Cajun Chicken Thighs with Dirty Rice
Elevate the standard with these Cajun chicken thighs and dirty rice. One look at this spicy, hearty dish and your eyes'll be bigger than your stomach.
Ingredients
Serves 8Ingredient Tips
Directions
Set up your grill for indirect heat and preheat to medium high, around 350-400°F.
Mix the baste ingredients together.
Prepare the chicken. Trim off any excess skin or fat. Season all over with the Cajun seasoning, enough to lightly coat the chicken. Place the chicken skin side up in either a half sized aluminum steam pan or a grill safe casserole dish. Spoon the baste over the thighs.
Cook the chicken. Place the pan or dish over indirect heat on the grill. Close the grill lid and let cook for one hour. Baste the chicken every 15 minutes.
While the chicken cooks, make the rice. Then place the skillet on your side burner on medium-low heat. Brown the sausage and remove to a plate. Sauté the bell pepper, onion, and celery in the rendered fat until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the cooked rice to the skillet and stir to coat. Cook until the rice becomes fragrant and starts to turn light golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked sausage back in with the stock and ½ tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cover tightly and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest covered until the chicken is done.
Use a digital thermometer to make sure the chicken is about 180°F. Remove the chicken from the liquid and let rest on a rack.
Carefully open the rice and fluff it with a fork. Serve family style with the chicken thighs right on top of the rice in the skillet.