This creamy Cajun chicken recipe has juicy, golden, pan-fried chicken in a zingy cream sauce. It's ready in only 30 minutes! Perfect over pasta.
Another 30-min chicken recipe coming 'atcha! I can't resist adding more quick + delicious creamy chicken recipes on here. After all, you've been loving my creamy garlic chicken, and there's plenty more of those style recipes here if you do a quick search on the blog!
How to make Cajun chicken
I like to slice chicken breasts lengthwise to make them into thinner cutlets. They then cook faster and more evenly so they stay tender. To make the chicken extra flavorful, I season it with garlic powder, some of the Cajun seasoning (the rest goes in the sauce), and salt & pepper, coat it in flour and fry it to a golden brown.
I then make the sauce by adding the garlic, chicken broth, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan, followed by the cream and Cajun seasoning. Add the chicken back in and the sauce thickens up after a few minutes. Delicious.
(Full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below)
This recipe has a bit of kick, but I wouldn't describe it as too spicy or anything. If you do want to make it spicy, add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
If you're wondering what's in Cajun seasoning, it usually contains garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt. It's easy enough to make your own (try this homemade Cajun seasoning), but I usually use Tony Chachere's brand (I've worked with them in the past, but this post is not sponsored... I just really like the stuff and buy it whenever I visit anywhere that sells it!). For this particular recipe, I used a salt-free Cajun seasoning because many Cajun seasonings are quite salty and could ruin the recipe with the amount that's required.
What to serve with creamy Cajun chicken
Serve it over pasta, or with rice or potatoes (try my Crockpot mashed potatoes). I'd also serve it with a vegetable or a side salad because it is quite rich.
Other Cajun-inspired recipes you may like:
- Easy Chicken Lazone
- Cajun Remoulade Sauce Recipe
- One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Will you give this easy Cajun chicken recipe a go?
Questions or did you make this recipe? I'd love it if you left me a comment below!
Creamy Cajun Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (use a no or low salt variety)
- Flour for dredging
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have four thinner cutlets. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning. Coat them in flour.
- Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken. Cook it for 4-5 min/side or until it's nice and golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
- Add the minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken broth to the pan. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds or so.
- Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cream and remaining 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
- Add the chicken back into the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the sauce is thickened a bit and the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top (or stir it into the sauce). Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- There's quite a bit of Cajun seasoning in this recipe, so I strongly encourage you to use one without salt because the recipe will be way too salty otherwise. I used Tony Chachere's No Salt Creole Seasoning.
- I used oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and drained the oil prior to adding them to the pan.
- If you have smaller chicken breasts, you can leave them whole, but you may need to cook them a little longer.
Robyn says
This was excellent. Just what I was craving but didn't realize lol. Thanks
Natasha says
Haha that's great!! Thank you 😀
Emily says
This was so good! We just skipped the salt on the first step, and also omitted the tomatoes since we have picky eaters. It was a hit, and we will definitely make it again!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it worked out!
Christine says
What a yummy recipe!It has become my go to meal to impress my friends.One at a time in this COVID period.thank you!
Natasha says
Excellent!! So glad you enjoy it.
Tatiana Vestergaard says
Thank you very much, for this wonderful recipe.
I found this page all the way from Denmark.
My son(13 years old) is a huge fan of the USA, so when I told him, I found an all american recipe, he was HAPPY😍
And we all loved the flavours, the tenderness in the chicken and the creaminess in the sauce. Mmh, it was delicious❤
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! I'm so happy that your son enjoyed it. 🙂 Thanks so much.
Danielle says
This was delicious! Omitted the sun dried tomatoes because we're picky. Only had regular cajun seasoning but used unsalted chicken broth. Served with instant mashed potatoes. SO good!
Natasha says
So pleased you enjoyed it, Danielle!
Bridget says
Can I use frozen spicy chicken breasts in this recipe, and how would it change the recipe if I did?
Natasha says
Hi, I'm not quite sure what those are. Are they already cooked? What are they seasoned with? I can only really advise on the recipe as I've tested it. I suppose in theory you could make the sauce by itself. It does have a bit of kick, so if your chicken breasts are very spicy, you might want to cut down on the Cajun seasoning a bit.
Jacqueline says
Is there a lot of salt in chicken broth I made it with just the little chicken stick pot I did fun it really salty, but only read about the Cajun being so salty after o had made it...apart from the low salt Cajun would you recommend anything else thank you
Natasha says
I would try low sodium chicken broth as well. And make sure you don't salt your side dishes too much.
Jacqueline Gillespie says
Thank you
Kimberly Boucher says
Used your recipe but expanded it. Used Emerils blackened seasoning instead. Added drained and quartered canned artichokes and quartered crimini mushrooms. No parm and topped w chopped chives and parsley.
Natasha says
Nice!! Sounds good to me!
