Louisiana Style Recipe

Prepare Chicken

Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut each thigh into 1-inch pieces if serving over rice, or leave whole for slicing later.

Season Chicken

In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until evenly coated.

Brown Chicken

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and brown 3–4 minutes per side until golden but not fully cooked through. Transfer browned chicken to a plate and set aside.

Sauté Mirepoix

Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. Add diced onion, green pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes.

Add Garlic and Tomato

Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly.

Build the Sauce

Pour in the canned diced tomatoes (with juices) and chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, dried thyme, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Simmer with Chicken

Return the browned chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld, about 12–15 minutes. Stir occasionally; if sauce reduces too much, add up to 1/4 cup more stock or water.

Adjust and Finish

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or hot sauce to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in chopped parsley just before serving.

While the sauce simmers, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.

In a small saucepan, bring 1.5 cups water, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add the rinsed rice, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer undisturbed for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before plating.

Spoon a bed of warm rice onto each plate. Ladle the Cajun chicken and generous sauce over the rice.

Garnish with sliced green onions, chopped parsley, and lemon wedges on the side. Serve immediately with extra hot sauce if desired.