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Home > Meal Type > Main Dishes > Grilled Sweet Cajun Chicken

Grilled Sweet Cajun Chicken

Updated: Mar 29th 2020 • Published: Aug 12th 2019 • 7 Comments

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cajun chicken on a black plate with text at the top
sliced cajun chicken with text at the top
two pictures of cajun chicken with text in a teal box
two pictures of cajun chicken with text in a blue box
two pictures of cajun chicken with text in a purple box

This Grilled Sweet Cajun Chicken is tender, juicy and packed with flavor. The perfect chicken recipe for grilling season!

Delicious as a main meal for dinner, on sandwiches, in a salad or stirred through pasta, this recipe is ideal for the whole family.

The marinade is so easy to put together – a mixture of the spice rub, brown sugar, and olive oil. This can then be left in the refrigerator for the day or popped in the freezer for a quick and easy meal another day.

4 grilled chicken breasts on a black plate with lemon wedges

Jump Menu

  • An easy Cajun marinade.
  • Is Cajun Chicken Spicy?
  • How long to marinate the chicken for?
  • Can I freeze the marinated chicken?
  • How to cut chicken fillets from chicken breasts
  • How long to cook cajun chicken for
  • Can I pan fry Cajun chicken?
  • What to serve with Cajun Chicken
  • What wine to serve with Cajun Chicken
  • Grilled Sweet Cajun Chicken Recipe

An easy Cajun marinade.

This sweet cajun chicken has just 4 ingredients!! Chicken Fillets, Cajun Spice Blend, Brown Sugar, and Olive Oil.

You can use a store-bought Cajun spice mix or make your own up. I have a recipe for the homemade spice blend, that includes:

  • paprika
  • salt
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • cayenne pepper (optional)
  • dried oregano
  • dried thyme
  • ground fennel

For full details of the recipe check out the Cajun Seasoning Recipe here.

But for these cajun chicken fillets, I used a premade seasoning that I picked up at a food conference. So pick your favorite brand and go from there.

Just watch for the salt content, my homemade and the premade brand, both had salt in them, so I didn’t need to add any to the chicken. If your brand is salt-free then be sure to season your chicken when you add the cajun spice blend.

Is Cajun Chicken Spicy?

The spice level on your cajun chicken depends very much on the cajun spice blend you use. I like to use a mild blend to make this family-friendly.

Give your spice blend a taste and make the best judgment for your family’s tastes.

a sliced cajun chicken breast on top of unsliced chicken breasts

How long to marinate the chicken for?

The beauty of cajun spices is that they are strong and punchy. So just 30 minutes in the marinade will give your chicken flavor.

However, I recommend leaving the chicken for 12-24 hours. This will give you great flavor but also allow the salt to penetrate the meat and you’ll end up with a fabulously tender chicken breast.

Can I freeze the marinated chicken?

You sure can! I like to mix up the chicken in a zip lock bag and then place it in the freezer. it will keep happily for 6 months. As it defrosts the chicken will continue to tenderize and marinate.

split picture showing the raw chicken marinating in cajun spice rub

How to cut chicken fillets from chicken breasts

To cut your chicken breasts into fillets:

  • Lay the chicken breast flat on the board.
  • Use a large sharp knife to cut sideways through the breast.
  • Keep the knife flat and parallel to the chopping board.
Chicken breast being filleted on a wooden chopping board

How long to cook cajun chicken for

Filleting the chicken breasts means that this meal becomes a really fast cook. The chicken needs just 3-4 minutes on each side.

Can I pan fry Cajun chicken?

Yes! If it isn’t grilling season, you don’t have a grill or just fancy staying inside, then you can cook this in a heavy-based frying pan/skillet. If you have a ridged grill pan then you can even get the wonderful char lines that grilling gives you. The chicken will need 4 minutes on each side.

close up on the color of the cooked cajun chicken beast

What to serve with Cajun Chicken

  • Garlic Green Beans
  • Brabant Potatoes
  • Fried corn
  • Cajun black eyed peas
  • Cajun dirty rice
  • Lime rice
  • Sweet potato wedges
  • Southern butter beans
  • Collard greens
  • Crushed Potatoes

What wine to serve with Cajun Chicken

Cajun dishes are wonderful with sparkling wines! We like a dry South Australian or Californian sparkling wine. If you have opted to make your Cajun chicken spicy then a slightly sweet sparkling wine like a Moscato works well.
If you want to avoid the bubbles then pick a white wine that isn’t oaky, something like a Sauvignon Blanc or a Reisling.
For those that love a red, you want a very light red with low tannins. A Zinfandel works well or a light Pinot Noir.

