This Cajun Chicken and Rice is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that is packed with flavor!! Chicken, rice, and traditional cajun food ingredients all come together in this quick and easy recipe. It is definitely one of our favorite cajun recipes. It’s perfect for busy weeknights!
We love this Cajun Chicken and Rice recipe. It’s so flavorful and filling — Perfect for a hungry family!
Cajun Chicken and Rice Ingredients
You only need 6 ingredients for this easy Cajun Chicken and Rice recipe!
Start by making the rice. Combine 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan, then bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 14 minutes.
Delicious Rice Tip for Cajun Food:
You can use chicken broth in place of the water, or throw in a chicken bouillon cube for extra flavor. It really adds a TON of flavor to the rice!
How to Make Cajun Chicken and Rice (Step by Step)
While the rice is cooking, take about one pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts and chop into 1-inch cubes. Season generously with your favorite Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning.
Next, add olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
When the oil is very hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side.
When the chicken is browned on both sides, remove to a plate and set aside.
We have some fabulous browning and flavoring going on in this pan!! Now for the veggies. If needed, add a little more olive oil to the pan…
Increase the heat to high, and when the oil is hot, carefully add the diced onions and bell peppers. I LOVE using a package of frozen diced onions and bell peppers for this. You don’t even have to thaw them first. It’s so easy to always keep veggies on hand, and I don’t have to chop them myself! If you’d prefer to use fresh veggies, dice 1 onion and 3 bell peppers.
Add a bit more cajun seasoning, and cook the veggies, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned around the edges.
When the veggies are done, add the tomatoes, then add the chicken back in, along with any juices that may have collected on the plate.
Add the cooked rice…
And stir until well combined. That’s it!! This Cajun Chicken and Rice recipe is a totally quick and easy dinner!! And look at all those cajun food flavors!!
Optional Addition:
To add a little cheesy goodness to this chicken and rice (and to tone down the spice a bit) at this point you can add 1 cup shredded cheese. Stir well to combine.
This easy Cajun Chicken and Rice recipe is SUCH a great quick and easy meal that is sure to be a hit! It will definitely spice up your dinner rotation.
Easy Cajun Chicken and Rice Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Cajun
Description
Easy cajun chicken and rice recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 2 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Cajun or Creole Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups diced onions and bell peppers
- 1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Combine rice, water (or broth) and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 14 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside when done. Keep covered.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch cubes. Season generously with cajun seasoning. Add one tablespoon of the olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, increase heat to high, and when the oil is hot, carefully add the onions and bell peppers. Add more seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and browned.
- Add the tomatoes to the onions and bell peppers, then add the chicken back in, along with any juices that may have collected on the plate. Add the cooked rice and stir until well combined. Add the cheese if desired and stir well to combine
What kind of onion?
Thanks!
I’m currently sitting here with a bowl of this in my other hand as I type this. It is THAT good. As others mentioned, it IS spicy, even for me who LOVES spice, but it’s easy to just use less seasoning (or even add more rice to soak up more of what’s already in the pan- this way the meal stretches even further!) I used 1/2lb of chicken and added a bit of some ground mild sausage for a little “oomph”. It absolutely did not need it, but is phenomenal with the addition. Make this. And then make it again and again And again! You won’t regret it!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it’s always good,
Recipe looks good and easy but when I try to print your recipe all the pop up ads block the instructions from printing. I will try this tonight as soon as I learn how to make creole seasoning.
Fast and delicious :)
I love you Kevin and Amanda! This was so delicious! I added some red pepper flakes as I was cooking and shredded lettuce to the top when it was finished. I will definitely be saving your recipe and cooking it again soon! Thank you!
I added garlic with the peppers & onions. Very good, but I think there was too much rice. Next time I’ll use another 1/4 of chicken per cup of rice & More vegetables. I also used a salt free Cajun seasoning and added very little to the vegetables. This is from a person that likes spicy foods.
Could probably add shrimp to pork to the chicken. I’ll try that tomorrow.
I could tell this recipe had the potential to be fantastic. I made it the first time as close as possible to the original. Then I experimented the next few times. FRESH peppers & onions, minced garlic and NO cheese. The last time I made it with half chicken and half shrimp. The chicken cooked right was a perfect with the shrimp.
