Cajun Chicken Bowl (Printable)

Spiced chicken served over fluffy rice with black beans, corn, and peppers for a satisfying Southern-inspired meal.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
02 - 1.5 tbsp Cajun seasoning
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 0.5 tsp salt
05 - 0.25 tsp black pepper

→ Rice

06 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
07 - 2 cups water
08 - 0.5 tsp salt

→ Vegetables and Beans

09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
11 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
12 - 1 small red onion, diced
13 - 1 cup sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen
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 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 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 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 salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Divide rice evenly among 4 bowls. Top with sautéed vegetables and beans, then sliced chicken. Garnish with avocado slices, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet and roughly the same timeframe, so there's no juggling multiple pans or timing anxiety.
  • The Cajun seasoning does the heavy lifting on flavor, meaning you can't really mess it up even on an exhausted Tuesday.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest period after cooking the rice or the 2-minute rest after cooking the chicken, because these pauses let the juices redistribute and actually matter for texture.
  • If your chicken finishes before the rice, that's fine—just tent it with foil and it'll stay warm while you finish cooking, but if the rice finishes first, keeping the lid on keeps it warm without drying it out.
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into pieces before cooking rather than after, because smaller pieces cook more evenly and pick up more of that beautiful golden color on all sides.
  • Keep the skillet hot between steps instead of letting it cool down, because that residual heat speeds up the vegetable cooking and means everything comes together at roughly the same time.
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