Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
One-Pot Cajun Chicken And Rice
Cajun seasoned chicken gives this rice dish a warm, savory flavor, with roasted red pepper softening into the grains. Olives add a salty bite at the end, and a squeeze of lemon brightens the rich chicken and rice together.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cooking method
- Stir fry · One pot · One pot & sheet pan
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Rice dishes
A few quick notes
1. Dry before seasoning
Pat the chicken thighs dry before rubbing on Cajun seasoning so the coating clings to their surfaces.
2. Brown before rice
Sear the chicken on both sides and remove it while you begin the rice and vegetable base.
3. Rest covered
Turn off the heat after the rice cooks and leave the pot covered for five minutes before finishing.
Get to know the ingredients
Chicken thighs
Start the seasoned thighs skin side down for browning, then return them over the rice to finish cooking.
Rice
Add basmati rice with roasted red pepper and stock after the onion and garlic have lightly browned.
Roasted pepper
Drain the roasted red pepper before stirring it into the rice mixture with the chicken stock.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for One-Pot Cajun Chicken And Rice
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Add the fresh finish
After the covered rest, top the rice and chicken with olives, chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
A little more help as you go
Lower heat after boiling
Bring the rice and stock to a boil before reducing the heat and returning the chicken to the pot.
Finish chicken with rice
Cover the pot and cook until the rice is tender and moist and the chicken is cooked through.
A few questions you might have
Does the chicken cook completely during searing?
It is only partially cooked after browning, then finishes cooking in the covered pot with the rice.
When should I return the chicken?
Bring the rice and stock mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and then return the thighs.
Should the roasted peppers be drained?
Drain the roasted red pepper before stirring it into the onion mixture with the rice and chicken stock.
Does the rice need resting?
Leave it covered for five minutes after turning off the heat before removing the lid and adding toppings.
What finishes the dish?
Top with pitted olives, chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges after the rice has rested covered.
Any more cooking tips?
Pat the chicken dry before rubbing on the Cajun seasoning so it sticks and the skin can brown. Cook the seasoned chicken first, then set it over the rice to finish cooking. Let the finished dish rest for a few minutes before serving so the rice has time to settle and soften.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: rasamalaysia.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
