Fabulous crispy skinned roast chicken thighs coated in a delicious Cajun spice rub, together with chorizo, sweet potatoes, peppers and onions, this Cajun Chicken Traybake is so unbelievably simple to make but utterly delicious. Prepared in just 10 minutes and left to do its thing in the oven, this easy one pan chicken recipe is ideal for busy evenings!
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Cajun chicken gets the traybake treatment!
As you probably know, if you’ve been here for a while, I am a HUGE fan of traybakes. In fact, so much so that I have been called the ‘Traybake Queen’ on many occasions!
I have turned many things into traybakes… For example:
- Arroz Con Pollo Traybake
- Lamb Kofte Meatball Traybake
- Peri Peri Chicken Traybake
- Chicken Fajita Traybake
- Christmas Turkey Traybake
But one thing I’ve had on my plans for a while has been to create a Cajun Chicken Traybake. The main thing that makes this ‘Cajun’ is the delicious Cajun spice rub I use on the chicken.
Then, sticking with the Cajun theme, I have added other ingredients you might find in Cajun cooking, such as onions, bell peppers and spicy sausage. (I have used chorizo, because it’s hard to find more traditional Cajun sausages in the UK – and also because I love Chorizo!)
Finally, I’ve added sweet potato, which I don’t think is particularly Cajun, but works so well with the Cajun flavours and is my #1 go to carb for traybakes because roasting sweet potatoes makes them taste AMAZING!
How to make Cajun Chicken Traybake
This Cajun Chicken Traybake is so easy to make!
All you need to do is coat chicken thighs in a mix of olive oil and Cajun spice rub. Then, place all the prepared veggies (sweet potatoes, peppers, red onion) in a large roasting tray. Drizzle over olive oil and sprinkle over more Cajun spice rub.
Next, place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables and roast in the oven for 40 minutes, getting the tray out half way through to give the veggies a good stir, so they cook evenly, and to add in the chorizo. And that’s it – easy peasy!
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What is the best spice mix for Cajun Chicken Traybake?
I have tried out several Cajun spice blends and rubs while developing this recipe and, hands down my favourite is Cape Herb & Spice Rub Louisiana Cajun Seasoning.
For me the balance of flavour, spice and salt is just perfect. (And my kids agree – they now put this on EVERYTHING!!!)
It gives a mild to medium level of heat (depending on how much you use!) – but one thing to be aware of, this rub contains quite a bit of salt – the perfect amount IMHO, but it might be a bit much for some people.
Make it your own!
This Cajun Chicken Traybake is so easy to adapt to your own personal tastes or to whatever you happen to have in your cupboards / fridge. For example, you could:
- Use Chicken drumsticks instead of, or as well as chicken thighs
- Use Chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs (only add the chicken breast for the last 15-20 minutes so you don’t over cook it)
- Use new potatoes instead of sweet potatoes
- Use regular sausages instead of chorizo (cook them whole and add them in at the start, as they’ll need 40-45 minutes cooking time)
- Use different colour peppers and/or onions
- Add different veggies such as aubergines, cauliflower, or butternut squash
- Use a different spice rub, such as Caribbean Jerk, Portuguese Peri Peri, Texan Steakhouse or Smokehouse BBQ.
(Did you adapt this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comment section below.)
What to serve with Cajun Chicken Traybake
This Cajun Chicken Traybake is a complete meal in its own right, so there’s no need for sides. However, if you want to make this a bigger meal, there are lots of good options. For example:
- Roasted Corn on the Cob
- Classic Coleslaw
- Rainbow Slaw
- Potato Salad
- Green veggies, such as cabbage, spring greens, broccoli or green beans
- A simple green side salad
- Garlic bread
Rainbow Slaw
What to drink with Cajun Chicken Traybake
I recommend going for a gutsy red that will stand up to the strong flavours in Jambalaya. Something like a California Zinfandel, an Italian Primitivo (which is the same grape variety, by another name!) or an oaky Rioja (look out for Reserva or Gran Reserva on the label).
If you prefer white, go for a zingy Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like NZ, Chile or South Africa.
What to do with leftover Cajun Chicken Traybake?
This really is a meal that tastes better on the day you make it, but if you do find yourself with leftovers, they will keep well in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can either eat the leftovers cold (this makes an envy-inducing packed lunch!) or place them in a roasting tray, in an oven heated to 180C (160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F) for 15-20 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through. You may want to cover the roasting tray with foil to stop the veggies from burning – but remove 5 minutes before the end to re-crisp up the chicken skin.
Alternatively, reheat the leftovers in the microwave, until piping hot all the way through.
Can you freeze Cajun Chicken Traybake?
As I mentioned above, this really is a meal that tastes better on the day you make it. But if you want to freeze it, you can. Simply put any leftovers in a lidded container and place in the freezer where they will keep for up to 1 month.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Cajun Chicken Traybake
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons Cajun Spice Mix/Rub (I recommend THIS ONE – See Note 1)
- 8 chicken thighs skin on, bone in (Or 12 chicken drumsticks – See Note 2)
- Salt and pepper (to taste – See Note 1)
- 1 medium sweet potato roughly 450g/1lb, cut into 1½cm/½inch cubes (No need to peel!)
- 2 red (bell) peppers cut into large chunks
- 1 green (bell) pepper cut into large chunks
- 2 small red onions each one cut into 8 wedges
- 150 g chorizo cut into rounds of about ½cm/¼inch thickness
- Fresh coriander or parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the oil together with 2 tablespoons of the Cajun spice mix, plus salt and pepper to taste (see Note 1), in a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly, then add the chicken thighs and turn to coat in the mixture, until all the chicken thighs are evenly coated. (I find it easiest to do this with my hands!)
- Place all the prepared vegetables (sweet potatoes, peppers, red onion) in a large roasting tray. Drizzle over the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over the remaining 2 tablespoons of Cajun spice mix. Add salt and pepper if necessary (see Note 1), then mix together thoroughly, until all the vegetables are evenly coated. (Again, I find it easiest to do this with my hands!)
- Rearrange the vegetables into a single layer (see Note 3). Then place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables, skin-side up.
- Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove from the oven. Remove the chicken thighs to a plate and add the sliced chorizo to the vegetables. Stir the vegetables/chorizo, then spread the vegetables/chorizo back out into in a single layer. Put the chicken back on top and put the tray back into the oven.
- Roast in the oven for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
- Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander or parsley (optional).
Notes
- Cajun spice mix/rubs vary enormously in their spice levels and salt content. The quantities are for one I recommend, and will give a mild to medium level of heat. If you don’t have a very high spice tolerance and/or you are using a Cajun spice mix/rub you have not tried before, I recommend you err on the side of caution the first time you make this! Additionally, check to see how much salt your spice mix/rub contains. The one I use contains a lot of salt, so I don’t add any additional salt, but if the one you use contains no salt, I recommend you add a little salt to both the chicken and the veggies.
- You want roughly 1kg chicken thighs and/or drumsticks for this recipe. It doesn’t matter whether you use all thighs, all drumsticks or a mixture!
- It is very important you use a roasting tray that is big enough for all the veggies to be arranged in a single layer. If your roasting tray is too small the veggies will steam rather than roast – which won’t taste anywhere near as nice! (If you don’t have a roasting tray big enough, use two smaller ones.)
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
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