes to this dish, if you aren’t a fan or don’t have any, consider adding diced pineapple OR store-bought mango or pineapple salsa. This bit of sweetness adds so much depth of flavor to the dish, you won’t regret it!
- Leftover Cajun chicken and rice will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Cajun Recipes
- Shrimp Boil Foil Packs
- Cajun Grilled Salmon
- Sheet Pan Jambalaya
- Cajun Shrimp and Rice Skillet
- Sheet Pan Cajun Shrimp and Potatoes
Did you try this easy one pot Cajun Chicken and Rice Skillet meal? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!
One Pot Cajun Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - or chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 mangoes - diced (optional)
- handful cilantro - chopped
For the Rice
- 1 tablespoon butter - as needed
- 1 celery stalk - thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper - diced (I used red)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup long grain white rice - uncooked
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth - I used low sodium
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Rub olive oil all over chicken. Season with Cajun seasoning all over.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Once the butter is just melted, stir in the honey.
- Add chicken to the pan and brown for 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add celery, bell peppers, and garlic to the pan and saute for 1 minute (there should be enough oil/butter left in the pan from the chicken but if not you can add 1 tablespoon of butter if needed).
- Stir in rice, cajun seasoning, and broth. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer (medium-low), return chicken to pan (place on top of rice), cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender.
- Fluff rice with a fork and serve chicken and rice with a scoop of mangoes (or alternate option, see notes), fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for squeezing.
Can you recommend how to adjust to make with brown rice?
You will need to add a little extra liquid and increase the cooking time by a bit because brown rice does take a little longer to cook
This dish is slamming. My teenage son is a picky eater it’s tough to find something I make that he likes, finding something we both like has never happened, until this recipe. Ive made a variation of this recipe for him for a while now but never thought to add honey. He likes spicy, I like sweet and spicy. We both love this dish. I made it for dinner last night we ate the leftovers later that night and he asked if I could make it again today. Legit a winner winner chicken dinner moment.
I’m a new one pot meal stan! I added onions and the fire roasted tomatoes and the white beans!! I was too lazy to add the cilantro and mango but it’s still bomb!! I can’t stop eating the rice mix. Thanks!!
Rice was too salty, next time will only add one teaspoon..
I forgot honey and I used pre-marinated Cajun chicken from market basket and I subbed onions for celery because I didn’t have any but nevertheless it was yummy! Added a couple of drops of Louisiana hot sauce! Will try next time with honey and probably some beans as well. Thanks for recipe!