If you are looking for a high-protein dish that is so easy to make, you just found it! These Cajun Chicken Bites are the perfect quick meal for a busy night. They are ready to go in under 20 minutes. My hubby is from Louisiana and loves the cuisine, this recipe is a favorite of his!
This recipe is similar to my blackened pork tenderloin or even my steak bites. All are high-protein and so easy to make!
What Makes This Dish So Good?
Well, the flavors of course. Chicken is such a neutral protein and it really lets the cajun flavors shine! This dish is spicy, but you can always tone it down a bit if you like. I will note those adjustments in the recipe and in the notes section.
One thing that really makes this dish awesome is how easy it is to make. Yes, it takes some time to cube your chicken, but after that, it comes together so fast.
This is a great high-protein, low-fat recipe. This meal helps keep me on track with my health goals. You can easily serve this with my cajun mashed potatoes or if you are going healthier, how about a salad instead? Either way, you cannot go wrong.
Ingredients
- Chicken- I used boneless skinless chicken breast, but you can also use chicken thigh if you prefer.
- Cajun or creole seasoning- You will find the storebought seasonings are pretty similar in flavor whether they are creole or cajun. Yes, there is a difference in the cuisine. Yes, I know what the difference is, but for this recipe, both will work. Tony Chachere is a standard in our house, but you can use whatever type you like.
- Paprika- I do not use a smoked paprika for this dish, just regular paprika.
- Onion and garlic powder- yes, we will be adding other spices in addition to the cajun seasoning.
- Cayenne- this amount will be a variable, depending on how spicy you like you food.
- Salt and pepper- these will be to taste at the end. Depending on what seasoning you use for the creole/cajun you may need a little more salt or pepper.
- Butter- would it be a Southern recipe if it didn't have butter?
- Bell peppers- these are optional, but I really love them in this recipe.
How To Make
Start by cutting your chicken into 1- 1 ½ inch chunks. You can go bigger, but just know they will take longer to cook if you do.
Heat your skillet, I used my Lodge cast iron skillet, but you can use whatever you like. Once it is heated, add in the butter and melt. When the butter is hot, add in the chicken.
Sprinkle with the seasonings and start mixing. This chicken will cook quickly, so keep an eye on it. You don't want to overcook and dry out the chicken.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. That is it! The chicken is done and ready to go!
Notes
- This is a really easy recipe to make, but let me share a few things that will help you have success the first time. I would love for this to become a family favorite for you too.
- You can use boneless skinless chicken breast, boneless skinless thighs, or even chicken tenders. Any will work well. Just know with the thighs you will need to cook them just a little bit longer.
- There are a ton of different cajun/creole seasonings. Choose your favorite or go with our Tony Chachere instead. We use this seasoning all the time.
- The biggest thing to note about this recipe is to not overcook. Chicken breast especially will dry out quickly. This will not take much longer than 8-10 minutes at the most to cook. Don't overdo it.
- This chicken will also work well for meal prep. Double the batch and it will hold in the fridge for up to 1 week. When you are ready, you can eat it cold on a salad or buddha bowl. Or you can reheat it in the microwave. It is best to reheat it covered. You can cover it with another plate or microwave-safe lid.
FAQ
The key to having moist cooked chicken is to make sure you do not overcook the chicken. This is really important all the time, but even more important when you are cooking small chicken chunks as we use in this recipe.
I like to cook this recipe pretty hot! I preheat on medium-high heat, making sure the oven is skillet is hot before adding in the chicken.
This happens in 2 ways. The first is to make sure your pan is good and hot before adding in the chicken. If it isn't, you will get terrible sticking. The second is to add the oil to your hot pan. The combination of the heat and the oil will keep your chicken from sticking and give you perfect results.
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Cajun Chicken Bites
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet or other skillet of choice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in 1-inch chunks you can also use chicken tenderloin or chicken thighs if you want.
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½-1 ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper if you like it less spicy, start with ½ teaspoon
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup small dice bell peppers
Instructions
- Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan and heat it for a few seconds as well.
- Add in your chicken chunks, then the spices on top. Let it cook for just a minute or so, then mix. I like to let the bottom of the chicken sear before mixing.
- Continue to mix occasionally until the chicken is almost cooked. Mine took about 6 minutes after I added the chicken. Then, add in your butter and bell peppers.
- Cook for another few minutes, then taste the chicken. Adjust seasoning as needed. I don't have salt listed as an ingredient because most cajun seasonings have salt added. If you need to, add it in.
- You can also adjust the heat with the cayenne pepper.
- That is it! The chicken is done and ready to go!
Notes
- This is a really easy recipe to make, but let me share a few things that will help you have success the first time. I would love for this to become a family favorite for you too.
- You can use boneless skinless chicken breast, boneless skinless thighs, or even chicken tenders. Any will work well. Just know with the thighs you will need to cook them just a little bit longer.
- There are a ton of different cajun/creole seasonings. Choose your favorite or go with our Tony Chachere instead. We use this seasoning all the time.
- The biggest thing to note about this recipe is to not overcook. Chicken breast especially will dry out quickly. This will not take much longer than 8-10 minutes at the most to cook. Don't overdo it.
- This chicken will also work well for meal prep. Double the batch and it will hold in the fridge for up to 1 week. When you are ready, you can eat it cold on a salad or buddha bowl. Or you can reheat it in the microwave. It is best to reheat it covered. You can cover it with another plate or microwave-safe lid.
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