Blackened Cajun Chicken with Gumbo Rice

Blackened Cajun Chicken with Gumbo Rice is a delicious one pot dinner idea using the flavors of New Orleans in a delicious skillet meal!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This Blackened Cajun Chicken with Gumbo Rice is packed full of flavor and a fantastic one-pot meal.  With the classic flavors of gumbo, it reminds me of New Orleans!  

My chicken and sausage gumbo recipe is a favorite around here, so I have been thinking of ways to enjoy the same flavors in a new dish.  This Blackened Cajun Chicken with Gumbo Rice does just that!

Blackened Cajun chicken with gumbo rice is a flavorful and spicy dish that combines elements of Cajun and Creole cuisines.

It features chicken breasts or thighs that are seasoned with a blend of spices and herbs, then seared in a hot skillet until they develop a blackened crust.

The chicken is typically served over a bed of gumbo rice, which is a flavorful rice dish inspired by gumbo, a popular Louisiana stew.

Instruction Overview

Find full recipe details and instructions in the recipe card below.

First you will cover your chicken in Cajun seasoning, and sear it on each side to make a crust-like texture.  This is the blackening process!  

When it is done on both sides, it should look similar to this.  Remove the chicken from the heat and set aside.

Then you are going to saute the celery and onion, and combine the other ingredients in the skillet.  

Add the chicken back in on top, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through, the moisture is absorbed, and the rice is tender.  Depending on how dry your rice is, this will likely take around 30 minutes.

If you have brown rice that is already cooked, you are ahead of the game!  You can use pre-cooked rice with the same ingredients, and just 1/2 cup of stock.  Dinner will be ready much faster!

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Blackened Cajun Chicken with Gumbo Rice

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chicken/Turkey, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Pork, Winter

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 741kcal

Ingredients

• 5 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 4 chicken breasts (or thighs)
• 3-4 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 small white onion finely diced
• 1 rib celery finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 1/2 Tablespoon gumbo file
• 1/2 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper use more to make it spicier
• 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup okra cut in pieces (frozen okra is perfect for this)
• 6 ounces smoked sausage cut into 1/2″ coins

Instructions

• Heat 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  5 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• While heating, rub 3-4 Tablespoons of the cajun seasoning on both sides of the chicken. Use more if you want it spicy.
  3-4 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning, 4 chicken breasts
• When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet. Cook until browned and there is a little bit of crust from the seasoning, approximately 5-7 minutes.
• Flip the chicken over and cook until there is a browned crust on the second side as well, approximately 3-5 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• To the same skillet, add an additional 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil.
• When heated, add the onion and celery. Cook until translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  1/2 small white onion, 1 rib celery
• Add the garlic, bay leaf, brown rice, gumbo file, 1/2 Tablespoon additional cajun seasoning, and red pepper. Stir to combine.
  2 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 1/2 cups brown rice, 1/2 Tablespoon gumbo file, 1/2 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• Add the stock, okra, and sausage coins. Stir to combine. Add the chicken back into the skillet.
  3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 1 cup okra, 6 ounces smoked sausage
• Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked completely through and the rice is tender with most of the moisture absorbed. The exact time will depend on how dry your rice is, approximately 30 minutes. Add additional stock if necessary.
• Serve the chicken warm on top of some rice.

Notes

This is a mild heat dish.  Add more red pepper or hot sauce to give it some spice.

If the chicken does not fit in the skillet with all of the other ingredients, you can also finish cooking it in the oven at 350F while the rice is cooking on the stove.

Have pre-cooked brown rice? Dinner will be faster!  Simply follow the instructions however use the cooked rice with just 1/2 cup of stock in the skillet.  You cook time will be greatly decreased as you are simply heating the rice through and marrying the flavors.  Make sure you still get your chicken cooked all the way through!

Gumbo filehttps://amzn.to/3EvDkRP can be found in the spice section of your grocery store, typically near the bottom with the other specialty seasonings.  You can also find it online.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 741kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 65g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 898mg | Potassium: 1558mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3368IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 4mg