Cajun Chicken with Tomato Rice
This is one of my favorite chicken weeknight dinners. It’s really easy to make, as everything is made in one large pan and there’s no compromise on flavor. It’s great for a family dinner, but also great for leftovers, reheating very well.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for 4 servings.
Chicken Breasts – 4 boneless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lb/680 grams).
Cajun Seasoning – 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning.
Bell Pepper – 1 large bell pepper, diced. Go with red, orange, or yellow for a bit of sweetness.
Garlic – 1 large garlic clove, minced.
Onion – 1 brown onion
Tomato Paste – 2 tbsp tomato paste
Tomatoes – 3 fresh tomatoes on the vine, about 1.5 cups when diced
Rice – 1 cup long-grain uncooked white rice like Basmati.
Chicken Stock – 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Olive Oil – 2 tablespoons olive oil
Butter – 2 tablespoons butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh Parsley to garnish
Lemon – a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of lemon zest
Prep
Before you start, get all the prep out of the way.
- Finely dice the onion.
- Deseed the pepper and dice it.
- Dice the tomatoes
- Mince the garlic
- Rinse & drain the rice. Make sure to rinse until the water comes out clear.
How to Make It
Step 1. Prep and season the chicken. First, flatten chicken breasts (so they’re of an even thickness) with a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Trim any excess fat with a knife or kitchen scissors. Season with Cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Step 2. Cook the chicken. Heat a deep 12-inch (or bigger) pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through. The chicken is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. Remove the chicken from the pan to a warm plate.
Step 3. Sauté the veggies. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and half the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes until lightly softened.
Add the bell pepper and continue sauteing for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes and cook them down for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Step 4. Add the rice, stock, and simmer. Make space in the middle of the pan, and add the rice, toasting it for a minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, reducing to a simmer. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is soft while still having a bite to it and the liquid is absorbed. Stirring the rice makes it cook faster and makes it slightly creamy.
Step 5. Return the chicken to the pan and steam the rice. Turn the heat off and return the chicken to the pan for about 2 minutes. Cover the pan to let the chicken heat through and the rice to slightly steam.
Step 6. Fluff up the rice and stir in the remaining butter, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of lemon zest. Season to taste. Optionally, top with fresh parsley.
This dish is great for a weeknight option. If you make it and love it, let me know your thoughts in a review and what the occasion was.
Printable Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 4 small boneless chicken breasts or cutlets about 6 oz / 170 grams each chicken breast
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 large bell pepper red, orange, or yellow; diced
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 fresh tomatoes on the vine about 1.5 cups when diced
- 1 cup long-grain uncooked white rice like Basmati.
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley to garnish
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- a pinch of lemon zest
Instructions
- Prep. Before you start, get all the prep out of the way. Finely dice the onion. Dice the pepper. Dice the tomatoes. Mince the garlic. Rinse & drain the rice.
- Prep & season the chicken. First, flatten chicken breasts (so they’re of an even thickness) with a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Trim any excess fat with a knife or kitchen scissors. Season with Cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a deep 12-inch pan over medium-high heat and add half the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan to a warm plate.
- Sauté the veggies. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes until lightly softened. Add the bell pepper and continue sauteing for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes and cook them down for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the rice, chicken stock, and simmer. Make space in the middle of the pan, and add the washed & drained rice, toasting it for a minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, reducing to a simmer. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is soft while still having a bite to it and the liquid is absorbed. Stirring the rice makes it cook faster and makes it slightly creamy.
- Return the chicken to the pan and steam the rice. Turn the heat off and return the chicken to the pan for about 2 minutes. Cover the pan to let the chicken heat through and the rice to slightly steam.
- Add the last ingredients. Fluff up the rice and stir in the remaining butter, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of lemon zest. Season to taste. Optionally, top with fresh parsley.
Finally, don’t forget to save this recipe to one of your ‘dinner’ or ‘chicken’ boards.
