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This easy Cajun Chicken recipe delivers moist, juicy, and tender Cajun baked chicken with crispy skin. It takes only 10 minutes of active time to prepare and is incredibly delicious. With its mouthwatering flavors and easy prep, this chicken dish is a must-try!
Cajun Baked Chicken
Are you a fan of Cajun seasonings?
If so, get ready for a culinary delight with Cajun Chicken—it’s simply out-of-this-world delicious.
Cajun seasoning works wonders on chicken, seafood boil,
but when applied to Cajun-marinated baked chicken, you’ll experience juicy, tender meat with a perfectly charred skin, infused with the irresistible heat and flavors of the seasonings. This recipe is bursting with flavor and deliciousness!
Not a fan of the spices. Try Honey Lime Chicken or Chipotle Lime Chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is versatile: simply toss in some pasta with the chicken for a complete and nutritious meal.
- Switch up cooking methods: this recipe can be prepared in various ways, such as grilling, baking, or pan-searing, making it suitable for different preferences and occasions.
- Unique flavors: the Cajun seasoning adds a distinctive blend of spices and herbs that create a savory, slightly spicy kick chicken dish.
Ingredients
This easy recipe calls for only six (6) simple ingredients:
- skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs – debone the chicken thighs for the best results.
- melted unsalted butter
- Cajun Seasonings – I recommend McCormick Gourmet Cajun Seasonings
- honey
- salt
- cayenne pepper
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Recipe Variations And Substitution
This recipes can be modified in many ways to suit different tastes and occasions:
- Grilling. Grilled chicken marinated with Cajun spices is great for summer
- Try Cajun Chicken Chop, served with baked French fries.
- Pasta. Serve up an easy spaghetti dish with chicken for pasta lovers.
- Rice. Turn it into a substantial dinner by pairing with cilantro lime rice.
- Burger. Make Cajun chicken burgers with slider buns.
- Dry Rub. Substitute my homemade dry rub for marinade to infuse classic American BBQ flavor.
- Shrimp. Switch up the protein and make Cajun shrimp instead.
How To Make This Recipe
This is quick and easy to prepare, with just 10 minutes of active time needed as it bakes in the oven. Here are the detailed step-by-steps:
Step 1: Debone the chicken thighs, leaving the skin on. Please refer to how to debone chicken thighs.
Step 2: Mix melted butter, Cajun Seasonings, honey, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
Step 3: Mix the chicken with the Cajun butter mixture and let it marinate for 30 minutes
Step 4: Preheat oven to 400°F (207°C). Place the Cajun-marinated chicken in a baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and skin browns. Broil for 10 seconds for charred skin.
Step 5: Transfer the chicken and Cajun sauce to a platter. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken. Slice and serve.
Helpful Tips
- Deboned chicken thighs. Chicken thigh with skin is best for baked chicken, as the chicken meat remains moist, tender, and juicy, with the added bonus of nicely charred skin. I have a tutorial post and video to show you how to debone bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. Please check it out.
- Yogurt. Add two tablespoons of plain yogurt or Greek yogurt to the marinade. Its thick consistency coats the chicken, forming a barrier that stops moisture from escaping, thus keeping the meat juicy during marination.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to baked chicken, I always prefer chicken thighs over chicken breasts. Chicken thighs are moist, tender, and perfect for oven baking. While you can use bone-in chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, the best option is deboned chicken thighs with the skin on. If you prefer chicken breasts, you can certainly use them for Cajun chicken breasts.
400°F is the ideal temperature for baking chicken thighs. Since they’re deboned, they’re easier to cook and will take less time, about 20-25 minutes. Adjust the time based on the size of your chicken thighs.
Absolutely. You can replace the recipe with skin-on chicken breasts.
My recipe lends a moderate level of spiciness, making it flavorful without being overwhelmingly hot.
Absolutely! Double the marinade ingredients, mix, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate. It stays good for up to 4 weeks.
This recipe is only 522 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Cajun Chicken
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Cajun Chicken (Juicy with Crispy Skin)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. (1kg) skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
- 4 tablepoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasonings, McCormick Gourmet Cajun Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 dashes cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Debone the chicken thighs, leaving the skin on. Please refer to how to debone chicken thighs.
- Mix the melted butter, Cajun seasonings, honey, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
- Mix the chicken with the Cajun butter mixture and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (207°C). Place the Cajun-marinated chicken in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through and the skin is browned. Broil for 10 seconds to achieve charred skin.
- Transfer the chicken and Cajun sauce to a platter. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken, then slice and serve.
Notes
- Deboned chicken thighs with skin is best for baked chicken, as the chicken meat remains moist, tender, and juicy, with the added bonus of nicely charred skin.
- You may add two tablespoons of plain yogurt or Greek yogurt in step 3. Yogurt retains moisture in the chicken.
- You may use chicken breast for this recipe. Leave the skin on.
- 400F is the perfect temperature to bake chicken thighs.
- I recommend Challenge brand unsalted butter and McCormick Gourmet Cajun Seasonings.
- You can prepare the Cajun marinade ahead of time and store it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. Use it for seasoning chicken, fish, or shrimp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I leave the bone in, instead of removing it ?
Yes you can but boneless is so much better.
This has become one of my go to recipes, so good and easy to make! Thank you for sharing
Thanks!
In step 5. of the cooking instructions there’s a picture which shows a few specks of green herbs. Curious, what fresh green herb pairs well with this dish — chopped parsley, chopped coriander (cilantro), thyme, tarragon, something else? I didn’t see an herb listed in the recipe ingredients. Thanks!
It’s chopped parsley.
Excellent. Thx! BTW, 5 Stars for this recipe for it’s simplicity and exceptional taste profile! Thanks again for sharing.
Hi Rob, thanks for trying this cajun chicken recipe. Do try out more of my recipes, they are all good: https://www.666630.xyz/recipe-index-gallery/
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for posting!
Hi Dianna, yes this cajun chicken is absolutely delicious, you will love it.
Hi! I tried this recipe and my family loves it!!! Definitely a keeper.
Thanks Elizabeth I am so happy you tried my cajun chicken recipe. Yes, so good and easy. :)
Oh 5 stars! Great post! This looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing such a great informative post. It’s really helpful and amazing so keep it up! All the best.
Is this hot or spicy
It’s mildly spicy.
This looks and sounds incredible. I love your blog especially around the holidays and was sad to feel that the cultural context of this dish was just kind of swept under the rug.
Areesha – I have no idea what you meant by the cultural context of Cajun chicken. Is there a cultural context for this recipe? I am not aware of it. I didn’t sweep it under the rug I just don’t know what do you mean by the cultural context???
Your receipe does not state how much of each spice.
Hi Terrie, yes, please scroll down to the recipe card, with nutrition label. It stated clearly every ingredient.
As an old professional French chef/patron, the marinating time is not indicated, and I would add some lemon juice to the marinade. (even a little yoghurt won’t hurt -the chicken will become even more tender and juicy) I put each chicken in a plastic bag, seal it and let it marinate for 3 (three) days yes! In 25 years I have not yet killed anyone. Then I roast the chicken, or freeze it for later use.
Hi Kermit, thanks for your comment. Yes, I did say that “Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes” in the recipe section. I don’t think yoghurt belongs in this recipe. It’s very tender and juicy as is, if you can tell from the pictures. No lemon juice in the marinade as I wanted to bring out the cajun flavor and not let the lemon juice camouflages the cajun seasonings. Lemon juice can be squeezed on top of the chicken for serving, if you like.