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These Cajun Braised Chicken Thighs, are tender, moist, and juicy chicken thighs, with a zesty chicken gravy, that make a hearty, rustic, spicy comfort food meal, especially when served over rice or mashed potatoes.

What Are Cajun Braised Chicken Thighs?

Cajun Braised Chicken Thighs takes ordinary chicken thighs and seasons them with a zesty Cajun or Creole seasoning and then coats them in flour and browns them in a skillet. Then they are “braised” or cooked on lower heat in a flavorful broth until fully cooked and tender and juicy. It makes a super flavorful main dish recipe for any meal, especially for Mardi Gras coming up. This is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken thighs and one of my favorite Cajun recipes.

What Is Braising?

Braising is a cooking method that cooks meat or poultry by simmering it in a flavorful broth. This recipe uses a a technique called brown-braising because the chicken thighs are browned first and then simmered in a flavorful chicken broth. As the broth reduces, it makes an out-of-this world sauce or chicken gravy.

What Makes This Recipe Work?

Bursting with with zesty Cajun flavor. Braising really brings out the flavor.
Moist, tender, juicy chicken thighs. First, using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts makes for a more flavorful dish. Secondly, braising those chicken thighs really makes the chicken tender, moist, and juicy.
Tried and true recipe. I made and tested this recipe myself, as I do all my recipes, and am sharing my experience in making this.
Simple, step-by-step instructions with photos. I write the instructions in plain English, and with step by step photos, to make the directions as easy to understand as possible and to allow you to see each step of the process.
Tips and Tricks. I share my recipe tips to help you avoid pitfalls and give you the best chance for success in making this recipe.
Serving suggestions. I don’t leave you hanging. I share ideas for what to serve with this recipe.

What Do I Need To Make Cajun Braised Chicken Thighs?

Equipment

Below are Amazon affiliate links to tools that are used in making this recipe. These affiliate links to Amazon.com that allow you to visualize the tool, and if you choose to purchase one, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch Oven
Tongs
Metal Spatula
Flat dish like a pie plate
Serving Spoon or Ladle

Ingredients

Chicken Thighs – The recipe is written for boneless chicken thighs, but you can use bone-in chicken thighs and increase the cooking time by about 20 minutes.
Cajun Seasoning, either Homemade or Store-Bought. (Amazon affiliate link)
All-purpose Flour
Butter
Oil
Onion
Garlic
Salt And Pepper
Chicken Broth – Any type of liquid will work. You could use water, chicken stock, or white wine.

How To Make Cajun Braised Chicken Thighs?

Make The Cajun Seasoning. In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients in the Homemade Cajun Seasoning recipe. These include salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, cayenne and more!

Season and Flour The Chicken Thighs. Sprinkle half of the Cajun Seasoning evenly over the chicken and then turn each piece of chicken and sprinkle the remaining Cajun seasoning over the other side of the chicken pieces. Then pour the half cup flour in a flat bottomed dish and dredge each piece of chicken through it.
Brown The Chicken. Cook the chicken thighs in 1 Tablespoon each of butter and oil in either a deep, large skillet or Dutch Oven, over medium-high heat, for about 3 or 4 minutes until the chicken is browned on one side. Turn the chicken and cook 3 or 4 minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Cook the Onions and Garlic. Add the remaining oil or butter, if needed, to the skillet and cook the onions for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and stir for a minute.

How Long Do I Braise The Chicken Thighs?

Braise The Chicken Thighs. Reduce the heat to medium low. Pour the chicken broth in the skillet and add the browned chicken thighs in the broth, skin side down. Cover and cook on low to simmer the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve The Chicken. Remove the chicken from the broth and place on a serving platter or on serving plates. Pour the sauce or gravy over the chicken. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or thyme.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Use Homemade Cajun Seasoning. I recommend using a homemade Cajun Seasoning vs store-bought. Why? First, because it does not have the additives and preservatives that many store-bought brands have. In addition, you can control the amount of each ingredient you put in. For example, if you want to limit the amount of salt in the recipe, you can reduce the amount of salt yourself. If want more garlic flavor, you can increase the amount of garlic seasoning.
Use White Wine. To add more flavor, substitute half of the chicken broth with white wine. The wine will add additional depth and flavor to the sauce.
Use Low-Sodium Chicken Broth. If you choose to use chicken broth as the liquid, instead of water or wine, then I recommend using the reduced-sodium variety. Some brands can be very salty, and if you use the reduced sodium, then you can better control the amount of salt in the recipe so that it is to your preference.
Pat Chicken Dry. Pat the chicken dry. By starting with dry chicken, you will end up with a crispier skin on the top.
Get Under The Skin. For even more flavorful chicken, in addition to sprinkling seasoning on top of the skin, lift the skin and rub seasoning on the chicken thigh meat under the skin. This will make for an extremely flavorful chicken thigh throughout.

What To Serve With Cajun Braised Chicken Thighs?

Rice or Mashed Potatoes
Maque Choux – A Cajun Corn side dish
Creole Green Beans
Fried Cabbage With Bacon

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I use Bone-In Chicken Thighs? Yes, you can use bone-in chicken thighs. However, if you choose to use bone-in chicken thighs, I recommend braising (simmering) the chicken for an ADDITIONAL 20 to 25 minutes, for a total of about 45 minutes.
Can I use Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts? While I love the convenience and ease of chicken breasts, for this type of recipe that involves braising, I highly recommend using chicken thighs instead. It will save you money as well.
Can I Make This Low Carb? You can reduce the carbs by not coating the chicken in flour. However, then you may have to make a cornstarch slurry, made with cornstarch and water, to add to the sauce to thicken the sauce.
Can I Make This In A Slow Cooker? Yes. Season and coat the chicken in flour and then brown in a hot skillet on the stove. Then transfer it to a slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients. You can cook it on high for 3 or 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time? Yes. You can make it a day before and store it in an airtight container until you are ready to reheat on the stove. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.
Can I Freeze Cajun Braised Chicken Thighs? Yes. You can transfer it to a freezer-safe airtight container and store it for up to 3 months.