Cajun Chicken and Rice (Easy Chicken Dirty Rice Recipe!)
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This Cajun Chicken and Rice recipe is easy, satisfying, and perfect for busy weeknights! It is a one-pan meal that everyone in the family will love. Learn how to make homemade chicken dirty rice with this simple skillet recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Cajun Chicken and Rice Recipe
You are going to fall in love with this hearty, Louisiana-style dish made with juicy chicken, fresh vegetables, and rice. It is perfectly seasoned and bursting with piquant Cajun flavor, but is so easy to make. The recipe is also very customizable, so you can easily adapt it to your preferences.
Perhaps best of all, everything gets cooked together on the stovetop in one pan. That means minimal cleanup is required to prepare this fast and flavor-packed meal. It is perfect for a busy weeknight, or anytime you and your family are in the mood for something spicy and satiating.
How to Make Cajun Chicken and Rice
As always, the full instructions are listed in the recipe below. But here are a few notes about each of the steps we will take to make this recipe:
- Sauté the chicken: Cook the chicken in a bit of oil and butter and then set it aside.
- Cook the veggies: Sauté a vegetable medley of chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper. These three vegetables are collectively known as “the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine”, as they provide the flavor base for the dish.
- Add the spices: Next, a blend of Cajun spices is added and lightly cooked until fragrant. Gently cooking the spices allows them to open up and release their aromas.
- Add the rice and broth: Stir in the rice and broth. Leave everything alone to cook, until most of the liquid is absorbed by the rice.
- Return the chicken: Add back the chicken to the pan and let it sit for a few minutes to warm though. Dinner is served!
That’s it! This is truly a fast and easy chicken dirty rice recipe that is absolutely packed with flavor.
Where to Get the Best Organic Chicken Online
I highly recommend only purchasing organic, humanely-raised chicken, because it is more healthy and ethical than factory-farmed meat. For the highest-quality organic chicken and other meats, I highly recommend using ButcherBox.
ButcherBox is a popular organic meat delivery service that delivers hormone-free and antibiotic-free cuts directly to your doorstep. Their meat selection includes free-range chicken, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, heritage breed pork, wild and sustainably-harvested seafood, and more.
If you want to learn more about ButcherBox and other top-notch meat delivery companies, I wrote an article called: The Top Healthy and Organic Meat Delivery Services. In that article, I review and discuss a bunch of online organic meat delivery services (including ButcherBox) that send healthy meat straight to your front door.
Possible Recipe Variations
There are all sorts of ways that you can customize this chicken dirty rice recipe! Some options could include:
- Add more protein: Cooked sausage or red kidney beans would be fantastic additions to this recipe.
- Add different veggies: Mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, or any leafy greens would be delicious too.
- Make it spicier: If you would like a spicier dish, you can add more cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Make it milder: If you are not a fan of heat, you can omit the cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes altogether.
This is a super flexible recipe, so feel free to adapt it to your tastes with your favorite ingredients.
More Easy Chicken and Rice Recipes
Looking for more simple chicken and rice inspiration? Here are a some of my favorite recipes that are easy-to-make and packed with flavor:
- Pineapple Chicken Coconut Rice
- Easy Chicken and Rice Skillet
- Chinese Chicken Fried Rice
- Cajun Chicken and Rice Skillet
- Spicy Thai Chicken and Rice
If you make this Cajun Chicken and Rice recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡
Cajun Chicken and Rice (Easy Chicken Dirty Rice Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- Optional garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a large pot or frying pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pot. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, paprika, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the rice and broth. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice and chicken has warmed through.
- Serve warm, garnished with cilantro if using.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you can, I highly recommend using organic chicken and grass-fed butter in this recipe for maximum health benefits.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
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Oh yum!!! This is going to be happening in my kitchen real soon!
Hi Carmen! Yay! You’ll have to let me know what you think of the recipe when you do make it! 🙂
This was insanely good! Thank you!
Hi Ingrid, thank you so much! You’re very welcome. 🙂