Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup is a delicious, slow-cooked chicken and rice dish that’s especially tasty with a sprinkling of Cajun spices.
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This Cajun Chicken and Rice soup makes for an easy and delicious meal perfect for busy weeknights. Have this nutrient packed soup ready is less than 30 minutes from prep to serving.
To learn more about the nutrient and safety information of chicken, visit the USDA.
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What We Love About This Cajun Chicken Rice Recipe
- 30 Minute Meal: This chicken and rice soup made with simple ingredients is on the table in less than 30 minutes.
- Family Friendly: Your family will love this one pot Cajun chicken soup to keep them cozy this winter.
- Makes Great Leftovers: The flavor of this Cajun chicken and rice soup gets better as it sits in the fridge for a day or two.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: You can use skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Rice: White or brown rice works for Cajun rice recipe. Long grain or basmati are great options.
- Bell Pepper: Try adding sweet bell peppers, you can use any color of bell pepper, for the sweetest recommend using red bell pepper rather than orange, yellow, or green.
Variations and Substitutions for this One-Pot Meal
- Turkey – Sausage or turkey are a wonderful swap the chicken for turkey in this recipe.
- Instant Pot – Make this recipe using an instant pot. Sauté the chicken and veggies, then pressure cook for 5 minutes after adding the broth.
How to Make Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup
These are the basic steps for making Cajun Chicken and Rice. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
STEP 1: COOK THE CHICKEN
First, add half of the oil to stockpot or Dutch oven, cook over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt, black pepper, and half of the Cajun seasoning, once the oil is hot add the chopped chicken to the pan and cook until the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165F, this should take 6-8 minutes.
STEP 2: MAKE THE RICE
Before you add and cook your rice, start by rinsing your rice and cook in 1 1/3 cup water until fluffy and tender, bring the rice and water to a boil then reduce to low and simmer with a cover for 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed, remove from heat and allow to sit covered for at least 5 minutes.
STEP 3: COOK THE VEGGIES
Next, add the chopped vegetables to the Dutch oven with the chicken, add more oil as needed. Cook the onions until they are translucent and veggies are soft, this should take 6-8 minutes.
STEP 4: ADD BROTH AND RICE
Stir in tomato paste and cook until dark brown, about 2 minutes. Then add the rice and the chicken broth in with the veggies and chicken. Finally, bring to a boil, then turn off heat and serve.
Prep and Storage Tips
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
Prepare this cajun chicken rice soup ahead of time by cooking your chicken, veggies and rice the day before then all you have left to do is simply add the broth and bring to a boil and serve.
HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE
Store cajun chicken with rice soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
HOW TO FREEZE THIS RECIPE
Freeze cajun soup in a freezer safe bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
HOW TO REHEAT THIS RECIPE
Reheat soup in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or heat on the stove top over medium heat until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make this is recipe lower in sodium, opt for using a low sodium chicken broth and season without salt.
Cajun seasoning is categorized as mild to medium spice level, the cayenne pepper is what gives the seasoning some heat. Of course, you can make it extra spicy add additional cayenne powder or red pepper flakes.
Easily double or half this recipe by increasing or decreasing the ingredients proportionally.
Cajun seasoning is made of salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- Rinse Rice: To achieve rice with a fluffy consistency, it important that you rinse the rice in order to remove the excess starch, if not rinsed the extra starch will make the rice mushier an stick together. Here are two methods you can use to rinse rice.
- Homemade Cajun Seasoning: Use this recipe from Gimme Some Oven to make your own Cajun blend.
- Top: Top with a little fresh cilantro, thyme or oregano and finish with a wedge of fresh lime to squeeze on top.
What to Serve with Cajun Chicken and Rice
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Cajun Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- Fine Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, or oil
- 2 cups Chicken, chopped
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
- 1 cup Rice, or 1 1/2 cups Cooked Rice
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- 2 Stalks Celery, diced
- 1 Sweet Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
Instructions
- Add half of the oil to stockpot or dutch oven, cook over medium heat.
- Season the chicken with salt, black pepper, and half of the cajun seasoning, once the oil is hot add the chopped chicken to the pot and cook until the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165F, this should take 6-8 minutes.
- Before you cook your rice, start by rinsing your rice and cook in 1 1/3 cup water until fluffy and tender, bring the rice and water to a boil then reduce to low and simmer with a cover for 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed, remove from heat and allow to sit covered for at least 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped veggies to the dutch oven with the chicken, add more oil as needed.
- Cook the onions until they are translucent and veggies are soft and slightly charred, this should take 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook until dark brown, about 2 minutes.
- Then add the cooked rice and the chicken broth in with the veggies and chicken.
- Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and serve.
Expert Tips
- Rinse Rice: To achieve rice with a fluffy consistency, it important that you rinse the rice in order to remove the excess starch, if not rinsed the extra starch will make the rice mushier an stick together. Here are two methods you can use to rinse rice.
- Homemade Cajun Seasoning: Use this recipe from Gimme Some Oven to make your own Cajun blend.
- Top: Top with a little fresh cilantro, thyme or oregano and finish with a wedge of fresh lime to squeeze on top.
Estimated Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible for the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.