Juicy, crispy skinned chicken thighs nestled in smoky, Cajun spiced rice studded with red beans, red bell peppers and tomatoes. This Skillet Cajun Chicken is a complete meal made in ONE skillet with only 8 ingredients. Easy, breezy and packed with flavor, this Cajun Chicken is weeknight dinner winning!
Hey there, friends! Happy Thursday… the ugly red-headed stepchild to Friday’s golden haired golden boy.
Did you like that?! I wish I could take credit, but I totally stole it from someone on Face Book. 😇 Just when I thought the book of face was good for nothing I go and find a little jewel of TRUTH. Needless to say, FB and I are back to being besties.
Any-who, now that we got THAT out of the way, there is something I just MUST say.
OUR LATEST VIDEOSWarning, I’m going to complain.
You ready?
Feel free to put your hand in the air, and wave around like you just don’t care, in preparation to slap me silly. I can take it. I have thick skin.
OR, you can scroll down, skip this section all together and murmur some choice words at me.
Whatever floats your boat.
Complaint will commence in 3. 2. 1…
I HAAAAAATE these photos. I like more organized, purposeful POPS of colors versus a jumbled, chaotic hot mess of radiant color. It’s probably the OCD in me.
So if you could just bear with me and ACT like these photos are pretty I would be much obliged.
Deal? I’m going to pretend like you said, ‘ABSOLUTELY’!
You guys really are the best. 😉
Oh! OHHH!! Speaking of pictures, if you follow this here little blog, you know my computer kicked the bucket exactly one week ago.
Since I’m sure you are just DYING to know how the situation panned out, I’ll give you a little update.
Boy was able to save most of the raw photos off my old computer, but all my edited and personal photos are gone with the wind. Along with anything business-y I had on Photo Shop, like my press kit, an eBook I was working on, and logo design.
Basically I lost A TON of work. However, I’m a glass half full kind of chick, so I’m just celebrating the fact ALL was not lost. Yay?
Then again, I would gladly trade THESE photos for some of the important stuff that got erased. But, I know life doesn’t work like that.
You win some, you lose some. Amirite?
A bunch of you asked if I back up to an external hard drive and OF COURSE I did. Well, I THOUGHT I did. You see, the photos were set to back up to the EHD, but instead they somehow got switched to exporting to the INTERNAL hard drive without me noticing. YIKES, right?
Let my predicament serve as a cautionary tale and MAKE SURE you are ACTUALLY backing up to an EHD. Don’t take your computers word for it. The google machine tells LIES! 😉
Anyways, I’ll quit reading your eye balls off and get back on track to today’s dish.
I know you have things to do and weekends to plan. And I’m totally on board with that. High five.
Skillet Cajun Chicken with Red Beans and Rice
AKA an easy, breezy one skillet WONDER of Cajun-y chicken, rice and beans DELICIOUSNESS.
This skillet meal will make you feel like your vacationing RIGHT by the Bayou… alligator airboat ride not included.
Here’s what’s going on in this skillet:
Juicy, tender, crispy skinned chicken thighs snuggled up in some slightly spicy, smoky, fluffy, perfectly cooked rice loaded with a blend of Cajun seasonings and studded with plump red beans, fire roasted tomatoes and sweet red bell peppers.
Creole flavor town USA, people.
Grab a hurricane, make this dish and get ‘er done.
Is Cajun chicken spicy?
In my opinion, Cajun chicken is mildly spicy.
The primary heat source for cajun spiced chicken comes from the cayenne pepper. However, there is less cayenne in Cajun seasoning compared to the other spice ingredients, so cajun seasoning is normally quite mellow.
Nonetheless, this easy cajun chicken can be made more or less spicy by adjusting the amount of cayenne pepper in the cajun seasoning blend.
What is cajun spice made of?
Cajun seasoning is a blend of salt with a variety of spices, most commonly including cayenne pepper, paprika and garlic.
The homemade cajun seasoning recipe below is made up of salt, cayenne, paprika and garlic as well as onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano and fresh ground black pepper.
How to Make Cajun Chicken:
First you will start by seasoning the chicken GENEROUSLY on ALL sides with some Cajun spice mix.
Because FLAVOR.
Then you heat a splash of oil in a skillet, add the chicken and cook until golden brown and delicious on both sides. Transfer the chicken to the plate and set aside.
Add the onion and bell pepper to the (same) skillet and season them liberally with salt and pepper.
Because MORE FLAVOR.
Cook them until they are softened and lovely. Pour in the stock, sprinkle in some more Cajun seasoning, and dump in the beans and tomatoes.