No change to the rice, but please do not use instant. Make the real thing. Don’t use olive oil to brown the chicken. I used canola oil and an extremely hot heavy pan. Brown the meat good, I smoke the kitchen, and remove from pan. In a 2nd frying pan at medium heat, add olive oil, garlic and peppers & onions, which were cut into 1″ squares. Saute peppers & onions until they get soft. DO NOT brown them or over cook to brown color.
Transfer to the heavy pot at medium heat, quickly scrape the browning from the meat into the vegetables and add chicken & tomatoes. Add rice.
Saute seasoned shrimp in the 2nd pan with a little olive oil and garlic. OK to slightly under cook. Add to first pot, stir well. Ready when chicken is cooked thru.
Yes, it takes time, but with the chicken seared correctly and fresh peppers & onions, it’s worth the time.
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!!
Excellent ! Perfect!
This recipe elevates rice to something a little more special than just cooked rice. It’s fragrant with just a hint of garlic.
It works well with brown rice too. I tried it with garlic that I bought chopped in a jar but that didn’t work as well.
Now this is real food, can’t wait to make this!! Thanks
This is great as written, and I’ve made it a few times. I thought I would let you know that I actually successfully made it in my instant pot tonight! I started out by dicing up the chicken into about 1/2 inc pieces and dusting with cajun seasoning and little salt. I used McCormacks cajun seasoning, since I ran out of Slap Yo Momma and I live in New England. But the Mccormacks is actually very good and probably sold at most supermarkets in the US.
So I heated some oil on the saute function and cooked the chicken for maybe two minutes, then threw in the onion for a minute, then the pepper. Then I shut the IP off and stirred in a cup each of Uncle Bens Rice and broth. I cooked this on high for four minutes and after ten minutes of natural release I opened the IP and stirred in a can of seasoned diced tomatoes. I let it sit for another 3-5 minutes, covered and stirred in a cup of shredded cheese with one more stir. Even with no advance prep, this was a less than 30 minute turnaround. (Almost all of the prep could be done ahead).
Anyway, I thought you might like to have this report since IP recipe’s are so hot right now. I think the trick was adding the tomatoes to the slightly undercooked rice. But those are just my suggestions. It’s all your now!
Adding the cheese was a great idea! Came out delicious. I think i might put it in a taco afterwards :)
those chicken pieces are just out of this world,it tastes nice with rice.
This was such a tasty meal and so easy to prepare! Corn bread went perfect with it! Thanks for the recipe.
If you are looking for something extremely spicy this is the recipe for you! If you may not want it too overwhelming with spiciness i suggest you only add in half the can of diced tomatoe with green chiles and drain it first. Over all a very satisfying dish and good for that spicy flavor i was searching for.
Very pleased.
Very easy to make, ate it by itself and in a taco boat. Family enjoyed the recipe and I was told to keep it.
This dish was delicious followed the recipe exactly just doubled it for my big family everyone loved it. Very easy to make.
I’m no the best cook so I depend on great articles like this ! I made this tonight and actually used all the ingredients for a juicy burrito! It came out so good and spicy! I love it and you should def try this!
Dish tastes great. I went the Mexican route. Used taco seasoning with a little taco sauce. Kept the dish from being too dry and no additional salt needed. ?
I may have missed it, but which supermarket did you buy these ingredients at?
Looks amazing!
Can you do this in a crock pot? Any changes?
Have you tried adapting this for Instant pot yet? I would love to see that adaptation given! I made another IP cajun chicken rice tonight which was great, but this one sounds even better.
I would love to make this but rarely have chicken around. I will use pork roast that hubby cut up in small cubes or some andouille sausage or kielbasa or all of this.
As for Cajun spice, I will use Kashmiri mirch pepper (terrific flavor amongst the heat) or a dash of cayenne. Hubby doesn’t like garlic but I will add a dash and some freshly ground black and ground white pepper. The salt is in the Better Than Broth roasted chicken broth I always use. This broth has no MSG and is the secret to much of my success in cooking.
