Air fryer cajun chicken recipe

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I love to make flavoured chicken and this air fryer cajun chicken recipe is one of my favourites. It is super simple to make your own dry rub / cajun seasoning, sprinkle liberally and then get cooking! I often make a huge batch of this, such as this recipe, and then use it for a couple of uses including cajun chicken pasta and serving in a tortilla wrap.

My air fryer is one of my favourite ever kitchen purchases! These days I have a Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 and it is absolutely fantastic! If you've got a Ninja Foodi be sure to check out my Ninja Foodi roast potatoes.

It is super convenient, and fast, to make a batch of this chicken, and it is ideal for lunches too. I love having tasty chicken on hand for a favourite of dishes, and it takes just minutes to turn this into a hearty dinner when we're short on time.

While you're here be sure to check out my air fryer tips and tricks. Whether you're a total beginner to air frying, or just looking to get more from your air fryer, this is sure to help! I love to make air fryer chicken recipes as they're usually fast and packed full of flavour.

This cajun alfredo sauce would go great with this too!

Ingredients for air fryer cajun chicken:

640g chicken mini fillets (skinless chicken breasts)

Cajun seasoning - if you don't want to make your own I love the one from Schwartz as it has lots of black pepper!

Method for cooking cajun chicken in the air fryer:

Add your chicken to a bowl.

Add your cajun seasoning and rub all over the chicken fillets.

Lightly oil the air fryer basket (if desired - I use spray rapeseed oil)

Add your chicken mini fillets to the air fryer in a single layer.

Air fry at 200C (400F) for 16-18 minutes, flipping during the cooking time (turning 10 minutes in).

If you overload the air fryer basket a little, like me, then you'll want to give these a shake a couple of times during the cook time.

Check the temperature before serving. Chicken should be at least 74C/165F internally before serving and nice and crispy too.

Top off with a little fresh lime juice if you have some, for an extra bit of flavour. It's a really easy way to boost the flavour and make it feel more like restaurant quality chicken.

What to serve with cajun chicken?

There are so many delicious options to serve alongside this cajun chicken. We love air fryer jacket potatoes, tortillas, no yeast flatbreads, coleslaw, garlic and herb dip, roasted peppers, air fryer roasted tomatoes, spicy rice, hasselback potatoes or air fryer chips. Yum!

Sometimes I'll use leftovers on the top of an air fryer flatbread pizza as it is absolutely delicious. I store it in an airtight container in the fridge and it keeps well for 2 - 3 days.

What types of chicken can you use for this?

Just about any chicken you like! Chicken thighs work great, as they bring some extra succulence to this recipe. Chicken tenders or strips will take the same time as the above recipe. You could also use chicken legs or chicken wings if you fancy something a little different.

Personally I feel that any cut of chicken works great for this blackened chicken recipe. You can save money by using chicken wings or chicken legs. You could even make a whole chicken using this cajun seasoning and enjoy it with a platter filled with rice, peri peri chips, lemon pepper chips or even pressure cooker mashed potatoes.

For me cajun chicken breast is my absolute favourite. It is really versatile, juicy and packed full of flavour. I love to cook a batch up and use to make salads, add to chicken noodle soup or even just enjoy in a no yeast flatbread for a simple lunch.

Want to make cajun chicken with vegetables?

Our favourite vegetables to have with this cajun chicken would have to be red onions or yellow and red peppers. These work so well, and really work alongside the cajun seasoning.

Whatever vegetables you want to add just check the timings for the air fryer and put them in during the cooking of the chicken. If you're using large pieces of vegetables, such as pepper, you may be able to fix this with the chicken and the cajun seasoning and cook it all together at the same time.

Another option is to skewer the chicken alongside the peppers and onions, to make a kebab!

Looking to try chicken wings in your air fryer?

I love making chicken wings in the air fryer. Not only are they fast, and convenient, but they are cheap AND taste absolutely delicious too! You can mix up the dressings, and make multiple flavours from one tray of chicken wings.

What ingredients go into a cajun seasoning blend?

Typically I like to use paprika (sometimes smoked), cayenne pepper, mild chilli powder, oregano, garlic salt or garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and thyme.

You can definitely add some other herbs if you have those to hand too and tailor the seasoning mix to your own tastes. I love to make a bit batch up and then I can just use a teaspoon or two in my favourite recipes and to flavour meat easily.

Fancy trying something different in your air fryer?

• Air fryer potato wedges
• Mashed potatoes in the air fryer
• Air fryer mashed potato balls
• Chicken nuggets in the air fryer
• Air fryer frozen sweet potato fries
• Cookies in the air fryer
• Air fryer mac and cheese

Can you freeze this cajun chicken?

Yes! I would advise freezing it when dressed, but before cooking, just for the best results.

Defrost in the fridge for 24 hours then cook as per above.

Looking for vegetables to go with cajun chicken?

Red onions and peppers are my go to when I'm cooking the vegetables with cajun chicken.

If you're looking for some delicious vegetables to enjoy on the side then you can check out my air fryer vegetable side dishes for some inspiration.

Some of my favourite vegetables to serve are air fryer green beans, air fryer corn on the cob and air fryer tenderstem broccoli. All of these go great with cajun chicken but really I feel that just about any vegetables work. Baked beans or air fryer mac and cheese work great with it too.

Want to cook up some cajun chicken and potatoes?

I love to make air fryer parmentier potatoes with my chicken as they are so full of flavour but cook in a similar amount of time. I've also served it with Ninja Foodi roast potatoes in the past which have been a real hit.

Want to use up some leftover cajun chicken?

I've made a whole host of meals using cajun chicken, either cajun chicken breasts or whole cajun chicken cooked in the slow cooker and some of my favourites are cajun chicken wraps, cajun chicken spaghetti, cajun chicken stir fry, and cajun chicken pasta bake.

All of these recipes can be easily adapted either using homemade sauces or jarred sauces from the supermarket and are really improved by adding a handful of chopped cooked cajun chicken.

If you're looking to get the most from your air fryer these these are some of my favourite air fryer accessories and cookbooks:

Something to note about air fryer recipes is that all air fryers have different sizes, depths and as such the cooking times can vary. All air fryer recipes on this website are intended as a guide, and not a guarantee that the timings will be perfect. Enjoy!

How to make blackened chicken in the air fryer:

Note: All calorie information is for demonstration purposes only and is based on the specific uncooked ingredients that I used when creating the recipe.

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