Cajun Butter Chicken

Baked chicken breast with potato wedges and green salad on the side.

Juicy chicken breasts and tender potatoes tossed in a spicy Cajun seasoned sauce and baked to perfection in one pan. Sheet pan chicken and potatoes are an easy dinner that your family will love.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 335kcal

Author Anne Clark

Equipment

sheet pan rimmed to prevent spillage
small sauce pan
measuring spoons magnetic handles to keep them together in the drawer

Ingredients

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Red potatoes (medium)
4 tablespoon Butter ½ stick
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 teaspoon Minced garlic
1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Chili powder
1 teaspoon Onion powder
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper (adjust to your heat preference) use more or less to suit your taste
¼ teaspoon Black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Rinse and dry the potatoes, then slice into strips (like I did) or quarter them. If using a medium potato, slice in half. Then slice each half into 3 or 4 strips.
Add the potatoes and chicken to a large ziplock bag or large bowl.
Prepare the sauce by melting the butter over low heat in a small sauce pan. Add the olive oil, lemon Juice, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and the rest of the spices/seasonings. Stir to combine. Increase the heat just until the sauce begins to simmer around the edges, then remove it from the heat. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Carefully add the sauce to the chicken and potato mixture. Toss to thoroughly coat the chicken and potatoes. Bake right away as directed in the next step or for meal prep, let the chicken and potatoes "marinate" in the sauce for up to 12 hours.
Remove chicken and potatoes from the bag, or bowl, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle any remaining seasoning mixture over the chicken and potatoes.
Bake for 15 minutes. Toss or turn the potatoes to ensure even doneness. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is 165℉ with a digital thermometer. A good rule of thumb for baking chicken breasts:
Thin/small breasts (about ½–¾ inch thick): 18-20 minutes
Average breasts (about 1 inch thick): 20-25 minutes
Very thick breasts (1½ inches or more): 25-30 minutes
The biggest factor is thickness, not weight. Two 8-ounce chicken breasts can cook at very different rates if one is much thicker than the other.
Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before eating. Be careful not to overcook the chicken or it'll be dry.

Notes

Marinating is not necessary for this recipe since the chicken cooks up juicy and flavorful. However, if you want to prep ahead of time, mix everything up in the morning, store it in a large covered bowl or ziptop bag, then bake it later that day.

Keep in mind that refrigerating it all day will cause the butter to harden so the sauce will look thick like butter! But when it's time to bake it, all the sauce will beautifully melt all over the chicken and potatoes.

Remove the chicken from the oven as soon as it reaches 165F to help keep the chicken from overcooking. If the potatoes need more time, you can put them back into the oven.

Don't skip letting the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after baking. This helps to keep the chicken juicy.

Nutrition