Give everything a nice stir to combine and then add the chicken back to the skillet, nestling it in the rice. Cover the skillet with a lid and pop it into an oven preheated to 350 degrees F.
Go pour yourself a cocktail and come back 25 minutes later. Remove the lid and continue to bake for roughly 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked though.
Remove the skillet from the oven, garnish everything with some fresh parsley and thinly sliced jalapenos.
Grab the largest fork humanly possible and dive right in.
What goes with cajun chicken?
Red beans and rice as well as roasted red bell peppers are absolutely delicious with cajun chicken! Since this is a skillet dish, the chicken as well as the red beans, rice, fire roasted tomatoes and diced bell pepper are all cooked together resulting in a fuss-free, complete meal!
If you are serving people with a larger appetite, roasted potatoes, collard greens or green beans also make delicious vegetable options!
Or, if you are looking for an appetizer to serve with this easy cajun chicken, hush puppies would pair fabulously!
Notes, tips & Tricks for Skillet Cajun Chicken with Red Beans & Rice recipe:
- The cajun chicken recipe below calls for bone-in chicken thighs. You can either use skinless or skin-on. I recommend using skin-on (what I used), because the crispy skin is downright delicious.
- You can purchase Cajun spice mix at the store, or you can make your own. I highly suggest you make your own. You probably already have all the seasonings in your pantry, and making your own is much cheaper than buying a prepared one. I included the recipe to DIY in the notes section of the recipe below.
- You can use any kind of skillet you would like for this recipe, but make sure it is straight sided, has a tight fitting lid, and it is oven safe. I used a 12’’ cast iron skillet.
Transport your taste buds to the Big Easy and make this Skillet Cajun Chicken with Red Beans and Rice. Your mouth will high five you, I swear.
Until next week friends, cheers – to ragin’ Cajun chicken.
XOXO
Cheyanne
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The best Skillet Cajun Chicken recipe with red beans & rice👇
Juicy, crispy skinned chicken thighs nestled in smoky, Cajun spiced rice studded with red beans, red bell peppers and tomatoes. This Skillet Cajun Chicken is a complete meal made in ONE skillet with only 8 ingredients. Easy, breezy and packed with flavor, this Cajun Chicken is weeknight dinner winning!
- 4 Chicken Thighs , Bone-in (either skin-on or skinless, depending on preference)
- 2 TBS Cajun Spice Mix , divided*
- 2 TBS Olive Oil , divided*
- 1 small Yellow Onion – peeled and diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper – diced
- 1 Cup Long Grain Rice
- 1 ½ Cup Chicken Stock (or broth)
- 1 (15 ounce) Can Red Beans – drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes WITH their juices
- Optional Garnishes: Chopped Fresh Parsley, Sliced Jalapenos
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Season chicken on all sides with 1 ½ tablespoon of the Cajun spice mixture.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, straight-sided skillet (with a tight fitting lid) over medium-high heat. Add chicken (skin side down) and cook until browned all over, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- (If using skinless chicken thighs or pan is dry, add remaining tablespoon of oil*). Add the onion and bell pepper. Season with generously with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the rice, stirring to coat. Add the stock, beans, diced tomatoes and remaining ½ tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine and increase heat to medium high.
- Add the chicken, skin side up, back to the skillet, nestling it on top of/partially in the rice. Bring contents to a simmer. Immediately cover the skillet with the lid and transfer to the preheated oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes and remove lid. Continue to bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and jalapenos if desired. Enjoy!
1. The recipe below calls for bone-in chicken thighs. You can either use skinless or skin-on. I recommend using skin-on (what I used), because the crispy skin is downright delicious.
2. You can use any kind of skillet you would like for this recipe, but make sure it is straight sided, has a tight fitting lid, and it is oven safe. I used a 12’’ cast iron skillet.
3. You can purchase Cajun spice mix at the store, or you can make your own. I highly suggest you make your own. You probably already have all the seasonings in your pantry, and making your own is much cheaper than buying a prepared one. To DIY - Cajun Spice Mix:
1 TBS Paprika
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 ½ -2 tsp Cayenne (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
©No Spoon Necessary. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use any images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe please do not list instructions, instead link directly back to this post.
Crispy skin chicken, black beans, red peppers – your Skillet Cajun Chicken with Red Beans & Rice sounds delicious and I know my boys (and I) would love it! So sorry to hear about all the important data that you have lost. It is always such a worry and backups don’t always work out – I have an automatic backup system too but it does not always do what it is supposed to so I try to backup manually every now and then. Love how positive you are about everything and your glass half full attitude. Have a wonderful weekend!