I always dry roast my rice in the same pan I cook it in until it is opaque white. This converts the starch and allows for a more fluffy rice. My dirty rice. : )
I just made this today and doubled the recipe because I knew it was going to be good. I’m glad I did because it was a huge hit with the family
I’ve made this many times. One of the best recipes I’ve come across. Even my picky family loves it!
Made this for dinner tonight. Amazing! Easy and really good!
What do you consider to be a serving size? A cup? Cup and a half?
It was spicy goodness and even more spicy after my boyfriend threw some diced jalapeno in with the veggies. He loved it but I think I won’t use as much spice next time.
This sounds so good but my husband doesn’t do anything spices. Any tips? How spiced is it?
OMG! So good, thank you for one of our new favorite recipes! :) I had Minute rice on hand and I thought it came out perfectly delicious. My boyfriend used the leftovers as a chip dip the next day, and he swears it was even better like that.
Hi, how is the chicken cooked through if you have only browned it?? Thanx in advance x
So easy to make and delicious!
So I just made this tonight and it was amazing!!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I made this for my husband and 12 year old daughter and they absolutely loved it! We are looking to try it out with shrimp as well. I did use a small bit of tomato juice (1/3cup maybe??) before I added the veggies to the pan to help deglaze it (I think this is the right term) and Tyson precooked shredded chicken (1 and a half bags) but there was a good amount of leftovers too. The next day I added drained and washed black beans, chicken broth, and water and made a delicious soup with the leftover!
This is DEFINITELY a hit with me!!! I’m so glad i came across this recipe while trying to find something DIFFERENT to try with Mr chicken breasts!! Totally fast, easy and DELICIOUS!! I tried Velveeta for a creamier blend and it’s perfection!!! Definitely one to try if u don’t have much time! Happy cooking!!
I made this recipe and I give it a 10/10! I used regular brown rice so that took about 45 min to cook. I’m a single girl and this made me dinner and 4 leftovers, well done!!
I made this and it was so easy and tasty!! Thank you for this recipe. I’m going to make it again this weekend.
TRIED THIS LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!!! AND QUICK
Im 16 and learning to cook. Just tried this, it was AMAZING!! ??
How did you get your long grain rice to cook in 14 minutes? The package says 35 minutes; mine has been cooking for almost 30 and does not look close to done.
My brown rice cooks in 17 minutes in a pressure cooker. I love it!
It’s a 1:3 ratio with rice and water. Pressure cookers are only like 25 dollars at Walmart, it makes cooking so much more time effective
All I had was instant white rice so I cooked it according to the package directions just substituted chicken broth for the water. I made 2 cups of rice and it turned out great!
Do you drain the Rotel before adding? Thanks!
I made this last night. It was quite good I must say. I got the idea for it when I went to a restaurant this past weekend with my husband and ordered jambalaya. I was expecting it to have different meats like shrimp, chicken, crab, mussel, sausage, and be very saucy. It wasn’t, the rice was in a bowl to the side and it only had chicken and shrimp. I told my husband i could of made it myself, and made it better than the restaurants was, I was highly disappointed. I felt like I was given a chicken stir fry.
That’s when I realized I can make it in a way that my husband who is allergic to seafood could eat it.
I thought I would have to use soy sauce and get real creative, I’m glad I came across your recipe. It allowed me to create the taste I really wanted with the ingredients I had on hand! Only thing I did different was use brown rice, and season with garlic, salt pepper, Plus the creole seasoning. I am in love.
Thank u
My favret dishlove the spices of a cajun meal! Yummy goodness thats simple and quick!
This meal is dangerously good! It has become a new favorite of me and my husband. Great job on it!
Can you make it ahead of time and freeze? Only 1 person in my house
I modified this recipe to be a larger dish, so I can eat it throughout the week as lunch at work. I also added chicken thighs for dark meat flavor. It’s delicious. Thanks for the post!
Would this be ok to cook in the crockpot?
Fantastic recipe. I didn’t have cajun seasoning so used some lime chili seasoning and chipolte rub seasoning. With the red pepper flakes it was spicey but oh so good. Thanks for sharing.
