Cajun Chicken Thighs with Dirty Rice

recipe

5.0

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.

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Ingredients Serves 8

For the chicken

chicken thighs, skin on and bone in

tablespoons Cajun seasoning

For the baste

cup butter, softened

teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

teaspoon granulated garlic

3/4

teaspoon dried thyme

1/2

teaspoon kosher salt

1/2

teaspoon celery salt

1/2

teaspoon onion powder

1/2

teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the dirty rice

1/4

pound spicy breakfast sausage

1/4

cup bell pepper, diced

1/4

cup onion, diced

1/4

cup celery, diced (optional)

cup long grain rice

cups chicken broth

1/2

tablespoon cajun seasoning

salt to taste

Ingredient Tips

Chicken

You can substitute breasts, but will need to adjust your cooking times. Breasts will cook a little faster. Also if you want to use boneless, skinless thighs, they will cook much faster. You'll need less of your baste for these additionally.

Butter

Many competition BBQ cooks use squeeze butter to ensure that their chicken comes out perfectly juicy and done. Its texture allows it to cling to the chicken in the first 15 minutes or so, constantly self-basting. If using squeeze butter, you won't have to baste as many times.

Baste

If you want to take a short cut, skip all ingredients in baste, adding an extra tablespoon of Cajun seasoning to your butter.

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.

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