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Creamy Cajun Chicken

Published: / Updated: / 116 Comments

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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.

easy Cajun chicken in a skillet

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)

creamy Cajun chicken close-up

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:

the BEST Cajun chicken skillet

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 close-up

Creamy Cajun Chicken

This creamy Cajun chicken recipe has juicy, golden, pan-fried chicken in a zingy cream sauce. It's ready in only 30 minutes! 
4.95 from 38 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Cajun
Servings 4
Calories 499 kcal

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

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.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
     

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 32gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 180mgSodium: 466mgPotassium: 749mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1437IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 1mg
Keyword creamy Cajun chicken
Author Natasha Bull
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  2. Michelle says

    5 stars
    I can't remember if I left a review the first time I made this. 😅 This is my husband's new favorite! It's creamy AND spicy, and we wanted something other than Thai creamy/spicy. I omit the salt and pepper and use regular cajun seasoning. I've made this several times using sun dried tomatoes or diced tomatoes (fresh or canned, thinner sauce) and we enjoy both ways with jasmine rice--delicious! He will actually eat this as leftovers for days. 🤣 Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I'm trying it tonight with salmon instead of chicken. 😁

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Haha no worries!! I'm so glad you love this recipe!! Let me know how it goes with salmon... that sounds great.

      Reply

  3. Melissa Cotton says

    5 stars
    This is amazing! It's become a household favourite and have it weekly! 3 teenage boys and husband love this meal! I dont use any sundried tomatoes though as I didn't have any on hand the 1st time I made it but love how it came out regardless.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      That's so nice to hear. It's always a win when everyone in the house likes a dish. Thanks for letting me know, Melissa! 😀

      Reply

  4. Tracy Asar says

    4 stars
    I used the Original Tony Chachere’s and it was too salty. I though that was the recommended brand but maybe they have a low salt version because the first ingredient in the Original one was salt. I used low sodium chicken stock.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Tracy! Yes, they have a low salt version (I did say in the recipe notes that I used their No Salt Creole Seasoning, but you must've missed that... no worries). I hope you'll give it another try with a low/no salt version.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! Just added it for you. Please keep in mind it's just an estimate. If you need the info for health reasons, I recommend weighing out the exact ingredients you're using.

      Reply

  6. Carolyn says

    5 stars
    This was fantastic! I made it mostly as written, went with 1 1/2 tsp Cajun spice in the sauce and it was good. Probably 1 tbsp would have been okay. At the end, I sliced the chicken, added the cooked pasta to the sauce along with the sliced chicken and it was amazing! Definitely keeping this one and might make it again this week as my husband almost licked his bowl.

    Reply

      • Carolyn says

        5 stars
        Just made this for the 3rd time. Tonight I cooked just a small amount of pasta, added one bunch of sliced Asparagus to the Pasta after a few minutes and then tossed it all together with the chicken (sliced), Parmesan and sauce! Amazing!!

        Reply

  7. Josh says

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. Added some diced morels to the pan sauce, and a handful of shrimp just before it all finished. I think I'll make it again with a little bit of celery too!

    Reply

  8. Carolyn says

    5 stars
    This was excellent and very flavourful. I made as directed with a little less Cajun spice and it was super tasty. In the end, I sliced the chicken, used bowtie pasta and mixed it all together in the pan. Really easy and ensured sauce on all the pasta. A definite keeper!

    Reply

  9. Eric says

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I had to omit the parmesan and substitute coconut cream for heavy cream. My daughter has a dairy allergy. It turned out great. We will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  10. Kassidy says

    5 stars
    Delicious!! Used regular Tony’s and skipped the salt. Also beat the chicken before so it would cook evenly.

    Reply

  13. Emily says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  14. 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!

    Reply

  15. 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❤

    Reply

  16. Danielle says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  18. Jacqueline says

    4 stars
    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

    Reply

  19. 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.

    Reply

  20. 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) 🙂

    Reply

  21. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  23. Laura Peterson says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  24. 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)?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

        • 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.

          Reply

  26. Andy says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  31. Jaclyn says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  32. 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!!

    Reply

  33. Mhairi says

    5 stars
    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

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  34. Smiling Politely says

    5 stars
    Very tasty and simple. Served it over linguine with garlic bread. Would be good with some broccoli, asparagus, or spinach mixed in too!

    Reply

  35. Geneva says

    5 stars
    This was delicious. I cut the chicken into bite sized pieces before seasoning and dredging in flour. Served over butter grits. Yum!

    Reply

  36. Holly Williams says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  37. 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! ❤️

    Reply

  38. Fatima says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  39. Brittany says

    5 stars
    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. 👍🏼

    Reply

  40. Jen Stokes says

    Hi, this looks amazing. Just wondering in parmesan is a necessity? Not a big cheese lover.
    Thanks
    Jen

    Reply

  41. Natalie says

    5 stars
    I made this dish tonight for by bf. He said that it was amazing and tasted like something you would order from a restaurant!

    Reply

    • 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! 🙂

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  44. Anita says

    5 stars
    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!!

    Reply

  45. Abbey says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  47. Lindsay Norkus says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  48. 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.

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  49. Jenny Williams says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  50. Sara Ozan says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  51. Robin says

    Hello. This looks yummy! Could you substitute full fat coconut milk (canned) for the cream? We are dairy free....

    Reply

  52. Sara says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply