This flavorful and juicy Cajun chicken recipe is prepared with boneless chicken thighs seasoned with a bold homemade spice rub, pan-seared, and finished in the oven. Served with sautéed cauliflower rice, it’s one of my best low-carb dinners.
Looking for another flavor-packed chicken dinner? Try my sweet-savory Bourbon chicken recipe that follows a similar weeknight-friendly cooking method.
Louisiana’s Cajun culture is known for its super-flavorful cuisine and bold spices. You might recognize it from recipes like jambalaya and gumbo. Today, we’re packing those flavors into a homemade Cajun spice rub and slathering it onto juicy bone-in chicken thighs to make delicious, easy, spicy Cajun chicken. I quickly sear the thighs first to crisp the outside, and finish them off in the oven to seal in the juices.
While the chicken bakes, sauté a side of cauliflower rice in the pan drippings leftover in the skillet. Dinner is ready in under an hour, and you won’t believe the amount of flavor on your plate!
Here’s Why You Need to Make This Cajun Chicken
- Quick. This is a great recipe for busy weekdays since it’s quick and easy to prepare the chicken and toss it in the oven.
- Bold Cajun flavors. Inspired by Louisiana cooking, this chicken is packed full of flavor from homemade Cajun seasoning. Make it with simple herbs and spices already in the pantry!
- Diet-friendly. This Cajun chicken thigh recipe is gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly.
- Versatile. Serve your Cajun chicken with cauliflower rice or regular rice. Or, debone and shred or chop the chicken to add to pasta, tacos, and more delicious meals.
What Cut of Chicken Should I Use?
I use bone-in, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, but boneless thighs and chicken breasts are a great choice, too. Chicken thighs and bone-in chicken will have more fat, resulting in moist and juicy chicken. Chicken breasts are leaner, and will take less time to cook.
If you’re using the latter, I recommend following my baked chicken breasts recipe and replacing the seasoning with Cajun spice.
Cajun Rub Ingredients
Like my mild chicken seasoning and spicy Jamaican jerk seasoning blends, this Cajun spice rub is very easy to make from scratch and, properly stored, keeps in the pantry for months. These are the ingredients you’ll need. You’ll find the exact amounts for each spice in the recipe card below.
- Paprika – Sweet or smoked paprika, depending on the flavor you’re after.
- Aromatics – Garlic powder and onion powder. You can replace one powder with the other if needed, since they’re quite similar. You’ll also need salt and pepper for this seasoning recipe.
- Herbs – Dried oregano and thyme.
- Heat – Cayenne pepper gives the rub a nice, spicy kick. You can adapt the amount of cayenne to taste, or omit it if you’re sensitive to spice.
Make a Big Batch
You can use this homemade Cajun rub on more than just chicken! Double or triple the ingredients and keep a jar on hand to use with seafood, like grilled tilapia, or use it to season a sheet pan shrimp boil.
Cajun spice is also famous for blackening recipes, like blackened mahi mahi and grilled blackened chicken, where meat is buttered, seasoned, and cooked at high temperatures to create a “blackened” crust on the outside. Give it a try if you love the flavors in this Cajun chicken!
Frequently Asked Questions
Cajun recipes get their flavor from Cajun seasoning, a spicy, smoky, savory blend that includes cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic, and thyme.
Yes, traditional Cajun seasoning is fairly hot, since those recipes often have a chili pepper base. My seasoning recipe uses paprika as a base instead, for a milder flavor, with cayenne added for heat.
Whether you use chicken breasts or thighs, use a meat thermometer to register the internal temperature at the thickest part of the chicken. Chicken is done when the temperature hits 165ºF.
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Prepare to bake. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly grease a roasting pan with cooking spray and set aside.
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Heat oil in a skillet. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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Make the Cajun rub. In a small mixing bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, fresh ground pepper, and cayenne pepper.
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Season the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Spray the thighs with cooking spray, and then rub the Cajun seasoning all over.
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Pan-sear the chicken. Sear thighs in the hot oil for 2 minutes per side, or until just browned.
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Bake. Transfer chicken thighs to the previously prepared roasting pan and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the chicken over in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Chicken thighs are done when the internal temperature registers at 165ºF. Please use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Prepare the Cauliflower Rice
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Add oil to the skillet. In the meantime, stir 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil into the skillet where you seared the chicken. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Please note: If there’s enough drippings leftover in the skillet, you may not need to add any vegetable oil.
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Sauté. Add the cauliflower rice to the warmed oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently.
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Serve. Remove thighs from oven, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve with cauliflower rice.
- Refrigerate chicken thighs within two hours of cooking. Make sure that they are completely cooled.
- Store chicken in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions
- Transfer completely cooled chicken thighs to an airtight container OR freezer bags.
- Label the bag or container with the name and date, and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving: 5ounces | Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 648mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Vitamin C: 64.3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1.8mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Cajun Chicken
You can have truly great chicken thighs every single time; all you need is 10 minutes of hands-on prep. Since we’re making the Cajun seasoning from scratch, you don’t have to go with the amounts listed. You can (and should) adjust to your own taste!
- Start by mixing the Cajun seasoning. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Season the chicken thighs. Rub the Cajun spice all over each bone-in, skinless chicken thigh.
- Pan-sear the chicken. Afterward, sear the thighs in a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side, or until browned.
- Bake. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan and continue to cook for 25 to 30 minutes in a 425ºF oven. Flip the chicken in the last ten minutes of cooking.
- Cook the cauliflower rice. In the meantime, toss some riced cauliflower in the skillet with the leftover drippings. Sauté for 4 minutes, or until tender.
- Serve. Lastly, remove the chicken thighs from the oven. Garnish the chicken with green onions and serve it with your prepared cauliflower rice. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Method
To make this spicy Cajun chicken in the air fryer instead, follow the directions for my air fryer chicken thighs. Prepare the Cajun chicken thighs as directed, and cook at 400ºF for about 20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. Alternatively, you can cook your chicken thighs on the grill or make stovetop chicken thighs.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Chicken
- Refrigerate. Store the leftover Cajun chicken separately from the cauliflower rice. Refrigerate the chicken within 2 hours of cooking, and keep it airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. Warm the chicken in the oven, microwave, or in the air fryer if you have one.
- Freeze. You can freeze the baked, cooled Cajun chicken thighs for up to 3 months in a labeled freezer bag or container. Thaw the chicken in the fridge before reheating.
