But Really, I Could Drink That Sauce.
That tomatoey, creamy, shallot-infused gravy is something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.
I made this dinner for my family on the first barely chilly day a few weeks ago. I think my body had just been waiting for permission to go fall cooking mode, and I just unleashed.
Pan-fried chicken. Luscious, savory Cajun cream sauce. Homemade mashed potatoes. Green beans. Apple crisp for dessert.
I served it in deep bowls and we let the girls eat on the living room floor, using the coffee table as their table, while we watched American Ninja Warrior together with the windows open – which, frankly, is the move of two parents who are feeling extra generous and a little out of their mind with the joys of early fall weather. But that meal will be a top 5 meal for me this year, for sure. We all devoured in silence and then cozied up with full bellies to watch some ridiculous TV together.
Here’s an idea I keep coming back to: shrimp. Like what if you just made the sauce, and then threw a pound of uncooked jumbo shrimp in there? It would poach right in the sauce! I haven’t been able to pull myself away from the chicken and mashed potatoes combination, but I feel shrimp should at least be considered.
Hope this recipe gives you all same cozy fall feelings it gave me.
How To Make This Chicken (In Photos!)
1
Cook the Chicken.
Also a big fan of using the air fryer here, if you’re not feeling the pan-frying.
2
Start The Sauce.
This picture shows the shallots minced; I also really love to do this with a thinly sliced shallot, sliced on a mandoline. The shape will give you these little ribbons through the sauce.
3
Make It Creamy.
Add cream and broth, and simmer till it’s GLORIOUS.
4
Pop the Chicken Back!
I mean, showstopper material right there.
5
Finish and Serve!
My favorite combo for serving is mashed potatoes and green beans. LIGHTS OUT. So good.
Chicken with Cajun Sauce
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Pan-fried chicken in a luscious Cajun cream sauce, served with mashed potatoes and green beans – loving this easy, cozy weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 lb. chicken breast
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used McCormick)
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 shallot, minced or thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used McCormick)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth (I use water + 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon)
For serving:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green beans or salad
Instructions
- Prep the Chicken: Cut the chicken into thinner pieces horizontally, or pound them out a bit so they’re thinner.
- Cook the Chicken: Season the chicken filets with Cajun seasoning. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (I use a nonstick for this). Sauté the chicken on each side for 3-4 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 and the outside is golden; remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté Shallots: Wipe off any overly browned bits from the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low so the butter and shallots don’t burn. Add butter and shallots; saute until softened and fragrant.
- Make The Roux: Add tomato paste and Cajun seasoning; saute for 3-4 minutes until the tomato paste has developed a rich color. Add flour and mix; cook for 2-3 minutes to remove any floury taste.
- Finish Sauce: Add broth gradually; whisk to incorporate after each addition. Once it’s smooth, add heavy cream and whisk again to incorporate. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly. Add chicken back to the pan so it is partially submerged with sauce.
- Serve: Serve pieces of chicken with a spoonful of the sauce over the top. I love this SO MUCH with mashed potatoes and broccoli – see notes!
Notes
To air fry the chicken: Air fry at 375 for 10-12 minutes, or until at least 165 degrees internal temperature.
Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli (Oven): Toss 3-4 cups halved baby potatoes with avocado oil and salt on a sheet pan. Roast the potatoes at 425 for 15 minutes. Scoot the potatoes over, add 3-4 cups broccoli and ¼ cup water to the same sheet pan, and roast for another 15 minutes.
Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli (Air Fryer): Toss 2 cups halved baby potatoes with avocado oil and salt. Air fry at 375 for 12 minutes. Add 2 cups frozen or fresh broccoli; air fry at 400 for another 10-12 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
Keywords: cajun chicken, chicken dinner, mashed potatoes
I put this chicken over a quick homemade mac n cheese to rave reviews 🙂
Had it with green beans and rice! It was easy to make and delicious!
This looks delicious. Can I skip the flour?
You’ll need the flour to thicken the sauce!
