Cajun Chicken Bowl (Printable)

Vibrant Cajun-spiced chicken over fluffy rice with black beans, sweet corn and peppers for a satisfying Southern-inspired meal.

# What you need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
02 - 1½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Rice

06 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
07 - 2 cups water
08 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Vegetables and Beans

09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
11 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
12 - 1 small red onion, diced
13 - 1 cup fresh, canned, or thawed frozen sweet corn kernels
14 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Garnishes

15 - 1 avocado, sliced
16 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - Lime wedges

# Directions:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a medium bowl, toss chicken pieces with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5–7 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 2 minutes, then slice.
03 - In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add bell peppers and red onion. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in corn and black beans; cook for 2 minutes until heated through. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
04 - Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with sautéed vegetables and beans, then sliced chicken. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges if desired.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery arrives, yet tastes like you spent hours developing the flavors.
  • Everything cooks in one skillet plus a pot, so cleanup won't steal your evening.
  • The Cajun spices do the heavy lifting, turning simple ingredients into something genuinely crave-worthy.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice or you'll end up with gluey, clumpy texture instead of fluffy individual grains.
  • The Cajun seasoning needs to coat the chicken properly before it hits the heat, otherwise you get bland chicken with spice floating around separately.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer to check doneness (165°F) instead of relying on color, which can be deceiving and lead to dry chicken.
  • Prep your vegetables while the rice cooks so everything comes together without rushed scrambling at the end.
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