Cajun Chicken Red Beans and Rice is a quick one-pot dinner made with browned ground chicken, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, kidney beans, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce simmered into a thick, saucy mixture. It is served over warm white rice and is ready in about 35 minutes, making it a strong weeknight option that also reheats well for leftovers.
Ingredient Tips
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Ground chicken: Use lean ground chicken so the sauce stays rich but not greasy.
- Kidney beans: Drain and rinse well so the final dish is not watery or overly salty.
- Yellow onion and red bell pepper: This combo builds the base flavor and adds texture, so dice them evenly for quick cooking.
- Cajun seasoning: Salt levels vary a lot by brand, so start a little lighter if yours is salty, then adjust at the end.
- Hot sauce: A vinegar based hot sauce adds heat and tang, not just spice, so the dish tastes brighter. I use Frank’s hot sauce here.
Recipe success tips
- Use a wide pot so the chicken browns instead of steaming.
- Break up the ground chicken well as it cooks so you get small crumbles that mix evenly with the beans.
- Taste at the end before adding salt because Cajun seasoning and hot sauce can be salty.
- Let it simmer uncovered so the mixture turns saucy instead of soupy.
- Rest for 5 minutes off the heat before serving so it thickens a bit more.
Storage, reheating, and freezing
- Storage: Cool completely, then store the chicken and beans mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the rice separate for best texture.
- Reheating: Warm on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often, and add 1 to 3 tablespoons water or broth if it looks too thick. For the microwave, cover loosely and heat in 45-second bursts, stirring between, with a small splash of water if needed.
- Freezing: Freeze the chicken and beans mixture in freezer safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat as above. Freeze without rice and cook fresh rice when serving.
Recipe
Recipe
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Cajun Chicken Red Beans and Rice
servings
This quick one pot dinner uses ground chicken, kidney beans, and Cajun seasoning for an easy skillet style meal you can serve over rice. It is ready in about 35 minutes and stores well for meal prep.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or deep skillet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Can opener
- Colander
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 15oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup hot sauce such as Frank’s RedHot Original
- ½ cup water or chicken broth
- Fine salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and bell pepper, then cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the ground chicken, then cook for 6 to 8 minutes until no longer pink.
- Stir in the garlic, then cook for 1 minute.
- Add the Cajun seasoning, kidney beans, hot sauce, and water or broth, then stir well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.
- Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture looks saucy and slightly thickened.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper, then serve hot over cooked white rice.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if needed.
- Freezing: Freeze the chicken and beans mixture for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Substitutions: Use ground turkey or ground beef instead of chicken, or swap in black beans or pinto beans for the kidney beans.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup of chicken (without rice) | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1123IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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