Cajun Chicken & Dirty Rice Bowls with Remoulade

Blackened chicken sliced over Cajun trinity dirty rice with black-eyed peas and a tangy remoulade

• Prep: 25 min
• Cook: 25 min
• Serves 8
• Difficulty: easy

Chicken breast gets coated in a bold Cajun blackening rub and seared hard in cast iron—never fried—then sliced over a skillet of Cajun trinity dirty rice with black-eyed peas, finished with a tangy light remoulade and fresh lettuce and tomato.

Why crews like it: Same genuine New Orleans flavor as a po'boy, minus the soggy-bread problem—rice and beans hold and reheat all week instead of going stale on a shelf.

Ingredients

• 3.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 cups long-grain white rice
• 1 whole green bell pepper
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic cloves
• 2 cans black-eyed peas
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 0.5 cup mayonnaise
• 0.25 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp Creole mustard
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 2 whole tomato
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Mix the remoulade: Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, Creole mustard, capers, hot sauce, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Refrigerate while everything else cooks so the flavors meld.
2. Build the dirty rice: Cook onion, bell pepper, and celery in oil over medium 5–6 minutes until softened. Add garlic and Cajun seasoning, cook 1 minute. Add rice, broth, and black-eyed peas; bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 18–20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
3. Season and sear the chicken: While the rice simmers, combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, cayenne, and salt; coat chicken breasts evenly. Sear in oil in a hot cast iron skillet 4–5 minutes per side until deeply charred and 165°F at the center. Rest 5 minutes, then slice.
4. Build the bowls: Portion dirty rice into bowls, top with sliced blackened chicken, shredded lettuce, and diced tomato, and drizzle with remoulade.

Tonight's spread

• Extra hot sauce at the line.
• Lemon wedges for the rice.

Hall tips

• Reduce cayenne by half for a milder version—the smoked paprika still carries plenty of flavor.
• Double the remoulade—crews always want extra to drizzle on the bowl.
• A dash of hot sauce at the line keeps with the classic po'boy shop presentation.

Meal prep

Mix the remoulade ahead—it improves after an hour in the fridge as the flavors meld. Dirty rice and chicken both reheat well together in one container. Station: Vent the hood—blackening in cast iron creates real smoke. Station: Rice and beans hold in a covered pan far better than a sandwich roll ever would—build the bowl instead of rushing to serve it fast. Station: Add lettuce and tomato fresh at serving so they stay crisp.

Leftovers

• Rice, beans, and chicken all keep and reheat together for up to 4 days.
• Slice cold chicken over a salad with extra remoulade as a dressing.

• Cast iron skillet
• Large pot
• Mixing bowls

Related recipes

• Lemon Garlic Chicken Tray
• Chicken Fajitas
• Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls
• White Bean Chicken Chili
• Beef Rice Bowls
• Barbacoa Chicken

Browse more

• Explore all recipes
• Breakfast recipes
• Smoothies
• Pizza Night
• Guides
• Classics Wheel