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This creamy Cajun chicken recipe has juicy, golden pan-fried chicken in a boldly seasoned cream sauce. It’s ready in just 30 minutes for an easy, elegant meal!
Craving another restaurant-worthy chicken dish at home? Try my Creamy Tuscan Chicken next.
Why you’ll love it
This Cajun-inspired chicken recipe has a bit of kick, but I wouldn’t describe it as too spicy or anything! It’s all about warm flavors with a zing. I can’t resist bringing you more really simple yet special skillet chicken recipes.
Cajun seasoning is so versatile, but this might be my favorite recipe I’ve come up with that features it. It’s bright and zesty but mellowed by the cream and parmesan, resulting in a beautiful sauce for the tender chicken. Quick, tasty, and impressive? You bet.
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using two boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise to cook faster and more evenly
- Garlic powder – to infuse more flavor right on the chicken cutlets
- Cajun seasoning – I use Tony Chachere’s no-salt seasoning
- Flour – for dredging to get a nice crust on the chicken and thicken the sauce a touch
- Butter and olive oil – for pan frying
- Garlic – for more savory goodness
- Sun-dried tomatoes – I find the ones packed in oil are the best for a pop of juicy tomato flavor
- Chicken broth – the base of the sauce
- Heavy cream – for that luxurious quality
- Parmesan – a dusting of cheese tops it all off!
Pro tip
- 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. I strongly recommend going with a low or no-salt variety.
What is Cajun seasoning?
- 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 go with Tony’s for convenience.
How to make Cajun chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise to make the four cutlets, season them with garlic powder, some of the Cajun seasoning, and salt & pepper, coat in flour, and fry until golden brown. Take out and set aside on a plate.
To the skillet, add the chicken broth, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Let it bubble, then reduce the heat and stir in the cream. Add the remaining Cajun seasoning.
Return the chicken to the pan, and cook it through as the sauce thickens a bit. Sprinkle on the parm or stir right into the sauce. Give it a taste, and add salt & pepper if it needs it. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Chicken is safe to eat (and not overcooked!) at 165F. An instant read thermometer is an inexpensive way to ensure it’s perfect.
- A chef’s knife is a handy tool for cutting the chicken.
- Use a block of parmesan for maximum freshness and taste, and grate it with this grater.
Substitutions and variations
- You could make it spicy beyond the kick it has by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes.
- If you’re really not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, you could chop up a fresh tomato instead.
- I wouldn’t recommending substituting the heavy cream for something else. It’s only been tested as written, and you’re liable to end up with a sauce that separates or simply doesn’t taste as good!
What to serve with creamy Cajun chicken
- For a starch, try serving it over pasta or with rice. My Crockpot Mashed Potatoes are a great option too, or try my Roasted Red Potatoes.
- My Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Easy Glazed Carrots make good vegetable sides to offset the richness.
- Want a salad? I think you’ll like my Lemon Tahini Dressing to change it up.
Leftovers and storage
- It’s best fresh, but the standard 3-4 days in the fridge for leftovers of this chicken recipe will be just fine.
- Reheat in a saucepan on the stove for best results. Try a low heat and slowly so it doesn’t dry out.
- I don’t suggest freezing leftovers of this one because of the cream.
If you give this easy Cajun chicken recipe a go, leave a star rating and review below! You can also ask any questions the blog post didn’t answer. As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with your creations.
Creamy Cajun Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on January 9, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
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❤
You’re very welcome!! I’m so happy that your son enjoyed it. 🙂 Thanks so much.
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!
So pleased you enjoyed it, Danielle!
Can I use frozen spicy chicken breasts in this recipe, and how would it change the recipe if I did?
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.
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
I would try low sodium chicken broth as well. And make sure you don’t salt your side dishes too much.
Thank you
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.
Nice!! Sounds good to me!
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) 🙂
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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?
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.
Hi! How much sauce does this recipe make?
Thanks!
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.
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.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
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)?
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.
What kind\brand of chicken broth do you recommend?
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.