Creamy Cajun Chicken & Rice with Fluffy Long-Grain Rice
By Noah Bennett
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Prep the chicken‚ onion‚ and garlic ahead of time․ Cook rice and add cream at dinner time․ This four-serving cajun skillet recipe includes chicken and long-grain rice cooked in a creamy cajun sauce․ Individual servings of this dish can be eaten for lunch or dinner throughout the week with no further cooking required․
Long-grain rice is cooked in sautéed chicken broth and chopped chicken with other seasonings‚ such as onion and garlic and other Cajun ingredients․ Chicken broth seasons cooked rice in the pan․ Heavy cream is added to the cooked rice‚ not to the pan during cooking․ Olive oil is used for pan frying․ Additional salt and pepper can be added to the cooked rice․ Chopped parsley is set aside as a garnish․
Look for signs of chicken browning before adding other ingredients․ Bring broth and rice to a boil before covering and cooking․ Rice is cooked when it is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed․ Adding cream and stirring can help thicken and lighten the dish․ Overlapping ingredients when cooking this recipe in a skillet is the main issue‚ as it keeps the chicken from browning properly․
Serve parsley at the meal with garlic bread‚ green salads‚ coleslaw‚ roasted vegetables‚ corn‚ biscuits‚ and muffins․ Allow leftovers to cool before storing for future use․ Stir in chicken broth when reheating rice to add moisture․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Individual portions can be used for meal planning because the chicken and rice can be refrigerated in airtight containers to make a complete skillet meal ready to warm later․
- Smaller freezer portions reduce food waste‚ according to the author‚ who suggests freezing single portions of this recipe in freezer bags and thawing overnight to eat later․
- Gentle stove-top warming with broth can improve the texture of cold rice․ Using chicken broth can improve the texture of cold rice․
- A recipe for four people can help ensure you get appropriate serving sizes at lunch and dinner by simply dividing the skillet's contents equally․
- Prechopped chicken‚ onion‚ and garlic save preparation time when cooking․ The recipe instructions allow these ingredients to be preprocessed and stored in covered containers in the refrigerator․
- One pan can make meal prep more efficient by providing a way to prepare chicken‚ aromatics‚ rice‚ broth‚ and cream together in one pan and reduce dishwashing․
Ingredients
- •2 breasts chicken (diced)
- •1 cup long-grain rice
- •1 cup chicken broth
- •1 cup heavy cream
- •2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- •1 onion (chopped)
- •2 cloves garlic (minced)
- •salt (to taste)
- •pepper (to taste)
- •2 tbsp olive oil
- •parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- 2
Add the diced chicken and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the chopped onion and minced garlic, then cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- 4
Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning over the chicken mixture and stir well.
- 5
Pour in the rice and chicken broth, mixing gently to submerge the rice.
- 6
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
- 7
Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 8
Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
550
Protein
36g
Fat
25g
Carbs
45g
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