Cajun Stew is a one-pot stew of browned Cajun sausage and chicken thighs simmered with onion, celery, green bell pepper and garlic in crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, seasoned with Cajun seasoning and thyme and spooned over rice. It serves 6 in about an hour, and most of that is hands-off simmering.
How to make it: Brown the sausage and set it aside, then brown the chicken in the sausage fat. Cook the onion, celery and bell pepper, toast the garlic and seasonings, and return the sausage. Add the tomatoes, broth and a bay leaf, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Taste for salt and serve over rice.
Why You’ll Love It
- Two meats, one pot: spicy sausage and tender chicken thighs.
- Big flavor from a short list: the pot is built in layers, and each one adds to the sauce.
- Mostly hands-off: after 15 minutes of browning, the stew simmers on its own.
- Feeds a family: 6 servings with 12 ounces of sausage and a pound of chicken.
Ingredient Notes
Sausage: 12 ounces of Cajun sausage, about 2 links, squeezed out of the casing so it browns in crumbles. Andouille or your favorite smoked sausage works too.
Chicken: 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 4, cut into pieces.
Vegetables: 1 yellow onion, 3 ribs of celery and 1 green bell pepper, all chopped, plus 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
Seasoning: 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, salt to taste and 1 bay leaf. Cajun seasoning blends vary in salt, so add salt at the end, after you taste.
Liquid: One 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and 2 cups of chicken broth.
To serve: Cooked rice, grits or cornbread, sliced green onions and Cajun hot sauce if you like heat.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces Cajun sausage (about 2 links), removed from the casing, or andouille sausage
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 4), cut into pieces
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt, to taste
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Sliced green onions, for garnish
- Cooked rice, for serving (grits or cornbread also work)
- Cajun hot sauce, optional, for serving
How to Make Cajun Stew
1. Brown the sausage. Heat the olive oil in a pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat, break it up with a wooden spoon and brown it. Remove it from the pot.
2. Brown the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the pot and cook them in the sausage fat for 3 to 5 minutes, until they start to brown.
3. Cook the vegetables. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Toast the seasoning. Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme and salt. Mix well to coat and toast, then return the sausage to the pot.
5. Add the liquid. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and bay leaf. Stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.
6. Simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the flavors are well developed and the chicken is fully cooked, 165°F on a food thermometer.
7. Season and serve. Taste and add salt if needed. Remove the bay leaf. Serve over rice with sliced green onions and Cajun hot sauce.
Where the Cajun Flavor Comes From
There is no single secret. The flavor is built one layer at a time, in this order:
- Browned sausage first. It seasons the pot and leaves fat behind for the chicken.
- Chicken browned in that fat. Give it 3 to 5 minutes, until it starts to color.
- Onion, celery and bell pepper. About 5 minutes, until they soften.
- Seasoning toasted before the liquid. Stir the garlic, Cajun seasoning and thyme into the vegetables so they coat and toast in the fat.
- A covered simmer. Tomatoes, broth and a bay leaf, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Salt at the end. Taste once the stew is done and adjust.
- Heat at the table. Cajun hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne on each bowl, so everyone picks their own level.
Want it thicker? Stir 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of water and add it to the pot for the last few minutes of simmering, until the sauce thickens.
Variations
- Other sausage: andouille, smoked or Polish sausage, or turkey or chicken andouille. Sliced smoked sausage cut into 1/4-inch rounds works instead of crumbles.
- Chicken only: skip the sausage and use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs seared in olive oil with the Cajun seasoning.
- Shrimp and sausage: use smoked sausage and 1 pound of raw peeled shrimp instead of chicken. Cook the shrimp to 145°F, set them aside, and stir them back in for the last 15 to 20 minutes on low.
- Slow cooker (chicken only): sear the chicken 2 to 3 minutes, then cook it with the vegetables, tomatoes and broth on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours, until tender. Thaw the chicken first; never put frozen meat in a slow cooker.
- Extra heat: a pinch of red pepper flakes in the pot.
For more Cajun flavor on the site, try Cajun shrimp in foil or slow cooker Cajun steak packets.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if it’s over 90°F) in shallow covered containers so the stew cools quickly. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, or reheat it straight from frozen in a saucepan.
Reheat: Cover and bring it to a rolling boil, 165°F on a food thermometer. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker; reheat on the stove first, then a preheated slow cooker can keep it at 140°F or warmer for serving.
What to Serve With It
Spoon it over white rice to soak up the sauce, or serve it with grits, cornbread or crusty bread. Top each bowl with sliced green onions. For more hearty stews, see cowboy stew, slow cooker poor man chicken stew, Instant Pot beef stew and slow cooker Mulligan stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Cajun stew?
A pot of Cajun or smoked sausage and chicken (or shrimp) simmered with onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes and broth, seasoned with Cajun seasoning and served over rice.
What’s the secret to great Cajun flavor?
Build it in layers: brown the sausage, brown the chicken in its fat, soften the vegetables, and toast the Cajun seasoning and garlic before the liquid goes in. Salt at the end and add hot sauce at the table.
What is the best recipe for Cajun chicken stew?
For a chicken-only pot, use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs with Cajun seasoning, onion, bell pepper, 2 ribs of celery, garlic, a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 2 cups of chicken broth, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme. Cook the chicken to 165°F and serve it over rice.
Can I freeze Cajun stew?
Yes. Freeze it in covered containers for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, or reheat it straight from frozen in a saucepan until it boils. Cook fresh rice to serve it with.
Final Notes
Take your time with the browning and the toasted seasoning; that is where the flavor starts. Then let the pot simmer covered while you cook the rice. If you make it, tell me in the comments what you served it over.
Cajun Stew
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces Cajun sausage about 2 links, removed from the casing; or andouille sausage
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs about 4 thighs, cut into pieces
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt to taste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- green onions sliced, for garnish
- cooked rice for serving; grits or cornbread also work
- Cajun hot sauce optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat, break it up with a wooden spoon and brown it. Remove it from the pot.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pot and cook them in the sausage fat for 3 to 5 minutes, until they start to brown.
- Add the onion, celery and bell pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme and salt. Mix well to coat and toast, then return the sausage to the pot.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and bay leaf. Stir, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the flavors are well developed and the chicken is fully cooked, 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Taste and add salt if needed. Remove the bay leaf. Serve over rice with sliced green onions and Cajun hot sauce.
