Cajun Chicken and Rice with Okra Skillet Bake

Apr 25, 2025 Modified: Apr 25, 2025by Lyn Corinne Liner This post may contain affiliate links.

My Cajun chicken and rice with okra features all of your favorite South Louisiana staples in one piping hot skillet meal that practically cooks itself after the prep, y’all!! Easy on the eyes and tantalizing to the tummy, this crowd-pleasing one-pan wonder is a winner winner, flavor-popping chicken dinner. Yep and yay…

Cajun chicken and rice with okra in a bowl alongside a rust-colored napkin and white flowers.

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It’s Simple and Scrumptious…

Cajun chicken and rice with okra is a casserole that starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. It’s a hearty meal, packed with vegetables, rice, and boneless skinless chicken breast halves, topped with select homemade Cajun seasonings that pack each forkful with the perfect balance of flavors.

Best of all, this easy weeknight dinner is a one-pot meal that comes together quickly. And, if you chop the veggies ahead of time, you can shave another 15 minutes or so off of the prep time to put it on the table even faster.

Captivating all those who behold it with intriguing pops of red, yellow, and green, this dish lives up to its looks with incredible layered flavors and complex, complementary textures. Indeed.

Cajun Chicken and Rice Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions

Ingredients for Cajun chicken and rice with okra skillet bake in bowls on a white marbled background.

For this recipe, you can cut two whole chicken breasts in half or buy pre-cut chicken breast slices from the store to save time on prep. I’ve made this Cajun chicken and rice with okra skillet bake both ways, and there wasn’t any difference in texture or taste. So, go with what works for you.
I prefer using frozen okra straight out of the bag because it doesn’t get slimy as it cooks, like fresh okra often does. However, you can use fresh okra if that’s what you have.
Original tomatoes with green chilies turn up the heat level just a bit on this delicious recipe. You can also use mild Rotel with great success, too.
I use extra long-grain rice exclusively. You can use short-grain rice in a pinch, but it will most likely change the intended texture of this recipe a bit.
The browned yellow onion, green bell pepper, celery, and garlic create the distinctive New Orleans flavor profile of this Cajun chicken recipe. They’re essential to the recipe, and the prepared dish just isn’t the same without them.

A serving platter topped with freshly baked Cajun chicken and rice and okra.

How to Make Cajun Chicken and Rice

Begin the recipe by preheating the oven. Pound the breast pieces with a meat mallet. Sprinkle the dried seasonings over them and set aside.

Raw boneless skinless chicken breasts halves with dried seasonings on top and a meat mallet alongside them.

Then, pour the chopped Cajun trinity veggies into the deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.

Chopped yellow onion, green bell pepper, and celery in a cast iron skillet with butter and oil.

Brown the vegetables, then add the garlic and cook for one additional minute.

Browned Cajun trinity veggies with minced garlic on top.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Then, stir in all of the remaining ingredients except for the chicken and slide into the oven.

Browned veggies, chicken broth, frozen okra, and tomatoes with green chilies in a black cast iron skillet.

Bake for a bit, then lay the seasoned chicken breast halves on top of the rice. Continue baking until done.

Raw pounded and seasoned boneless skinless chicken breast halves on top of Cajun rice and okra in a black cast iron skillet.

And that’s it, y’all!!

This Cajun chicken and rice with okra skillet bake impresses!! It’s jam-packed with flavor, and each bite of the seasoned chicken is even more moist and tender than the last. For sure!!

Share with those whose honest self-examination propels them to become better versions of themselves. Much food love, and see y’all on the yum side…

Closeup of a serving of Cajun chicken and rice with okra in a round white bowl.

NOTE: This post was originally published on April 22, 2019, and was updated and republished on April 25, 2025.

Cajun Chicken and Rice with Okra Skillet Bake

Easy and ultra-flavorful, this Cajun chicken and rice skillet recipe is the perfect weeknight pick-me-up meal that kids love just as much as adults.

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Cajun

Keyword: Cajun baked chicken and rice

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Lyn Corinne Liner

Ingredients

For the Seasoned Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast halves or pre-cut sliced chicken breast pieces
2 teaspoons lemon pepper or lemon juice, see notes
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon paprika
salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste I used about ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne

For the Creole Baked Rice

3 tablespoons butter or oil or a combination of both
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
3 celery ribs, trimmed and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic about 4 medium-sized cloves
2 cups chicken broth
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
1 ½ cups chopped frozen okra
1 10-ounce can tomatoes with green chilis, drained

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pound the chicken breast halves with a meat mallet, then season them with the dried spices.
Brown the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper and celery in the butter or oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
When the trinity is browned, add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
Remove the skillet from heat.
Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the seasoned chicken.
Cover the skillet and bake for 40 minutes, then place the seasoned chicken breast halves on top of the rice mixture.
Continue baking uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a digital meat thermometer inserted into each chicken breast half reads at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Store the leftovers covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
If you substitute lemon juice for the lemon pepper, do not season the chicken until right before you top the rice with it for the last half of the baking time. Otherwise, the lemon juice resting on the chicken breast may start to cook the breast pieces, toughening their muscle fibers and negatively altering the tastes and textures of the prepared dish.

The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.

See our full nutrition disclaimer here.