Adela Grace says
I want to give this recipe a go. I love chicken breast. A lot of good looking recipes can be made with chicken breast with just a little use of imagination coupled with the seasonings available in the pantry (according to my gut) 🙂
Natasha says
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Kiki Militsis says
I made this on the weekend and it was delicious! But.... my cream separated almost immediately and I had lots of oil on the surface which I then removed with a spoon. Because of that and because we didn't eat right away (my fiance was out and delayed coming home) it was more of a very thick sauce. Still delicious but can you tell me if I could have avoided the cream separating like that so I end up with what you have in the picture next time?
Natasha says
Hi! My apologies if you've already done this, but would you mind double checking that you were using full fat cream (at least 35% fat)? I ask because the typical reason why curdling occurs is because the fat content is too low (so when people sub half-and-half/light cream or milk and then say it curdled I am not at all surprised). Another culprit can be that the sauce was cooked on way too high of a heat or that the cream was too cold when you added it to the pan. So, I would ensure you're using heavy cream, turn the heat down a bit (especially if you're using cast iron since that retains heat a LOT), and perhaps let the cream sit on your counter in a measuring cup for a bit to take the chill off while you prep the rest of the recipe. In any case, I'm glad that the flavor was good at least, and I hope that you will try it again. Also, when warming cream sauces (like for leftovers), always do it on a low heat (microwave will separate like you've experienced). Did you re-warm it when he came home? That could've contributed to it separating and then thickening up too much.
Taylor says
Hi! How much sauce does this recipe make?
Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi! I'm not really sure how to answer your question. Like it depends on how much you reduce it I suppose? About a cup maybe? Just guessing based on the ingredient quantities.
Laura Peterson says
Delicious! I didn't use the flour and only used 1 teaspoon of the Tony Chachere's in the sauce as I did not have the no salt brand. To make up I added 1/3 chopped jalapeno.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Kim says
What can be substituted for the sun dried tomatoes if I have a picky eater that doesn’t like (and won’t eat) tomatoes because of their texture (including sun dried)?
Natasha says
That's a tough one. You could probably leave them out. Or add in a small handful of little (grape or cherry) tomatoes and maybe cook the sauce a little longer so they burst and it still thickens up.
Risa says
What kind\brand of chicken broth do you recommend?
Natasha says
Hi! I live in Canada, and I usually just buy Campbell's since it's easy to access and affordable. I do love Zoup! Broth, though (I worked with them before and they sent me a bunch to try)... those are sold in USA and have a great flavor.
Tracey says
I am not a great cook but this was super easy and very tasty everyone enjoyed it. Thank you so much 😊
Natasha says
You're welcome! 😀
Andy says
Changed a few little bits slightly to suit my taste but couldn’t have done it without your brilliant recipe. Keep them coming and thank you.
Natasha says
You're welcome!
WinewuthGayle says
Excellent!
Natasha says
Glad you liked it!
Sarah says
Hi Natasha, do you think this would be good with andouille sausage in addition to the chicken - then served over rice?
Natasha says
I think that would taste amazing!! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Lance Gurd says
Made this last night, glad I did, new family favourite
Natasha says
Awesome!!
Valerie says
This was so good! My fiance doesn't really like chicken but he said he would eat this anytime I made it!
Natasha says
That's great! I'm so pleased to hear that.
Jaclyn says
Tried this on Sunday with chicken. Loved it so much I made it again Tuesday with salmon! Both served over wild rice and swapped out the sundried tomatoes for fresh since I had ‘em on hand. Fiancé said this was the best cream sauce I’d ever made. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
Natasha says
That's great!! I'm so glad to hear that.
Catherine says
This is now one of my family’s favorite dishes! We eat it with pasta, roasted potatoes and veggies, or with mashed potatoes- the sauce makes a great “gravy” over them. I’ve made this for a couple different family members when they’ve come over for dinner and they always rave about it. Easy, tasty, comfort food. Thank you for posting!!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased that you all enjoy it!! 🙂 You're very welcome!
Mhairi says
Seriously delicious! I was looking for new recipes to try as my 15 year old is super picky and came across this on Instagram. It’s obviously not very healthy but it’s incredibly easy to make, packed with flavour and so tasty. Will definitely be making this again. Xx
Natasha says
I'm so happy that it was a hit! 🙂 True that it's a higher calorie option, but it's still made from scratch and there's nothing inherently bad about cream haha.
Smiling Politely says
Very tasty and simple. Served it over linguine with garlic bread. Would be good with some broccoli, asparagus, or spinach mixed in too!
Natasha says
Yes!! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!
Geneva says
This was delicious. I cut the chicken into bite sized pieces before seasoning and dredging in flour. Served over butter grits. Yum!
Natasha says
Wonderful! Love the butter grits idea!
Holly Williams says
This was amazing. I made it for Father's Day (this Sunday) and my family LOVED it. So I made it again on Wednesday and took it to a friend who just had surgery. She and her husband loved it too, and asked for the recipe. Soooooo good! Thanks!
