Cajun Food Recipe

Prep and marinate proteins

Pat chicken thighs dry and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken and shrimp in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbs Cajun seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp hot sauce. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken and shrimp, toss to coat. Reserve the other half for finishing the sauce. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Chop vegetables

Peel and finely dice the onion. Seed and dice the green bell pepper. Trim and dice the celery. Mince the garlic. Slice the andouille sausage into 1/4-inch rounds.

Cook rice

Rinse the rice until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed rice and 3 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15–18 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Make roux and sauté

In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbs vegetable oil and 2 tbs butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper and celery (the Holy Trinity) and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5–6 minutes. Add the sliced andouille and cook 2–3 minutes to render flavor. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle 2 tbs all-purpose flour over the mixture and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook the flour and slightly darken — this begins a light roux.

Build the sauce

Slowly whisk in 2 cups chicken broth to the pan, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Add the canned diced tomatoes (with juices), Worcestershire sauce and the remaining 1 tbs Cajun seasoning (from the reserved marinade). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 6–8 minutes to thicken slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or more Cajun seasoning as desired. Stir in 1/2 tsp file powder if using for extra thickness and flavor.

Finish proteins

Push the sauce to the edges and add the marinated chicken pieces to the simmering sauce. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through (internal temp 165°F / 74°C). Add the marinated shrimp and cook uncovered for 2–3 minutes until pink and opaque. If sauce becomes too thick, add up to 1/4 cup water or broth to reach desired consistency.

Adjust and rest

Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the reserved marinade that was set aside earlier (if you prefer more heat/flavor) and simmer 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let rest 2–3 minutes to meld flavors.

Plate

Spoon cooked rice onto plates or a large serving platter. Ladle the Cajun chicken, sausage and shrimp ragout over the rice. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and sliced green onions on top. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.