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Quick Cajun Chicken and Rice. When weeknights get busy, I always make a colorful skillet dinner that practically cooks itself. This is that meal. This one-skillet chicken and rice brings smoky Cajun spice, sweet peppers, and herb butter together in one pan. I like to toast the rice first for that nutty, pilaf-style flavor and texture, then finish it with butter and fresh herbs. It’s simple, comforting, and always a family favorite.
I’ve always loved a good skillet dinner. But when life gets really busy and everyone is a little tired, especially after travel, that’s when I rely on recipes like this the most.
It’s no surprise that everyone loved this. It has all the flavors my family enjoys most. I knew this would be a hit. Add rice to anything, and they’re sold in seconds.
Making this reminded me so much of how my dad used to cook when I was growing up. He would open the fridge, see what we had, and just start cooking. A little of this, a little of that — and somehow it always worked.
That’s exactly how this recipe came together. I only had a few things on hand, so I made them work. Just like my dad always did.
These are the details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- chicken breast
- cajun seasoning
- creole seasoning
- fresh thyme leaves
- yellow onion
- dry white rice
- dry wild rice
- red or orange bell peppers
- diced tomatoes
- soy sauce
- fresh chopped parsley
- fresh chopped cilantro
The Steps
Step 1: Pick Your Skillet
Start by grabbing your favorite large, oven-safe skillet — this is a true one-pan situation, and we love that. I usually use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or a Dutch oven. You want something wide enough so that everything cooks evenly.
Step 2: Cook the Chicken
Add the chicken to the skillet and toss with butter, Cajun seasoning, and Creole seasoning so everything gets coated and cozy. Cook over medium-high heat, letting the spices toast and the butter help create that gorgeous golden crust. Don’t rush this step — those 3 to 5 minutes build so much flavor.
Once the chicken is golden, add a little more butter, then stir in the onions and peppers. Let them soften and get slightly caramelized. That touch of sweetness balances the spice perfectly. Transfer everything to a plate for now.
Step 3: Start the Rice
In the same skillet — don’t wipe it out so that all that flavor stays — add the thyme and both rices. Toasting the rice for a minute is my favorite little trick. It adds a subtle, nutty flavor that makes the whole dish feel extra special.
Pour in the broth (or water if that’s what you have), season with salt and pepper, and stir in the tomatoes. Bring everything to a boil and let it do its thing.
Once it’s bubbling, cover the skillet and turn the heat down low. You want a gentle simmer here.
Step 4: Add the Chicken Back
Stir the chicken and peppers back into the skillet along with a splash of soy sauce. That little hit of savory saltiness ties everything together in the best way.
Let the rice absorb most of the liquid, about 10 minutes. Your kitchen will smell amazing.
Finish with lots of fresh herbs. I love a mix of parsley and cilantro for a bright, fresh pop that makes the whole skillet feel vibrant and colorful.
Step 5: Serve
Serve it straight from the pan at the table. Use a big spoon, for no fuss. It’s cozy, a little spicy, and exactly the kind of easy dinner that feels like you tried harder than you did.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
-
One pan with minimal cleanup
-
Pantry staples paired with fresh herbs and lemon
-
Toasted rice with pilaf-style texture and flavor
-
Herby butter that gives it a restaurant-style finish
Key Ingredients + Notes
Chicken
Chicken thighs stay juicier, but chicken breasts work too. If using breasts, be sure to sear them well first for the best texture.
Cajun Seasoning
Check the salt level in your seasoning. If it’s extra salty, use low-sodium broth and adjust seasoning at the end.
Rice
I use long-grain white rice (like jasmine) plus wild rice for texture and flavor.
Looking for other skillet dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce.
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Lastly, if you make this Quick Cajun Chicken and Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Quick Cajun Chicken and Rice
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 658 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1-2 tablespoons cajun seasoning, us this to your taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup dry white rice
- 1/2 cup dry wild rice
- 2 red or orange bell peppers, chopped
- 1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- 1. In a large oven-safe skillet, combine 1 tablespoon butter, the chicken, Cajun seasoning, and Creole seasoning. Toss to coat. Set the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the chicken is golden, about 3–5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter, then stir in the onion and peppers. Cook for another 3–4 minutes. Remove everything from the skillet and set aside.2. To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter, the thyme, wild rice, and white rice. Cook, stirring, until the rice is lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Pour in 3 cups of broth or water and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil.3. Stir in the chicken and peppers, then add the soy sauce.4. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has absorbed into the rice but a little remains. 5. Serve warm, topped with fresh herbs.