close up on the sliced cajun chicken breast on a black plate

For more delicious chicken ideas why not try:

  • Peri Peri Chicken
  • Garlic Chicken Pasta
  • Creamy Champagne Chicken
  • Dill Pickle Stuffed Chicken Breasts
  • Baked Tomato Chicken Breasts
  • Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
  • Cheesy Baked Fajita Chicken
  • Easy Creamy Basil Chicken Breasts
  • See all 80+ Chicken recipes

Enjoy x


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overhead shot of the cajun chicken breast sliced
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5 from 4 votes

Grilled Sweet Cajun Chicken Recipe

This Grilled Sweet Cajun Chicken is tender, juicy and packed with flavor. The perfect chicken recipe for grilling season! Delicious as a main meal for dinner, on sandwiches, in a salad or stirred through pasta, this recipe is ideal for the whole family. The marinade is so easy to put together – a mixture of the spice rub, brown sugar, and olive oil. This can then be left in the refrigerator for the day or popped in the freezer for a quick easy meal another day.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time8 mins
Marinading Time12 hrs
Total Time18 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Cajun
Servings: 4
Calories: 221kcal
Author: Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts
For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
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Ingredients

US Customary – Grams
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp cajun spice blend – see note 1
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 large chicken breasts

Instructions

  • In a zip lock bag or non-reactive container, combine the olive oil, cajun seasoning and brown sugar. Squish the bag or stir the container until well combined.
  • Place the chicken breasts flat on a chopping board and keeping your knife parallel to the chopping board cut horizontally straight through the chicken breast. Repeat with the second chicken breast.
  • Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but 12-24 hours is best (see note 2 for freezer instructions)

To cook the chicken

  • Get the grill hot. Or if you are using a frying pan place it over medium-high heat.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side then flip and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until cooked through.

Notes

  1. If your Cajun seasoning blend doesn’t contain salt then add 1 tsp of salt to your marinade mixture.
  2. Once the chicken is in the marinade it will keep in the freezer happily for 6 months. As it defrosts the chicken will continue to tenderize and marinate.

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2529IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts
backlit photo of cajun chicken breasts

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Chicken Breast Recipes, Fourth of July, Main Dishes

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Comments

  1. Sheri says

    Aug 1st 2020 at 11:58 pm

    5 stars
    I am marinading the chicken now. It looks wonderful!! I used raw honey instead of brown sugar. I can’t have sugar and like healthier options. Can’t wait to try it. I am making garlic dill potatoes and a salad with this recipe. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      Sep 21st 2020 at 12:06 pm

      I bet the honey will be delicious!!!
      So pleased you are enjoying the recipe so far 🙂
      Cx

      Reply
  2. Sherl Kitchen says

    May 21st 2020 at 6:07 am

    Hi, this recipe looks amazing!!! And I bet it tastes wonderful!!!! I’m trying this tonight on the grill. But have a question I’m going to use 4 chicken breast so could you tell me how do I adjust the recipe?? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Claire McEwen says

      May 24th 2020 at 12:27 pm

      Hi Sherl, sorry for the slow reply (it was my son’s birthday on Friday so we have spent the weekend relaxing together)
      I hope you managed to sort the quantities.

      On my recipes you can increase (or decrease the serving size) by clicking into the servings box and changing the number, this will automatically scale the recipe for you. Some ingredients may look a bit wonky as it is hard to do half an egg etc, but for things like this chicken dish it should work well. I hope that will help for next time and again I am sorry I didn’t get to your message in time for you to cook the chicken.

      Cx

      Reply
  3. Sues says

    Aug 19th 2019 at 11:08 am

    5 stars
    I can practically SEE the flavor in this chicken! It looks so, so good and I can see myself eating it as is, but also adding it to salads and pasta dishes. So versatile and delicious!

    Reply
  4. Jess says

    Aug 18th 2019 at 5:23 am

    5 stars
    This chicken looks so juicy and delicious! I want to dive right in. YUM!

    Reply
  5. Monica says

    Aug 17th 2019 at 11:59 am

    This looks fantastic, Claire! I love the bit of brown sugar in the marinade – just the hint of sweetness to make the chicken next level. And your grill marks are absolutely to die for!

    Reply

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Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

I believe cooking for those you love should be stress free and simple.

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