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Use this simple Grilled Cajun Chicken Dry Rub Seasoning to spice up your weeknight chicken dinner routine! It adds mild heat and loads of flavor to everything from chicken, fish, or shrimp to veggies, potatoes, mayo and dressings!
We love making our own rubs and seasoning blends because it lets us control things like salt, heat, and flavor. Some of our other favorites are Perfect Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet BBQ Pork Rub and Juicy Roast Turkey with a Butter Herb Rub.
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When it comes to boneless, skinless chicken breasts, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut. They are so handy to keep on hand - I always have a bag of them in the freezer that I can defrost on nights when I didn't plan ahead - but they can be so boring and bland unless seasoned well and cooked properly.
Enter this homemade Grilled Cajun Chicken Dry Rub Seasoning.
I love to use this dry rub on boneless, skinless chicken breasts because it takes all of 1 minute to gather the spices and stir them together, and there is no need to brine or marinate the chicken breasts for them to turn out wonderfully delicious and moist and full of flavor.
You can even double, triple, or quadruple the batch to store in an airtight container (I like to reuse empty spice jars for my own personal spice blends) so you always have some on hand, even though it takes almost no time at all to pull out the spices you need.
This blend has just the right amount of kick from the crushed red pepper and cayenne pepper. But if you like it more or less spicy, feel free to increase or decrease either or both of these ingredients.
I used to buy Cajun seasoning blends from the store, but some were too salty, others didn't have the right amount of heat I wanted, and finally realized I should just make my own at home!
It's so easy to rub onto a couple of defrosted chicken breasts and grill them so you have a protein to throw into a creamy pasta, add to a sandwich, or use to make a super satisfying Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad with Creamy Cajun Dressing.
You may want to pound your breasts to even out their thickness a bit, which will help them to cook evenly and not dry out on one end. They don't need to be pounded super thin, just enough so the thickness variation isn't quite as stark from the tapered end of the breast to the thicker, rounded end.
I just slip the breasts into a heavy duty Ziploc bag and use a meat mallet to pound the thicker end 4 or 5 times.
It's hard to give exact cooking times since that will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts and the temperature of your grill, which is why I can't recommend a good digital meat thermometer (affiliate link) enough.
Chicken breasts are so lean that you can cook them on a higher heat without worrying about flare-ups. It also means you can cook them quickly to sear in all of their juices.
But because they are so lean, you run the risk of overcooking them if you aren't paying attention, so remember that once you start grilling your chicken breasts, you probably want to have everything else ready, or close to ready.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts only take about 10 minutes on the grill, and that includes turning them partway through. Which doesn't leave a lot of time for chopping veggies or stirring sauces in between running out to flip chicken.
I try to have the other meal components close to ready before I start grilling, and then stay pretty close to the grill while the chicken is on. The meat needs 5 minutes to rest after cooking before you slice into it anyway, so that gives you some time for final meal prep or setting the table.
More Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs
- Mom's Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Grilled Chicken and Steak Fajitas
- Smoky Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Cambodian Chicken Red Curry [Somlar Kari Saek Mouan]
- Crispy Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs
- Green Chili Chicken Chimichangas
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Grilled Cajun Chicken Dry Rub Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 ½ to 2 pounds
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Cajun Spice Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet or large dish and pat dry. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and rub the chicken to coat evenly.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the spices and stir well. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the tops of the chicken breasts, turn the chicken over, and sprinkle the remaining half of the spice mixture on the bottom side of each breast so the chicken is evenly coated in Cajun seasoning.
- Place the chicken breasts directly over the heated side of the grill and grill for about 5-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken, until the internal temperature of the breasts reach 160 degrees using an instant read meat thermometer. You can also check whether the chicken is done by making a small cut into the thickest part to see if it is opaque in the center, or pressing on the thickest end of the chicken with your finger to see if there is any resistance. If there is no resistance, the chicken is done. Remove from the grill and rest for 5 minutes.
- Use whole chicken breasts in Grilled Cajun Chicken Sandwiches or slice and add to a Grilled Cajun Chicken Salad or to creamy pasta dishes.
Megan Marlowe says
I love making my own spice mixes so I can control the ingredients in them, especially the sodium. I'm so glad I can add this cajun one to my arsenal now. we love cajun food an it's so perfect on chicken as you've done here!
Veena Azmanov says
I love cajun spice. So cool that you made your own. I love making my own spice mix too. Add so much flavor!. Going to save this for later. Love it.
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
I totally love this dish. I am such a Cajun fan. I really like the crisp exterior the rub gave to the chicken exterior.
Pam says
You're so right, chicken breast can be dry and tasteless. This looks and sounds like a delicious way to season chicken.
Adriana Lopez Martn says
That rub looks incredibly tasty and leaves a nice crust and color. I must try it soon now I am craving chicken =) I bet is smoky and spicy. Yummy!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
We do love our homemade seasonings! I think we've got one for each type of meat. I do like your Cajun blend. We're going to have to make it!!
Jennifer A Stewart says
I love making my own spice rubs and this one looks like one that I need to add to my spice cabinet!! I love any way to dress up boring chicken!
Traditionallymodernfood says
I like ur spice mix gave nice texture to the chicken and I believe the flavour at his best.
Noel Lizotte says
This is just what I needed! My husband's been asking for more cajun meals! This chicken will hit the spot! I'm adding it to my grocery list / menu plan!
Uma says
Liked your Cajun spice seasoning. It will be very interesting if I blend with some roasted veggies:)
Gillian Thompson says
This is just perfect and just what I need. Have pinned for later. I always have bag of breast in the oven and always end up doing the same old thing with them, which is delicious but I need to mix it up a bit.
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen says
I love how simple that rub is to make. It sounds flavorful and looks like it cooked on the chicken really nicely.
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
PERFECT timing - I'm out of cajun seasoning, and love making my own blends. Yours looks like a winner. Can't wait to try it!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I love the Cajun spice rub and I am definitely making some soon. It has given a lovely color for the chicken and the flavor must have been amazing!
Molly Kumar says
The Cajun Chicken looks amazing and grilled to perfection. I love cajun spice but never made it at home but I'm gonna try this soon.
YardMasterz says
One of my favorite marinades for chicken is Italian salad dressing. Put the chicken in a big zip lock bag. Put Italian dressing in the bottom with a tablespoon of pepper, garlic powder and some crushed red pepper. Let sit in the fridge overnight. Comes out amazing on the BBQ. Your recipe sounds awesome too. Cant wait to try it.
Traci says
I don't think I have a Cajun seasoning in my collection. Yours looks incredible on that chicken...and it's giving me all the cravings! I'll have to pin this one for later 🙂
Susie says
I saved this recipe immediately! This looks sooo good. I will definitely be making this as soon as I can get my grill out!
Julia says
I haven't had cajun chicken in years! Can't believe the cajun dry rub is so easy to make!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
The right seasonings definitely make all the difference in flavors. That's one thing I always have plenty of. This sounds like the perfect easy go to meal for busy nights.
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
These are the kind of recipes I love - made with pantry staples and family friendly. I get so bored with the same chicken dishes every week. My kids love spice and I think this would be a huge hit at my house.