Cast Iron Skillet Cajun Chicken

When I first got a cast iron skillet, I was a bit nervous to use it because I was so used to regular non-stick pans.  Then I made Pan-seared, Oven Baked Steak and I was suddenly exposed to the wonders of cooking with different types of equipment and the impact on flavor.  You can cook anything from steak to cornbread to apple pie in a cast iron skillet (though I've only ventured into the steak and turkey burger territory sofar), and it's strong enough to last forever.  And I can't help but consider that it wouldn't make a bad weapon for a zombie attack either.


I was originally planning on making Chicken Stroganoff for dinner but ended up looking through some recipes I had set aside recently and found a Cajun Chicken recipe that was irresistible.  The fact that I had a vidalia onion on hand made trying this recipe an easy choice.  I made some adjustments based on the seasonings I had on hand, and made my own Cajun Seasoning Mix since I didn't have the seasoning mix originally called for.

I cut a vidalia onion into thin strips and cooked it in a cast iron skillet with some melted butter for about 10 minutes.  Once the onions were soft and caramelized. I added some minced garlic and homemade creole seasoning.

Next I seasoned 4 chicken breasts with some of the cajun seasoning and set them on top of the onions.  I scooped the onions over the top and browned the chicken on one side.  Then I flipped the chicken breasts over, scooped the onions over the top again, and cooked the other side.

I added some water and lowered the heat to medium low.  I covered the pan and let the chicken cook for 20 minutes.

The results were impressive and tasty.  I made some buttery egg noodles and green beans to go along with the chicken, and even though I didn't really end up with any excess sauce for gravy, the mix made for a fantastic dinner. I was a little concerned the onion would be overwhelming, but the sweet vidalia was amazing and the cajun chicken dinner made my husband very happy after a long day at work.  Thank you, cast iron skillet!

Cast Iron Skillet Cajun Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 vidalia onion
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons cajun seasoning (homemade recipe here)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
5 tablespoons water

Instructions:

Slice onion into thin strips.  Melt butter in a cast iron skillet then add onion.  Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, until the onion is caramelized.  Add the minced garlic and 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning to the skillet and mix.  Season chicken breasts with the remaining cajun seasoning, then add chicken to pan.  Scoop onions over the chicken and brown one side of the chicken breasts.  Flip chicken to brown the other side and scoop the onions over the chicken again.  Add water and lower heat to medium.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.