Can you even have summer without firing up the grill? This quick, easy dinner recipe always comes out delicious. If you love that Cajun spice try this easy Cajun shrimp and grits next time.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- An exciting way to make a budget-friendly protein more fun
- Cajun spices add great flavor that the whole family will love
- A perfect recipe to meal prep ahead of time; you can enjoy it for days with minimal cooking
This easy, five-ingredient cajun grilled chicken breast recipe is the best main dish for Southern summer suppers.
Plus, it's so versatile—you can serve it alone, on rice, with potatoes, mixed into creamy pasta, sliced over salads, sandwiched between your favorite bread, and so much more.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- This recipe works great with all types of chicken, including chicken thighs and wings. However, you'll have to adjust cook time accordingly.
- Feel free to make a homemade cajun seasoning blend or use your favorite store-bought variety.
- If you don't have dill pickle juice, you can use other flavors. Bread and butter pickle juice will give the chicken a slightly sweeter flavor, spicy pickles will add a tiny bit of heat, and so on.
- A lot of people prefer their cajun flavors extra garlicky. If you're one of 'em, feel free to add a little sprinkle of garlic powder.
- You can amp up the spice level by adding cayenne pepper before grilling, or garnish with extra red pepper flakes.
- Run out of charcoal at the last minute? Are rain clouds rolling in? You can cook the chicken in a cast iron pan (or grill pan) on the stove or bake it!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Marinate chicken in pickle juice in a shallow dish or bowl.
- Dry chicken with paper towels. Brush with olive oil and seasoning.
- Carefully place chicken in a single layer on a hot grill.
- Grill chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Let it rest for a few minutes before digging in.
🥫 What to do with leftovers
My favorite easy chicken recipes are the ones that make great leftovers. This cajun grilled chicken breast is super tender and moist, so it stays delicious for days.
Let the leftovers cool to room temperature and then place the chicken into an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator—the chicken will last for up to four days.
You can also freeze this cajun chicken recipe to make it last longer. Again, let leftovers cool and transfer them to a freezer-safe container. When frozen, grilled chicken lasts for up to three months.
The easiest way to reheat leftover chicken is in the microwave. If it's frozen, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, microwave in 30-second increments, flipping the chicken over each time, until it's warmed through.
You can also use leftovers in this delicious grilled chicken alfredo pasta recipe.
Don't overcook it or it will be dry.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: A chicken marinade made of acidic pickle juice will start to break down the meat too much if it's left for more than 24 hours. So, let the chicken marinate for at least 90 minutes, but no longer than a day.
- You can save time by skipping the pickle juice brine, but you'll lose some flavor and tenderness.
- Remember to put the chicken back in the fridge while it marinates so that you don't get sick.
- Don't save the pickle juice. Once the chicken has touched it, it's gotta go in the trash! No exceptions!
- If you don't have a meat mallet, you can pound the chicken with a rolling pin to get it the same thickness throughout —my favorite stress-relieving activity.
- Once the chicken is on the grill, try not to fiddle with it too much. By leaving it alone, you'll get those dark, delicious sear lines that make grilled chicken a delight.
- Not grilling at home? Place the oiled, seasoned chicken breasts into a zip-top bag to take them to a friend's house, park grill, or tailgate party!
- Remember to prep sides ahead of time, or choose dishes that don't take too long (such as a little side salad and microwaved sweet potatoes.) Cajun grilled chicken breast will cook more quickly than you think!
👩🍳 FAQs
The best way to tell is with a meat thermometer! Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken—it's finished cooking when the temp reaches 160 degrees F. Just let the chicken rest so that the temperature can continue to increase to a safe 165 degrees. Perfectly cooked chicken every time!
Pickle juice is acidic, which helps break down the proteins in the chicken. This makes it super tender and give a delicious texture. Marinades don't add a ton of flavor, though, just a bit. Experiment with different flavors of pickle juice and see if you can notice!
📚 Related recipes
- Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Chicken Breasts are grilled or made in the oven, and no matter which method you choose, they're 100% delicious.
- Blackened Chicken is so easy to make and it's deliciously spicy.
- Creamy cajun chicken pasta, AKA Chicken Lazone, is a hearty skillet meal that's made in 20 minutes and packed with amazing flavors.
- Grilled Creole Shrimp looks fancy but takes just a few minutes of prep, so it's great for summer parties, BBQs, or easy family dinners.
- Done the real Southern way, Cajun Fried Chicken is extra crispy on the outside, but tender and juicy in. Once you try it, KFC will never compare.
- Southern Smothered Chicken is pan-fried until golden brown and covered with a savory, thick pan sauce. It's just like Mom's, but easier.
🍽️ Serve with...
- Cheesy Ranch Foil-Grilled Potatoes are everything a perfect side dish should be. Plus, you're already grilling, so why not try it?
- Crockpot Southern Collard Greens are easy to make and flavored with a key ingredient: bacon. The perfect complement to any main dish.
- Chantilly Cake is a Louisiana favorite, so it's the ultimate sweet ending to a cajun grilled chicken breast dinner. You can't eat one without the other!
Here are over 70 more side dishes for spicy chicken.
📞 The last word
Y'all, I promise you this is a winner, 100%! You might want to squeeze a little lime juice over the top or serve with sliced limes. It just adds that much more flavor.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Cajun Grilled Chicken Breast
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast, boneless & skinless
- 1 ½ cups Pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- olive oil
- green onions, garnish
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Instructions
- Pound chicken breast until it's an even thickness.
- Place in a baking dish or gallon-sized ziploc and cover with the dill pickle juice.
- Refrigerate for 1 ½ hours.
- Remove from the pickle brine and pat dry with paper towel.
- Brush both sides with olive oil.
- Sprinkle both sides with cajun seasoning.
- Preheat the grill to 425℉.
- Brush with oil.
- Lay chicken breasts carefully on the hot grill.
- Cook for about 6 minutes and then flip the chicken.
- Cook about 4 more minutes, or until it is 160℉ on a meat thermometer. Don't overcook!
- Remove from grill and let chicken rest for 5 minutes. This will ensures that the temperature goes up to a safe 165℉ and you have juicy chicken without it being overcooked.
- Sprinkle with sliced green onions and serve.
Notes
- Don't leave in the marinade more than a day or the meat will break down too much.
- You can save time by skipping the pickle juice brine, but you'll lose some flavor and tenderness.
- Remember to put the chicken back in the fridge while it marinates so that you don't get sick.
- Don't save the pickle juice. Once the chicken has touched it, it's gotta go in the trash! No exceptions!
- If you don't have a meat mallet, you can pound the chicken with a rolling pin to get it the same thickness throughout —my favorite stress-relieving activity.
- Once the chicken is on the grill, try not to fiddle with it too much. By leaving it alone, you'll get those dark, delicious sear lines that make grilled chicken a delight.
- Not grilling at home? Place the oiled, seasoned chicken breasts into a zip-top bag to take them to a friend's house, park grill, or tailgate party!
- Remember to prep sides ahead of time, or choose dishes that don't take too long (such as a little side salad and microwaved sweet potatoes.) Cajun grilled chicken breast will cook more quickly than you think!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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