This post was originally published on February 23, 2026
I think whatever ‘wild’ rice mix you are using is not actually real wild rice. Wild rice is dark brown/black in color. I do not see it in any of the pictures above or on your IG stories where you made this dish. Perhaps the issue is your wild rice mix isn’t actually wild rice and that is why is cooks in 10mins and everyone else is using actual wild rice which takes 40-50min to cook.
Hi Kelli,
I appreciate your feedback and sharing this suggestion! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
I would not recommend using the wild rice, it will not be done in 10 minutes. I added a little more broth and simmered it for 10 extra minutes and the wild rice was still not soft. My kids were hungry so I just served them the chicken with onions and peppers on some tortillas like tacos. I ended up cooking the rice for 40 minutes total to get the wild rice fully cooked, the white rice was then extremely overcooked. I would not mix the two rices in the future.
Hi Marissa,
I’m very sorry to hear this! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback!
Wild rice never cooked. Ended up putting back in and got mushy and overdone. 🙁
Hi Bri,
Very sorry to hear this. How much longer did you cook the wild rice for? Thanks for trying the recipe and your feedback!
This recipe look really good but is there a reason why you don’t fully cook the wild rice?
Hey Erma,
Thanks so much! I just allow it to get soft, giving the dish a nice texture, it should not be crunchy:)
I hope you love this dish!
My husband gobbled this up! I served it with sautéed kale and garlic.
Hey Sheila,
Amazing! I appreciate you making this dish and your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed!
What brand of wild rice did you use in your dish? Not the one you linked – which brand and type did you use when you tested the recipe?
Hey Rebecca!! I use a homemade wild rice mix from our natural grocery store here in town! They use a mix of wild rice and orzo.
I do love the Whole Foods brand wild rice!
Hope you love the recipe!
I noticed in your stories today you had
Orzo in the pan also – what adjustments do I need to make if using that?
Hey Cherie! That’s actually apart of my wild rice. The orzo comes in the mix! If you want to add orzo, you don’t need to make adjustments, just use more broth or water.
Hope you love the recipe!!
Came here from instagram after seeing your story on you making this dish. It looks like when you made it you did not follow this recipe though. You used only white rice, no wild rice. I didn’t see you add the can of tomatoes either. Also you finished yours in the oven, which this recipe does not instruct you do to. A little confused!
Hey Joanie! I didn’t use the oven for the recipe. I apologize, I misspoke in the recipe video.
For the rice and tomatoes, I just didn’t show those going into the skillet, but they are in there. I’m so sorry for confusion!
It’s all the same recipe and you should follow as directed here!
Does this make sense?
Let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love the dish!
I watched your IG stories this morning and it looks like you did not use the wild rice when you made yours, is this what you would recommend? I see a lot of comments below about the wild rice cooking time issues.
Hi Nancy,
You can follow the recipe as written using the wild rice:)
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe!
Made this tonight! I dint have any Cole or Cajun seasoning so I googled it. Made it a tiny bit too spicy lol. Otherwise super good, I added a little cream cheese just to take some of the kick out.
Hey Meagan,
Perfect! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!
Where does the lemon come in? Also will it be too salty when combing the soy, creole and Cajun ?
Hi Kayla,
There is no lemon in this recipe:)
I don’t find this to be salty, but you could use low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos to be on the safe side.
I hope this helps!
This is a question, not a rating as I have not made the recipe yet. Will wild rice cook in 10 minutes? Usually when I make wild rice it takes about 45 minutes to cook. Are you not cooking it completely so it’s crunchy? Thanks
Hi Sam,
Thanks for asking! Yes, it’s not fully cooked, but it will be soft. Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it!
Made this last night, and it was a big hit….. I didn’t have creole seasoning, so I just used the full 2 tablespoons of (quick google ) homemade cajun seasoning. Forgot to add the soy, ( silly me ). guess I’ll have to make it again and follow the recipe next time…. Very yummy !
Hey Kris,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! So glad it was enjoyed!
Have the best weekend!
Made this last night with a couple adjustments. My husband and I both loved it, as we do most of your recipes!
Thanks so much, Kim! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed by your family! Thanks a lot for making it!
I just made this tonight for dinner and the flavors were wonderful! I didn’t have wild rice, so I just used more white rice. The 10 minute cook time was perfect! This is such a customizable recipe, I want to try it with jerk seasoning next time for more sweetness!
Hey Jasmin,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! So glad it was enjoyed!
Have the best weekend!