Ohhh Cheyanne… I’m currently plugging in my external hard drive – losing all your work is TERRIBLE!! I try to remember to back my files up regularly, but I still don’t do it as often as I’d like. I’m so sad for you, but in awe that you’re still thinking ‘glass half full!’ I totally would have been super sad and mad and frustrated… Ugggh.
Anyway, next point: I love these photos! 😉 No, I’m actually serious. Most of the photos on my site WISH they looked anything like this, so I definitely think you’re being too tough on yourself! Looks delicious, and any one pan meal is MY kinda meal.
Hope you have a great weekend girlie!
I’m so happy to hear all your photos weren’t lost but I know how many, many hours of your time were – and I’m sorry some of that massive work is gone. And double ugh since you did have a back-up in place and it still didn’t work. Sigh… but honestly girl, these pictures are fabulous! I started drooling with the first one and then the close-ups of that juicy spiced chicken just have my eyes going all googly! Not to mention, this is ALL kinds of a perfect for meal for me! Hubs went to school in New Orleans so we love the Cajun flavors in our house and as you know, I love anything that’s easy and delicious! Total win here! Pinned (cause I want that pretty picture on my board!) and excited to try it! XO
Your photos are gorgeous, Cheyanne! And I’m not just saying that! Some dishes can be so hard to photograph and edit, especially when the light stinks. I’ve learned to just deal with the horrible ones and move on. And isn’t it funny that sometimes, the photos that you like the LEAST, end up being some of your most popular recipes? At least that happens to me sometimes, and that always amazes me! And yay for being able to save some of your pictures! Now onto this chicken…give me ALL of it! I’m loving the cajun flavor here, something I don’t cook with often enough. This dish is just calling my name, looks so hearty and filling. Pinned, of course! Happy almost weekend, friend!
I love this dish (and your photos!). Glad you got some of your work back, at least.
What the heck are you talking about? Those photos are gorgeous! You cray cray, girl! Totally sucks about losing your edited and personal photos 🙁 Ugh! Freakin’ dang computer! Thumbs down, right?! Anyway, loving this dish. I would gobble this up in 10 seconds flat and if I could grab some from my screen, I would. Pinned! So many delicious flavours in one pot and that’s a winner in my books. Happy (almost) weekend. Woo hoo!! Cheers girl!
Flavour bomb!! This skillet Cajun chicken looks totally right up my alley.
I understand that as bloggers we’re all very critical of our photos…I pick mine apart until there’s nothing left, and sometimes I don’t even want to post something because I think the photos are subpar. Posting subpar photos is like having a bad hair day. BUT these photos are no where near subpar and don’t look like a glob of color! This dish is colorful and looks downright amazing, Cheyanne! You can tell there’s so much flavor in this dish and I want it for dinner!
Damn that looks so good dude! Hope all is well you’re site is gorgeous:)
Hey pretty girl, sorry to hear of the lost photos. Super big bummer. I back up to an external drive and I have Dropbox – but that’s just for unedited photos. Anyhow, glad some were saved – and as a glass half full chick also – this dinner looks absolutely delicious!!! I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt my kids will love this. They like the spice, especially Hudson, surprisingly. Thanks for another winner dinner recipe and I hope you and Boy have a fabulous weekend. We’re having an open house for our house sale this weekend and it’s so pretty out and even warmish, in the low 50’s — but all my ‘open house’ signs stuck in snowbanks around town are destined to fall over by Saturday a.m. Wish me luck!!! Have a super weekend my friend! XOXO
Oh dang! So sorry about the lost photos Chey! I had an issue with my computer a few months back…so stressful! UGH! I don’t know why you don’t like these photos! I think they look awesome. And this chicken sounds delicious. You know I love a good chicken thigh dinner, and I’ve even convinced Tom to come over to the dark side! Happy weekend!
I agree with MaryAnn…I think these photos are beautiful! Loving the rich, warm colors! This is a dish I could definitely sink my teeth into! Sorry you lost your hard work, my friend – that is quite the bummer! Quite! Hope your plans for the weekend include activities that are not computer related! Have a great one! xo
Oh man, all of that work. Good for you being a glass-half-full kind of gal, but, still – SO frustrating!
Loving all of the great big beautiful flavors in this, Cheyanne! I’m thinking that with Cinco de Mayo coming up, a plate of this would be perfect with an ice cold margarita!
okay, I just re-read my comment and, LOL. Apparently I’m hankering for spring, because Cinco de Mayo isn’t exactly ‘coming up’. 🙂
Dude, we sooooo need to go drink some wine asap. hahaha I am going on week two of NO COMPUTER whatsoever and it is killing me. Hence the no posting. Because wait for it, my laptop died too. A new computer is on the way but in the mean time I don’t have access to photoshop, etc. (I am using the husband’s and I am forbidden from installing anything on it lol). Le sigh. I FEEL YOUR PAIN.
