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Roasted Cajun Chicken Thighs – Flavorful and juicy oven-roasted chicken thighs prepared with the tastiest cajun rub and served over simple, but delicious cauliflower rice.
This cajun chicken recipe showcases juicy, flavorful thighs with a homemade cajun rub that is out of this world! The thighs are quickly seared to achieve that bit of crispness on top, and finished off in the oven. Riced cauliflower is also added to the same skillet to cook in mouth watering flavorful pan drippings!
It’s the ideal dinner for busy families because it’s so easy to toss in the oven, even on the busiest days. For those who love the fusion of sweet and savory flavors in their meals, trying an easy Bourbon Chicken recipe next could be a nice switch. It offers a similar ease of preparation with a tasty twist. This chicken thighs recipe is also gluten-free, low-carb, and Keto-friendly.
ROASTED CAJUN CHICKEN THIGHS
You can have truly great chicken thighs every single time; all you will need is 10 minutes active time and some basic pantry ingredients. If roasting is out of the question, grab my recipe for Stove Top Chicken Thighs.
Because we’re making our own cajun seasoning, you might not even need to measure anything out because you don’t have to go with the amounts I listed. That’s just a guide, and you can (should) adjust to your own taste.
- We start with whipping up the cajun seasoning: in a small bowl combine paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
- Rub the cajun seasoning all over each bone-in, SKINLESS chicken thigh and sear in a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side, or until browned.
- Transfer to a roasting pan and continue to cook for 25 to 30 minutes in a 425˚F preheated oven, flipping the chicken in the last ten minutes of cooking.
- In the meantime, toss some riced cauliflower in the skillet with all the leftover drippings; sauté for 4 minutes, or until tender.
- Remove chicken thighs from oven; garnish with green onions and serve with cauliflower rice.
CAN I USE CHICKEN BREASTS?
I used chicken thighs for this recipe, but I have tried chicken breasts with it, as well, and it is JUST AS GOOD! But, breasts need less cooking time; chicken is cooked through when internal temperature registers at 165˚F. Please use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. You can follow my recipe for oven baked chicken breasts, but use this cajun seasoning instead of the one I have listed there.
Bone-in Chicken Thighs are extra flavorful because they contain more fat which results in moist and juicy chicken, but I almost always remove the skin. When you’ve got this much cajun flavor, you may not need the extra calories that come from the skin.
Now, let’s get this easy breezy chicken dinner on the table for you and your family. Toss up a green salad, add the cauliflower rice to the plate, and rock on!
MORE CHICKEN THIGHS RECIPES
- Marinated Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- One Pan Lemon Garlic Butter Garlic Chicken Thighs and Asparagus
- Spicy Sweet and Sticky Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken Thighs with Brown Sugar Glaze
ENJOY!
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Roasted Cajun Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 to 8 (2 pounds, total) bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
FOR THE CAJUN SEASONING
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RICE
- 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 to 5 cups cauliflower rice
- salt and fresh ground pepper,, to taste
- sliced green onions,, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Lightly grease a roasting pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a small mixing bowl combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, fresh ground pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towel.
- Spray the thighs with cooking spray and rub the cajun seasoning all over.
- Sear thighs in the hot oil for 2 minutes per side, or until just browned.
- Transfer chicken thighs to previously prepared roasting pan and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the chicken over in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Chicken thighs are done when internal temperature registers at 165˚F. Please use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- In the meantime, stir 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet where you seared the chicken. Heat it up over medium-high heat. Please note: If there’s enough drippings left-over in the skillet, you may not need to add any more vegetable oil.
- Add the cauliflower rice to the warmed oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently.
- Remove thighs from oven, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve with cauliflower rice.
Notes
- Refrigerate chicken thighs within two hours of cooking. Make sure that they are completely cooled.
- Store chicken in airtight containers, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Transfer completely cooled chicken thighs to an airtight container OR freezer bags.
- Label the bag or container with name and date, and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This was one of my favourite chicken thigh recipes to date! I used skin-on thighs because I like the crispy skin and I marinated the chicken in the Cajun seasoning for a few hours before cooking/roasting. I served this with rosemary garlic roast potatoes and steamed broccoli. My plate was clean by the end!
That’s wonderful! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much! 🙂
What a great recipe! I have to put this on my menu!
Love the tenderness in chicken thighs! This dish looks restaurant worthy, indeed!
I loved the Cajun flavor on the chicken! A little kick but not too spicy!
These sound extremely simple to make. Not to mention, they turn out GORGEOUS which might sound strange for chicken but, shoot, those look nice.
This looks incredible!
This cajun seasoning is calling my name! Sounds delicious!!
My family loved this recipe! Thank you so much!