Grab your skillet and make these juicy, crispy skinned chicken thighs nestled in smoky, Cajun spiced rice with red beans, red bell peppers and tomatoes.
An easy, breezy one skillet WONDER of Cajun-y chicken, rice and beans DELICIOUSNESS.
This skillet meal will make you feel like your vacationing RIGHT by the Bayou… alligator airboat ride not included.
Here’s what’s going on in this skillet:
Juicy, tender, crispy skinned chicken thighs snuggled up in some slightly spicy, smoky, fluffy, perfectly cooked rice loaded with a blend of Cajun seasonings and studded with plump red beans, fire roasted tomatoes and sweet red bell peppers.
Creole flavor town USA, people.
Grab a hurricane, make this dish and get ‘er done.
First you will start by seasoning the chicken GENEROUSLY on ALL sides with some Cajun spice mix.
Because FLAVOR.
Then you heat a splash of oil in a skillet, add the chicken and cook until golden brown and delicious on both sides. Transfer the chicken to the plate and set aside.
Add the onion and bell pepper to the (same) skillet and season them liberally with salt and pepper.
Because MORE FLAVOR.
Cook them until they are softened and lovely. Pour in the stock, sprinkle in some more Cajun seasoning, and dump in the beans and tomatoes.
Give everything a nice stir to combine and then add the chicken back to the skillet, nestling it in the rice. Cover the skillet with a lid and pop it into an oven preheated to 350 degrees F.
Go pour yourself a cocktail and come back 25 minutes later. Remove the lid and continue to bake for roughly 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked though.
Remove the skillet from the oven, garnish everything with some fresh parsley and thinly sliced jalapenos.
Grab the largest fork humanly possible and dive right in.
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Red Beans and Rice Chicken
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Grab your skillet and make these juicy, crispy skinned chicken thighs nestled in smoky, Cajun spiced rice with red beans, red bell peppers and tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Thighs (Bone-in (either skin-on or skinless, depending on preference))
- 2 TBS Cajun Spice Mix* (divided)
- 2 TBS Olive Oil* (divided)
- 1 small Yellow Onion – peeled and diced (about ___ Cup)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper – diced
- 1 Cup Long Grain Rice
- 1 ½ Cup Chicken Stock (or broth)
- 1 15 ounce Can Red Beans – drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes WITH their juices
- Optional Garnishes: Chopped Fresh Parsley (Sliced Jalapeños)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Season chicken on all sides with 1 ½ tablespoon of the Cajun spice mixture.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, straight-sided skillet (with a tight fitting lid) over medium-high heat. Add chicken (skin side down) and cook until browned all over, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- (If using skinless chicken thighs or pan is dry, add remaining tablespoon of oil*). Add the onion and bell pepper. Season with generously with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the rice, stirring to coat. Add the stock, beans, diced tomatoes and remaining ½ tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine and increase heat to medium high.
- Add the chicken, skin side up, back to the skillet, nestling it on top of/partially in the rice. Bring contents to a simmer. Immediately cover the skillet with the lid and transfer to the preheated oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes and remove lid. Continue to bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and jalapenos if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
1. The recipe below calls for bone-in chicken thighs. You can either use skinless or skin-on. I recommend using skin-on (what I used), because the crispy skin is downright delicious.
2. You can use any kind of skillet you would like for this recipe, but make sure it is straight sided, has a tight fitting lid, and it is oven safe. I used a 12’’ cast iron skillet.
3. You can purchase Cajun spice mix at the store, or you can make your own. I highly suggest you make your own. You probably already have all the seasonings in your pantry, and making your own is much cheaper than buying a prepared one. To DIY – Cajun Spice Mix:
1 TBS Paprika
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 ½ -2 tsp Cayenne (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Dried Oregano
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main
Comfort food without any junk!! A shout out from our sisters and brothers in arms from the realfood-project.com