Cajun Chicken and Rice has always been a favorite at our house. There’s a little Cajun spice to give it some ‘kick’, but combined with the perfect sticky rice…it’s so flavorful and packed with that Southern Cajun taste. The medium-brown roux is the trick! But this is not hard to make. 100% Loon Approved!!
Cajun Chicken and Rice
This Cajun Chicken and Rice dish is one of our favorites. It's got that nice Cajun kick, but goes so perfectly with the sticky steamed rice. You're gonna love this one!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 - 6
Ingredients
- FOR THE SPICE RUB:
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper use 1 teaspoon for less heat
- 2 teaspoons chili powder Ancho or New Mexico is good
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- FOR THE STEW:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, and 4 boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1 small poblano chile seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 5 plum tomatoes chopped
- 2 cups canned tomatoes
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
- 4 fresh bay leaves or 2 dried
- 1 teaspoon of hot sauce ie, Tobasco, Crystals, or our favorite: Louisiana
- FOR THE PERFECTLY STEAMED RICE:
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 & 1/2 cup water
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- Scallions diced
Instructions
-
MAKE THE CAJUN CHICKEN:
-
Whisk together the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl.
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Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, and add the rub mixture. Use your hands to evenly coat, and set aside.
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Heat the oil in a large pot, or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke a little.
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Meanwhile, toss the chicken with the flour to coat.
-
Shaking off the excess flour from the chicken, transfer the pieces to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides. Do this in two batches, so you don't overcrowd the pan - the chicken should be in one layer, and not on top of each other.
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Reserve the leftover flour (you need about 1/4 cup...add more flour if needed).
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Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a platter, leaving the oil in the pan (you should have 1/4 cup...add more if needed).
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Add the remaining flour to the oil, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes to create a medium-brown, peanut butter-colored roux.
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Add the onion, celery, poblano, and garlic, and cook for another 5 minutes.
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Add the chicken, tomatoes, stock, thyme, bay leaves, and hot sauce.
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Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a light gravy and the chicken is very tender.
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Taste and adjust seasonings.
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Serve over Perfectly Steamed Rice with chopped scallions as garnish (recipe below)
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MAKE THE PERFECTLY STEAMED RICE:
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Combine the rice, water, bay leaves, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Reduce the heat to very low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.
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Remove from heat, and keep covered for an additional 5 minutes.
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Remove the lid, cool for a few minutes, and then fluff the rice with a fork.
