Cajun Butter Chicken
Tender and bursting with flavor, Cajun Butter Chicken breasts are easy to make and a great way to break out of the weeknight dinner routine. Made with everyday spices in about 20 minutes — and the sauce is incredible!
Best Cajun Chicken Recipe
Holy moly, am I excited to share this Cajun chicken recipe with you. This is one of those ultra quick and easy skillet dinners that is just packed with flavor, with a sauce so good I’m tempted to lick the plate!
Cajun butter chicken also checks lots of boxes in the busy family meal department:
- Easy to make in one skillet. Nothing extra to haul out — or to wash.
- Super fast. This takes just about 20 minutes start to finish.
- Bold yet friendly flavors. With a quick homemade seasoning blend, this packs in epic flavor but is on the sweeter side of Cajun-style dishes. This helps to keep it kid-friendly and easy to adjust to taste.
Serve this with a simple side of rice — white, brown, or cauliflower, as you like — and a side salad or steamed or roasted garlic green beans for an easy yet irresistible dinner. We also like it with corn, sweet potato fries, roasted red potatoes, or even just a simple steam-in-bag veggie mix.
Ingredient & Substitution Notes
Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need to make this, as well as possible substitutions. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts. For best results, use thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, which cook quickly! You can purchase chicken this way, though it’s usually more economical to purchase standard chicken breasts and butterfly them yourself by slicing through the middle. Chicken thighs also work but will take longer to cook.
- Brown sugar. Can be light or dark.
- Paprika. Sweet or smoky, though obviously a smoked paprika will contribute a slightly smokier taste.
- Dried oregano.
- Garlic powder.
- Onion powder.
- Chili powder. Just standard chili powder, the kind you usually use in, well, chili. 🙂
- Cayenne pepper. Only a smidge – it does not make the chicken or sauce extremely spicy.
- Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Olive oil, avocado oil, or another neutral cooking oil.
- Butter. Can’t have butter sauce without butter!
- Fresh minced garlic. I find the best results from using minced garlic to flavor the sauce, and the previously mentioned garlic powder to season the chicken breasts. In a pinch you could substitute more garlic powder here, but use fresh if you can.
- Chicken broth, preferably low sodium. If you’re using “regular” chicken stock or broth, I recommend omitting the salt from the seasoning and adding salt to taste at the end.
Pro Tip
The most impactful things you can do to improve the taste of your chicken dinners is to buy high-quality chicken and strive not to overcook it. I try to use air-chilled, organic chicken whenever possible; we really do notice a difference in taste. My favorite brand is Bell & Evans, but others that meet those criteria are also very good. Admittedly this can be pricey, but to me it is worth it, and I always stock up when I see it on sale.
This is a relatively sweet Cajun seasoning blend, with more brown sugar and less cayenne than some others. I find this gives you major flavor while keeping the overall effect palatable for most kids. For less sugar and more heat, reduce the brown sugar to 1 or 1.5 Tablespoons, and double the amount of cayenne.
Can I just use Cajun seasoning?
Yes! If you have a jar of Cajun seasoning — or Creole seasoning or blackening spice, which typically have similar flavor profiles — feel free to substitute that for the spice mixture that is rubbed into the chicken. Use 2-3 Tablespoons of seasoning, or as much as you need to thoroughly coat all the chicken on both sides when mixed with olive oil into a paste.
How To Make a Cajun Chicken Skillet
Grab a couple plates and a skillet — that’s all you need. A few simple steps:
- Mix up your brown sugar, spices, and enough olive oil to form a thin paste. Rub this all over the chicken to season it well.
- Sear chicken in a bit of olive oil and butter. As soon as it’s browned on both sides and fully cooked through, remove to a clean plate and set aside.
- Make the sauce by melting remaining butter in the pan, sautéing a bit of minced garlic, then adding broth and letting it simmer to thicken a bit.
- Return chicken to the pan, spoon sauce generously over top, and enjoy.
Pro Tip
If at all possible, use an instant read thermometer to test the chicken so you can remove it as soon as it hits 165 degrees F inside. This is the key to getting juicy chicken perfection every time!
Storage & Reheating
Any leftovers of this disappear fast from the fridge! It’s a straight up competition to see who can grab it first.
- Storage: Place leftover pieces of chicken in any airtight container, spoon sauce generously on top, and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. (These are our favorite meal prep boxes for the fridge.)
- Warming: Reheat on 50% power in the microwave until warmed through. Using half power reduces the odds that your chicken will dry out in the microwave; it’s worth the extra few seconds it takes. You can also warm in a small skillet or saucepan if needed. Add a splash of broth or water if needed to thin out the sauce a bit.
I have yet to try freezing this dish. I’ll share results if I do in the future!
Related Recipes
Love these bold flavors? You might also enjoy my recipes for jerk shrimp, jerk shrimp pasta, or jerk chicken with mango avocado salsa. We also love that chicken recipe in jerk chicken lettuce wraps — so healthy and so good!
Other favorite quick and easy chicken skillets include lemon thyme chicken, lemon rosemary chicken, and chicken cutlets in a light white wine sauce.
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Cajun Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar light or dark
- 2 teaspoons paprika sweet or smoky
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil divided
- 4 thin-sliced chicken breasts
- 4 Tablespoons butter divided
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low-sodium preferred
Instructions
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Combine brown sugar, paprika, oregano, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, black pepper, cayenne, and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a small bowl. Stir well, then rub this mixture all over the chicken breasts with your hands or with a fork.1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil, 4 thin-sliced chicken breasts
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Warm the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. As soon as the butter melts, add the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the outside is golden and the inside is cooked through to a temperature of 165 degrees F. Reduce heat to medium-low, then transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.4 Tablespoons butter
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Melt the remaining 3 Tablespoons butter in the same skillet, then add the garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant. Pour in the broth. Scrape the bottom of the skillet very well to remove any browned bits. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens a bit.3-4 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup chicken broth
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Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce generously over each piece. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- This is a relatively sweet Cajun seasoning blend, with more brown sugar and less cayenne than some others. I find this gives you major flavor while keeping the overall effect palatable for most kids. For less sugar and more heat, reduce the brown sugar to 1 or 1.5 Tablespoons, and double the amount of cayenne.
- Prefer to use store-bought Cajun seasoning? Substitute that for the spice mixture that is rubbed into the chicken. Use 2-3 Tablespoons, or as much as you need to thoroughly coat all the chicken on both sides when mixed with olive oil into a paste. Creole or blackening seasoning will have a similar profile.
