Cajun Grilled Chicken

This easy Cajun Grilled Chicken recipe is made with homemade Cajun seasoning and a little olive oil. It is super easy to make, flavourful and great for your BBQ party or main dish. Chicken breasts cooked to perfection, this Cajun grilled chicken recipe will be done in no time.

Full of bold flavours, this Cajun grilled chicken is marinated in a homemade Cajun seasoning and then grilled to perfection. It’s perfect for summer grill but you can make this any time of the year!

You can never have too many easy chicken recipes on hand and this recipe checks all the boxes. You will fall in love with this grilled Cajun chicken recipe. It’s smoky, spicy, and savoury and I bet your whole family will fall in love with it after taking their first bite. It’s also super easy to make with only a handful of simple ingredients.

How To Make Cajun Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts — Always try to get chicken breasts that are similar in size so they cook as evenly as possible. I like using free-range organic chicken with no antibiotics or added hormones but you can use whatever is accessible to you.
• Olive oil — I like to use olive oil but you can swap it for another oil such as avocado oil.
• Cajun seasoning – While you can use store-bought Cajun seasoning, you can make your own with some paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and herbs. I much prefer my homemade blend as I can control how spicy or mild it is.

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken

• Brine your chicken breasts by combining the warm water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt in a large bowl. Stir it well until salt is dissolved in the water. Add the chicken breasts and let them sit for 15-30 minutes.

• Brush olive oil, vegetable oil or even melted butter over all sides of the chicken. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.

Marinate the Chicken

• Marinate the chicken breasts for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
• While the chicken marinates, you can prepare the grill.

Grill the Chicken

• Place the chicken on the grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Cook 10 to 12 minutes or cook until an internal temp of 165 degrees or the juices run clear. 
• Before serving squeeze a little bit of lemon juice or limes juice.

How to Serve Cajun Grilled Chicken

Cajun grilled chicken breasts are great with any type of salad but I especially love it with black bean mango salad because the sweetness of the mango combines really well and reduces the hot spices in the Cajun seasoning. This salad is also very easy to make, yet very flavorful, especially this time of the year when the mangos as sweet and juicy. And it tastes even better as a leftover.

This chicken recipe also goes really well with veggies, sandwiches, sauces, rice, and pasta and it can be also served hot or cold. 

Can I Make This Without A Grill?

Absolutely! You can pan-fry the chicken breasts, use a grill pan on the stove, or even bake them. Check out my baked chicken breast recipe and use the Cajun seasoning instead.

Can I meal prep this?

Yes, you can meal prep this recipe. You can double or triple this Cajun chicken breast recipe and grill them in batches. Once cooled, store in an airtight meal prep container either portioned out or in one large container.

Keep the chicken breasts refrigerated for up to four days. Reheat them in the microwave when ready to eat. If you prefer to enjoy the chicken chilled, you can skip reheating it.

Can I freeze this?

If you want to make these Cajun grilled chicken breasts ahead of time to freeze for meal prepping, you can do so by allowing the breasts to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the chicken to an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, simply thaw in the fridge overnight and then gently reheat in the microwave. You can even shred the chicken before freezing if you want to be able to use it for soups, salads, and fillings.

Is Cajun Chicken Spicy?

The spice level on your Cajun grilled chicken depends on the spice blend you use. Some brands are much spicier than others.

The best option is using a homemade blend so you can adjust the amount of cayenne pepper and black pepper in the blend whereas you cannot adjust the heat in store-bought Cajun seasoning. The rest of the herbs that in the Cajun seasoning such as thyme and oregano are not spicy.

How long should I marinate the chicken for?

Typically, 15 to 30 minutes of marinating is enough. However, for even more flavour, marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge.

Why do you brine chicken?

Brining is the process where the chicken is soaked in a salty liquid. This helps adds flavor and keeps the chicken tender and juicy so don’t skip this step. Make sure to marinate the chicken immediately after brining.

Can I use chicken thighs to make this Cajun Grilled Chicken?

You can swap the boneless skinless chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. Just make sure the internal temperature of the chicken thighs has reached 165F.