High Protein Creamy Cajun Chicken with Garlic Rice
High-protein Cajun chicken with garlicky Cajun rice and a creamy Parmesan cream cheese sauce—bold, filling, and perfect for a comfort-meets-fitness dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus marinating time, optional)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 serving (see note above about scaling)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun / American
Ingredients
Cajun Chicken
800 g chicken breast, cut into halves
1½ tbsp Cajun seasoning mix (for marinade)
2 tsp olive oil
25 g grass-fed butter (for cooking)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
Garlic Cajun Rice
2 cups uncooked long-grain rice (or 4 cups cooked/day-old rice)
1 medium red onion, chopped
4–5 garlic cloves, chopped
½ tbsp Cajun seasoning mix
15 g grass-fed butter
Creamy Cajun Sauce
½ tbsp Cajun seasoning mix
250 ml milk
150 g light cream cheese
40 g Parmesan
Garnish
Fresh parsley
Instructions
Marinate chicken (best flavor): Coat chicken with 1½ tbsp Cajun seasoning and olive oil. Cover and marinate overnight (or at least 30 minutes if short on time).
Cook chicken: Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Melt 25 g butter and cook chicken until deeply golden with a crisp crust and cooked through. Rest a few minutes, then slice into strips.
Build the rice base: In the same pan, sauté red onion and garlic until fragrant. Add ½ tbsp Cajun seasoning, then stir in day-old cooked rice and toss until evenly coated.
If using uncooked rice: Cook the rice separately first, then add it to the pan and season as above.
Make the creamy Cajun sauce: Lower heat. Melt 15 g butter in the pan. Add ½ tbsp Cajun seasoning, then slowly whisk in milk. Once warm, stir in cream cheese and Parmesan until smooth and creamy.
Assemble: Plate Cajun garlic rice, top with sliced chicken, and drizzle sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Yield note: With 800 g chicken + 2 cups uncooked rice, this reads like multiple servings (closer to 4–6). If you truly want 1 serving, scale down to ~150–200 g chicken and ~½ cup cooked rice.
Best crust tip: Pat chicken dry before cooking and don’t move it for the first 2–3 minutes to help it brown.
Sauce thickness: Simmer gently to thicken; add a splash of milk if it gets too thick.
Salt caution: Cajun seasoning can be salty—taste before adding extra salt.
Heat level: Adjust Cajun + chili powder to your comfort.