Anyway, this looks delicious!!! But really I am commenting to complain about computers 🙂 haha Forgive me??
Book of face? Lol. You’ve just got all the hilarious sayings today. Wait a minute, you ALWAYS have the hilarious saying bc you’re just cool like that. 😉 As for your complaints: GIRL, what are you talkin’s about?!? OMG, that photo with the GORG-balls pops of beautiful apple green color via the jalapenos are just… amazing! Don’t be so hard on yourself! As your bestie, I order it to be! And geez… the switcharoo from external to internal: UGH!! I’m so sorry, Chey!! That seriously sucks. Well, at least you learned a big lesson and you’re still a bright side kind of gal! You know I’m always cheering you on. Big hugs & lots of even BIGGER cocktails to ya! <3 <3
Girl I’m definitely gonna slap you! These photos are just as pretty as always… I totally feel you though. Us type A’s are very particular and picky about little things 😉 But seriously, this chicken and rice looks amazing! I want the whole pan right now. I’m so sorry about you losing your work! What an awful thing. Glad you’re thinking positive, though! I’d probably be in the corner eating this chicken and rice while crying. LOL.
Cheyanne!! I just started my summer diet, and you do this to me?? You give me a recipe to Skillet Cajun Chicken with Red Beans and Rice?? This is totally low-fat right?? I want this in my belly right now. Chicken and Rick makes everything right. I LOVE THESE PHOTOS!!!! I think it’s the OCD in you because these photos are bomb diggity. Oh no, you lost your press kit and your ebook??? That’s not ok!
I love these photos, girl! This looks like SUCH a delicious meal – wish I could dig into it right now. Also, glad you recovered some of your photos, but I would be crying for real if I lost all of that work. My heart goes out to you, Cheyanne!!
Girl, I’m glad you were able to recover as much as you were! It’s sucks to lose all your work, but at least you have something to work with. And I don’t know what you are talking about with these photos because they are AWESOME! Cheers and hugs, friend! XO
Yeah, I am glad you recovered some of your work. Sorry girl, that is tough. I read your last post, and my heart dropped. We all fear this!
This recipe looks lovely. I love the one pot dinner approach.
For the record – when this email popped up in my inbox, my first thought was “ooh that’s gotta be one of her best pictures” so lady, I can quite easily “ACT” like these are good – cos IMO they are kickass! They are so good they distract me from even reading all the ingredients – simply droolicious!
So sorry to hear you lost all that work! Ugh! But, on a lighter note – I cannot wait to see that ebook! Happy Friday to ya – love that Thursday/Friday quote – my daughter always tells me whatever makes it onto FB was first on Twitter – but don’t think I’ve heard this one before!
glad to know all pics were not lost! this dish sounds so good, love the beans and rice!
Ahhh…girl. My computer died last week too (weird coincidence?) and I’ve now dropped the almost $2000 for a new one that should be arriving any day now. Ugh. So stressful. Glad to hear you didn’t loose everything. And at least you have this delicious skillet of comfort food!
So glad you were able to save some of your hard work. I could just dive into this pan, I don’t know where to begin, the spicy chicken, the rice and beans, the jalepenos… So delicious and flavorful!! BTW, I really like the photos but I have felt like you have many a times 😉 . Take care!
Oh gosh. How can you say these photos are not pretty? In fact, they are so beautiful, and I am not just saying it to make you feel good — I mean it. I always love the photos you click, and these are no exception. Can I pat your back? 🙂 And this skillet cajun chicken red beans rice sounds so delish. Red bell peppers, tomatoes — there is so much to love. Cheers, girl. 🙂 <3
Oh no! I’m so sorry your computer crashed and you lost so much! It’s a good reminder to me to back up, again! Sometimes I just forget! This red beans and rice dish looks perfect for Mardis Gras! Hope your weekend is awesome!
I really like these photos too. The colors are so crisp and clear! Sorry, you are still having computer problems and I know from experience how frustrating they can be. Hope everything gets worked out for you soon! xo
What a beauty, you’re too hard on yourself. I would be bummed, but I like your attitude about the drive and work loss. I have been there and it’s a shame, but we pick ourselves right back up and get busy, right?
We have such similar tastes in food and I’m sure that’s why I continue to come back here and get inspired. LOVE this one. Everything is fantastic and I also saw that pomegranate one, awesome!