Melody
I had this tonight and it was super yummy but I think I used way to much of the creole seasoning because it was incredibly spicy. My husband really liked it but I couldn’t feed it to my kids. I used to same kind as in the picture so just be cautious and it was my first time using it so I wasn’t sure what to expect and I did’t try it before hand so my fault. Just thought I would give others a heads up so they don’t make the same mistake as I did. But I will definitely make it again. Thanks!
This was incredible, my husband and I absolutely loved it! It tastes exactly like the best jambalaya dishes I’ve ordered at restaurants. I added in some sliced andouille chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s right before adding in the onions and peppers. Thank you for a recipe we will definitely be making again!!
This was such a delicious recipe, and super easy! I cooked the chicken and left it aside, adding it to a separate pan of rice at the end since I’m a vegetarian and my husband is…well, the opposite. I also chopped up and added jalapeños for some extra heat. Served with guacamole and chips! Will definitely make this again, and often. There’s something so comforting about a warm, cheesy bowl of rice.
Delicious! Good call on the frozen veggies, it made it so much easier! I tried mine with cut spicy Italian sausage- can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for sharing :)
Ok, people……now I want this Cajun chicken fettucine!
I’m looking for the Cajun Fettucine Recipe that used to be linked here. It sounds lie several others are looking, too. Please let me know! I would have written it down if I knew it was going to be replaced. Thanks!
Thanks for the great idea! I added chicken sausage, tons of garlic and cayenne, a tiny bit of tomato paste and white wine, and gouda. It was to die for.
Oh my gosh just made this and it was absolutely delish. I didn’t have cajun spice so I used smoked paprika, garlic salt and black pepper. It was wonderful! Thank you!
Would it be alright to make this without the onion and peppers? Would any adjustments need to be made? Thank you! Looks wonderful.
I just made this and I think it would be totally fine without onion and peppers–they’re not necessary, although they do add really yummy flavor to the rice.
Where’s your Cajun chicken fettuccini recipe?!?! It was my favorite!!!!
Is it this one? Perfect, Creamy, Fettuccine Alfredo
Do I use instant rice?
No, just regular long grain white rice :)
This sounded so good, that I had to try it! I did use fresh onion and peppers. I followed recipe, and the only issue…my rice was still a tad crunchy. I will make it again and cook rice a bit longer. Other than that, it was very tasty!! I may go crazy and try kielbasa and shrimp in it next time =) Thanks for sharing!!
Oh, I didn’t use any salt. It was perfect without it!!
I started using a lot more water than normal. The bag says 2 parts water, 1 part rice. It’s more like 2.5 parts water to 1 part rice. Also, cook it at lower heat if you have the time.
Do you think this would be just as good with ground beef instead of chicken?
How much Cajun or Creole Seasoning you add to this recipe??
This is actually jambalaya, and can be made with smoked sausage, shrimp, just about anything. This is EXACTLY how I cook my jambalaya, which I learned from my mother, who was born and raised in South Louisiana.
Made this for dinner last night and really enjoyed it, only thing I would do different is maybe use half the portion of salt or salt to taste at the end because the creole seasoning itself tends to become a little salty. Other than that I enjoyed it quick and simple and beats box rice and day.
Eating this right now. It is INCREDIBLE. Thank you for sharing.
Made this last night. It was delicious! I added chorizo as a nice added bonus. Definitely will make again!
Love the spices of a cajun meal! Yummy goodness thats simple and quick!
Love this quick fix dinner idea! These flavors!! Mmm :)
This looks great! I just bought cajun seasoning for grilled shrimp, but I am going to have to try this!
This looks so easy to make! And delicious! I love quick easy weeknight dinners :)
My most frequent use for a can of rotel is the queso dip haha. This is a fantastic use for it!
Love meals like this! Perfect for busy weeknights!
This looks so easy and delicious! Like an easy jambalaya! Yum. Totally making this for dinner ASAP!
Well now I know what’s for dinner!!!
Oh man, this looks so good! And easy! I will definitely have to work it into our dinner rotation soon.
I’m down for anything that’s cajun! Simple meals like this are totally a life saver during the week!
This sounds delicious and easy! Pinned it to try!! I’m obsessed with Rotel…love that stuff!