Natasha says
That's so awesome!! I'm glad that it was such a hit with everyone. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment. XO
Martha says
I made this tonight and it was very good.. The only things I did different. Is I doubled the sauce and added a little lemon pepper. Next time I will makes ours spicier! Thanks for the recipe! ❤️
Natasha says
You're very welcome! 🙂
Fatima says
Everyone loved this and it was so easy to make! I used rice flour for dredging and took your advice on watching the salt. This was perfect! Thank you!
Natasha says
That's great!! Thank you!!
Brittany says
Added half a package of bacon because I had to use it before it went bad. Wow this was delicious. This recipe was easy to follow and the link for Cajun seasoning was also a great find. Adding this to the rotation. 👍🏼
Natasha says
Love the addition of bacon... mmm! I'm so pleased you enjoyed this recipe, Brittany!
Jen Stokes says
Hi, this looks amazing. Just wondering in parmesan is a necessity? Not a big cheese lover.
Thanks
Jen
Natasha says
Hi Jen! You can leave it out. ☺️ Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Natalie says
I made this dish tonight for by bf. He said that it was amazing and tasted like something you would order from a restaurant!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Ashlee says
Could you use chicken thighs instead? Boneless of course. I am making this tonight!
Natasha says
I don't see why not! You may need to cook the chicken a tad longer, but I think it'll work just fine. Let me know! 🙂
Sandra D says
Hi going to make this in a few days, looks lovely with fab comments.
Can you freeze it ? X
Natasha says
Thank you! 🙂 Hmmm... freezing cream sauces is always a bit iffy, unfortunately. If you do, I'd make sure to slowly reheat it on a low heat - there's a good chance the sauce will separate/dry out and just not end up as tasty as day 1.
Anita says
My sons Baba this for him for as he loves Cajun food. Well he loved it so much that he asked her to make up a week worth’s of meals for him to take back to college 😊
Was sooo yummy! We will add this to our fav’s!!
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that, Anita! 🙂 XO
Abbey says
Delicious! I used a little less of the cajun seasoning in the sauce because I'm a baby about spiciness. So good though! Made this with egg noodles and pan-fried asparagus. My boyfriend is typically picky about creamy foods but he really enjoyed this.
Natasha says
I'm so happy it was a hit, Abbey!
Gordon says
WOW !!! Made this the other night, bloody well outstanding !
Now to make it for guests.
Natasha says
That's what I like to hear! Wonderful! 🙂
Lindsay Norkus says
I wanted the Cajun base of the recipe, but I was feeling Shrimp instead of chicken! Substituted shrimp for chicken, followed all other aspects of your recipe and had it with fettuccine, it was amazing! No left overs! Love your recipes!
Natasha says
That's a great idea!! I think salmon would work well too. So happy you like my recipes! 😀
Christine C says
Could you sub half and half for heavy cream? I love it, but my tummy...not so much! 😫
Looks fantastic and eager to give it a try.
Natasha says
Hi! I totally get it... I have the same issues w. cream sometimes! You could try, but I'll be honest... the sauce won't be quite the same. It'll be thinner, and there's a chance it'll turn out a little grainy if it separates a bit. You may need to add more flour/cornstarch to thicken it a bit more. Let me know how it goes!
Michelle says
There is lactose-free heavy cream, all the creaminess with none of the bad effects!
Jenny Williams says
This was so so good! We made it with mashed potatoes and broccoli, it was a delicious meal. Thank you! All your recipes have been wonderful.
Natasha says
You're very welcome! So happy you enjoy my recipes! 😀
Mike says
Excellent recipe. I skipped the chicken and pan seared tuna and salmon steaks with the Cajun seasoning, made the sauce using cashew milk, nutritional yeast, vegan parmesan cheese and added mushrooms. Finished the dish in the oven. Wife and kids loved it. Unfortunately, no leftovers.
Natasha says
Wow! I am glad to have inspired you haha. 🙂
Sara Ozan says
This was fantastic - we ate it over spaghetti squash and added sauteed spinach into the mix. Also, I substituted almond flour for the flour to make it keto friendly as mentioned above. A new family favorite!
Natasha says
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Robin says
Hello. This looks yummy! Could you substitute full fat coconut milk (canned) for the cream? We are dairy free....
Natasha says
Thanks! Hmmm.. you could try, but I’ll be honest... it’ll taste totally different.
Sara says
This is soooo good. Perfect balance of comfort food with still being semi-healthy. It’s super simple too. I put over organic brown rice and omitted the extra parm cheese on top. I also added a green to balance the dish. I went with steamed asparagus tops. But was thinking spinach would be yummy too. Thanks for the idea!
Natasha says
I’m so happy you liked it!!
Irene Hazell says
Trying to post 5 stars. Fabulous recipe.
Natasha says
I will edit your comment to reflect that! Thank you so much. 🙂
Brian says
looks yummy can’t wait to try this recipe
Delicious!
Natasha says
Enjoy!