Cajun chicken is a favorite way to add great flavor to chicken breasts!

With just 3 ingredients, you can simply season, bake, and enjoy. Serve it over sliced over salad or tucked into a wrap or roll.

close up of Cajun Chicken

You’ll Love This Chicken Because…

  • It’s fast and flavorful, simply season and bake (or air fry).
  • From scratch (or store bought) seasonings
  • This DIY signature Cajun seasoning can be used for shrimp or salmon, or whisked into a quick and easy creamy dip.
cajun seasoning , oil , chicken , salt and pepper with labels to make Cajun Chicken

Ingredients and Variations

Chicken – Fresh chicken breasts, thighs, frozen strips, and wings can all be prepared using this recipe. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness to ensure even cooking, if necessary

Seasonings – Buy Cajun spice or make our DIY version, and adjust the ingredients to suit your palate, especially the cayenne and red pepper flakes.

Variations – Bake chicken with a few slices of lemon or lime, or some roasted vegetables for a full meal deal!

seasoned chicken on a sheet pan to make Cajun Chicken

How to Make Cajun Chicken

Cajun Chicken is a simple and flavorful dish that can be on the table in under 30 minutes.

  1. Toss prepared chicken breasts in oil and seasonings, as per the recipe below.
  2. Bake until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
  3. Let chicken rest before serving.

Ways to Serve Cajun Chicken

Bold and flavorful Cajun chicken is excellent mixed into fettuccine Alfredo, added to a chicken and sausage gumbo, or added to summer squash and rice. Slice pieces thinly and serve on top of a chicken Caesar salad.

Cajun Chicken on a cutting board

Leftover Cajun Chicken

  • Keep leftover Cajun chicken in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Enjoy it cold in a sandwich, wrap, or on top of a salad, add it to a jambalaya, or make a chicken noodle casserole extra zesty!
  • Freeze pieces in zippered bags for up to one month and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Best Baked Chicken

cooked Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts on a plate with mushrooms

Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast

Did your family love this Cajun Chicken recipe? Leave us a rating and a comment below!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
close up of Cajun Chicken
5 from 2 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Cajun Chicken

Cajun chicken breast is coated in a delicious blend of spices and oven-baked until perfectly tender and juicy!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rest Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

a rimmed baking pan
Baking Sheet
Instant Read Thermometer on white background
Instant Read Thermometer
Large Bowl
buy hollys book

Ingredients  

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 5 to 6 oz each
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning see notes for homemade
  • salt and black pepper optional, to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Brush olive oil over chicken breasts, coating both sides. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning over chicken and rub to evenly coat.
  • Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken breasts reach and internal temperature of 165°F.
  • Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Smaller chicken breasts will take closer to 20 minutes, larger chicken breasts will take closer to 25 minutes. For best results, use an instant read thermometer.
Chicken breasts can vary in size from 5 oz to 10 oz. The cooking time listed is for average-sized boneless breasts, 5oz to 7oz each.
If the chicken breasts are very thick on one end, pound with a meat mallet to a more even thickness.
To make homemade Cajun seasoning, combine the following:
  • 2 tablepoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons each salt, dried oregano, dried thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon each cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes
 
5 from 2 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 201 | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 1758IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American
sliced Cajun Chicken with a title
oven roasted Cajun Chicken with writing
Cajun Chicken on a cutting board and close up of a piece cut into slices with a title
sliced roasted Cajun Chicken with a title

share:

PinFacebookTweetYummly

Categories:

, , ,

Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!

Follow us on Pinterest

Recipes you'll love

About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly

Follow Holly on social media:

pinterest facebook twitter instagram

Free eBook!

Subscribe to receive weekly recipes and get a FREE Bonus e-book: Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals!

You can unsubscribe anytime by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of emails you receive.

Latest & Greatest

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating