Cajun French Onion Chicken Skillet {Grain & Gluten Free}

My brand new grain and gluten free Cajun French onion chicken skillet is one of those dishes that you never, ever forget, y’all!! Two hours-long marinated chicken breasts, coated with seasoned cassava flour and browned in a skillet. Removed to a plate while the Cajun trinity of a whole lot of onions, and a little bit of green bell pepper, roasted red bell pepper strips and celery cook down in the pan drippings to caramelized deliciousness. Finished off in the oven while the breasts cook up to temp and the cheese melts down into ooey, gooey bliss. Yep and yay…

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It Was High Time for an Over-the-Top Rich & Cheesy Chicken Meal, Y’all…

One thing that I’ve made pretty clear on this blog is my love of all things chicken and cheese. Truth be told, I have more chicken recipes on the blog than anything else. And, you’re more likely to throw a virtual dart onto my blog and hit a cheesy recipe than strike a non-cheesy one. 

Yep, that’s just me and the way that I instinctively eat. So, when it was time to whip up a new-to-us meal again, I went with chicken and cheese this time. I was actually craving my own gluten free Cajun French onion chicken soup. It’s certainly been chilly enough around here for it. But, I was also wanting something new and more fill-you-up than soup.

After a little back and forth, I decided to compromise with myself with this grain and gluten free Cajun French onion chicken skillet. It has all the flavors of the soup that we all love. However, it’s also a super-satiating main dish that you can serve alongside your favorite side or salad. 

True to form, just like in my soup, I add the rest of the Cajun trinity. The flavors are onion-heavy, but the pops of sliced green bell peppers, roasted red pepper and celery bits do make their small marks on the palate. They give you a break from the French onion taste. And, they also help to give this Cajun french onion chicken it’s beautiful, caramelized colors that are just as much a feast for the eyes as they are for the lips. Indeed. 

How to Make Cajun French Onion Chicken Skillet Grain & Gluten Free 

Start the grain and gluten free Cajun French onion chicken skillet by marinating the chicken breasts: 

Then, slice up the onions, bell peppers and celery. And put them aside in a bowl: 

Now, pour seasonings over the cassava flour: 

Then, press each chicken breast side into the flour mixture. And shake off the excess: 

Now, brown the chicken in your skillet: 

Pick up the big pieces of browned flour from the skillet. Then transfer them, along with the chicken breasts, to a plate: 

Now add more oil and butter to the pot. And use a wooden spoon to incorporate the pan drippings into the mixture: 

Now, pour the sliced Cajun trinity into the skillet. And stir often until it starts to get soft. Then, cover the skillet and the veggies start to caramelize: 

About halfway through the browning time, stir the roasted red pepper strips into the pan: 

Then, cook the veggie mixture down until it looks like this:

Next, add the chicken broth and beef broth to the pan, and stir to incorporate. Pick up any browned bottom bits with your wooden spoon, if necessary: 

Now, place the browned chicken breasts back into the skillet, on top of the veggies: 

Then, top the breasts with the shredded cheese. Finally, bake until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted completely: 

And that’s it y’all!

You might be intimidated by the somewhat lengthy ingredient list. But, don’t be because you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already. 

The process does go quickly once you get going. And the results, y’all, oh the results! The hours-long marinade makes the chicken breasts straight melt in your mouth. And the bubbly cheese on top, it’s warm, stringy, melty yumminess. 

The predominant caramelized onion veggies inject a deep, earthy flavor profile into the dish that food-hugs from the inside out. And the pops of browned green bell pepper, roasted red pepper and celery add just the right amount of supporting tastes and texture. 

Oh, the love I have for this grain and gluten free Cajun French onion chicken skillet, y’all. Mark says that’s it’s now on his top 10 favorite foods list. And I have to say that it’s also on my top favs list, too. The leftovers were just as good as the piping hot dish. And maybe even a bit better honestly!

Share this Cajun French onion chicken skillet with those whose love for you is so deep, rich and soul-warming that you can feel it from afar. Much food love to you and yours, and see y’all on the yum side…

Cajun French Onion Chicken {Grain & Gluten Free}

A rich, unforgettable dinner, this grain and gluten free Cajun French Onion Chicken starts on the stove and finishes to melty, cheesy yum-deliciousness in the oven.

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Cajun/French

Keyword: cajunfrenchonionchicken, frenchonionchicken, frenchonionchickenskillet, glutenfreefrenchonionchicken, grainfreefrenchonionchicken

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Author: Lyn Corinne Liner | A Sprinkling of Cayenne

Ingredients

• 2 whole chicken breasts

For the Chicken Marinade

• 1 1/2 cups grain free and gluten free chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons gluten free Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

For the Seasoned Cassava Flour

• 1 cup cassava flour
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

For the Grain & Gluten Free Cajun French Onion Chicken

• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 tablespoons oil, divided
• 3 very large onions, peeled, then sliced and cut in half
• 1 bell pepper, cored, then sliced into thin horizontal strips
• 3 celery ribs, trimmed, then cut in half and sliced into thin horizontal strips
• 3 tablespoons jarred roasted red pepper strips, drained
• 1/2 cup grain free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grain free beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese

Instructions

• Stir all of the chicken marinade ingredients into a bowl with a fitted lid.
• Submerge the chicken breasts into the mixture, then cover and refrigerate.
• Marinade the chicken for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight. When ready to start the recipe, drain the chicken breasts and set aside.
• Pour the cassava flour into a shallow dish, then stir the seasonings into the cassava flour.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add half of the butter and half of the oil to the pan.
• Submerge one side of one of the chicken breasts into the seasoned cassava flour, then shake off excess flour and dip the other side into the flour. Repeat with the other chicken breast.
• Brown both sides of both chicken breasts in the oil/butter mixture.
• When browned, remove breasts to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Use the back of a wooden or plastic spatula to pick up the larger browned flour bits off of the bottom of the pan.
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the remaining oil and butter to the skillet.
• Pour the sliced onions, bell peppers and celery strips into the skillet.
• Use a wooden spoon to stir the veggies for a few minutes, as they might be over the top of the skillet but will cook down quickly.
• Cover the skillet and let the Cajun trinity vegetables caramelize for about 20 to 30 minutes.
• When the trinity is about halfway browned, stir the roasted red pepper strips into the mixture.
• When the veggies are caramelized, add the grain free chicken broth and beef broth to the skillet, and stir until well-combined.
• Place the chicken breasts atop the vegetables, then cover with cheese.
• Use heavy pot holders to transfer the skillet to the oven.
• Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
• Before removing from the oven, use a digital thermometer to ensure that each chicken breast is at least 165 degrees F before serving.
• Let the grain and gluten free Cajun French Onion Chicken stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe makes two very large servings, or four smaller servings. If you're the type of person who only eats and serves half of a chicken breast at a time, you can definitely make this recipe for four people with a salad or side dish. 

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