This was super tasty and enjoyed by the whole family. We served it over rice. Will definitely make it again!!
Definitely gonna try this, looks amazing – and simple. I have a more general question about the pan you are using. I am looking to upgrade/replace mine and the options seem overwhelming. Seem like have the right “tools” for cooking is huge! Thanks for any direction you can provide.
Made this for my family and it was a big hit with everyone-they requested it be added to our Favorite Meals rotation.
We love a family win!
This was so so so good! Added into my weekly rotation!! My kids didn’t find it spicy! Big win!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious! I used bone in chicken thighs and added chili powder and it was absolutely perfect and easy. Will make again!
Went back for seconds even though I was already full!
THIS WAS DIVINE! Gave this to my 7 and 3 year old – not too spicy for them – and we all wanted seconds (and thirds!). Told my husband he had really missed out on this one, but will be sure to add it to the rotation. A really simple, REALLY delicious weekday meal!
This was good! I used half n half instead of heavy cream to cut down on saturated fat, and we still really enjoyed. Paired with mashed potatoes and green beans.
This was delicious. I made my own Cajun seasoning to lower spice for the kids, but otherwise made as directed. I will definitely make this again; my husband asked for it over pasta next time!
Do you think coconut milk could sub well for the heavy cream? My husband can’t do dairy, thx!
I substituted Country Crock Plant Cream to make this dairy free and it was fantastic
The coconut flavor would not go well with cajun spices, sorry!
This was OK. Not bad… (my son liked it) but kind of basic.
Looks delish but we don’t eat meat – should work with tofu, right? Maybe just cube it up and simmer in the sauce? Serve over rice??
This was absolutely divine! I ended up making this because I had most of the ingredients on hand and it knocked our socks off. The flavor of this sauce is out of this world, not spicy (important with kids), and it felt like we went out to eat on a Wednesday. I will forever make this. Yum!!
So glad it was enjoyed!
Thanks for mentioning the spice level, that’s what I came to the comments to find out! Adding this to our list!
This was so easy and so good! You can adjust the spice level with more or less Cajun seasoning (I also used McCormick brand). Keeping this one in the rotation. Going to make your apple crisp recipe this weekend. Thanks for the inspo!
This was amazing! The sauce!!!
This may just replace the Trader Joe’s Focaccia sandwich as my alltime fave!
This was delicious. I ended up freezing leftover sauce in my silicon molds and we used one for some grilled salmon. It was delicious on the salmon, as well. This will be in regular rotation.
Oh that’s a great idea!
This is sauce is easy to make and so delicious! Will make again for sure!
Glad you loved it!
I made this last night with the mashed potatoes and green beans. I had to cut the e cayenne way back as my husband does not like heat, but it was still very good. Definitely will be making this again!!!! Very quick and easy too!
Delish! Going to make some pasta to toss with the extra sauce next time.
Great idea!
Okay WOW, talk about a flavor punch. This recipe had my family reeling! It was perfect in every way.
I doubled the recipe (and decreased the seasoning by 1/4 because I wasn’t sure how spicy it would be) I also sliced the chicken before adding it back in the sauce which made serving a lot easier!
Served with roasted mini potatoes
That sounds so good!
The shrimp idea really stands out—dropping raw shrimp straight into that sauce would be such an easy way to make it a one-pan dinner. And serving it in deep bowls on the coffee table sounds exactly like the kind of cozy, slightly chaotic fall meal that makes a regular weeknight feel memorable.
Broiled shrimp in the oven while the sauce was building and potatoes were in the microwave. Added the shrimp into the sauce once they had some pink. One of the best sub 30-min weeknight meals I’ve made in a long time.
This was perfect on a drizzly fall day. I served it with your instant pot mashed potatoes (minus the herb butter) and garlicky roasted green beans. I used the homemade Cajun seasoning from Gimme Some Oven (less cayenne). Did I lick the sauce spoon after putting food away? Maybe…it’s so good. I wish I had doubled the sauce!