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My chicken sauce piquante is a sassy, scrumptious spin on the beloved south Louisiana dish, y'all. Marinated chicken breast cubes, drained, and cooked-through in the pot before being transferred to a plate. Then, my Trinity Roux™ cooks in the pan drippings, picking up ALL of the flavors of the spice-studded poultry. Finally, two types of tomatoes and broth are stirred into the mix and simmered on the stove until the chicken is fall-apart tender. Yep and yay...
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It's One of the Old School Chicken Classics...
Chicken sauce piquante or piquant is a spicy Cajun/Creole tomato-based stew made with a roux. It's a classic dish that includes many variations, usually in the type of tomatoes used in the preparation.
My original version calls for Rotel tomatoes and stewed tomatoes. I like the mixture of these two because the Rotel brings the dish's distinctive spiciness while the stewed tomatoes add sweetness and depth. The result is an unforgettably delicious chicken sauce piquante that's just as true to the original as it uniquely refreshing. Indeed.
Ingredient Essentials and Substitutions
The first step in making this homemade chicken sauce piquante recipe is marinating the chicken breast cubes. You'll need chicken broth, dried spices, and Worcestershire sauce.
- The marinated chicken breast cubes make each bite of the prepared chicken sauce piquante melt in your mouth tender and juicy. If you skip this step, you'll know it, because the dish just won't turn out as good. Marinating the chicken also keeps the dish tasting freshly prepared for days. So, you can use it as a meal prep menu item that keeps well in the fridge.
- The Cajun trinity veggies of chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery, along with the tapioca flour and broth, are a must to make my grain and gluten free Trinity Roux™. It's a really simple, foolproof process and it authenticates this recipe, as well as all of my other Cajun and Creole recipes.
- The mix of Rotel and stewed tomatoes creates the perfect tomato-y flavor profile in this dish. Regular Rotel is recommended to enjoy this chicken sauce piquante with its customary spice kick. However, you can also substitute mild Rotel is you just can't take the spice. The dish will still come out fantastic.
How to Make Chicken Sauce Piquante
To begin the recipe, submerge the cubed chicken breasts into the marinade and let sit for a few hours. Then, drain well.
Melt one tablespoon of oil or butter in the pot.
Now, add the drained marinated chicken breast pieces. Cook until the pieces are no longer pink, then transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.
Leave the pan drippings in the pot though. They will flavor the roux as it cooks.
Place the rest of the butter or oil and the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery in the pot. Then, proceed with my Trinity Roux™ recipe.
The roux will look like this when you are finished:
Finally, add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Top with the chicken cubes, stir to combine, and simmer until done.
And that's it, y'all!!
This chicken sauce piquante is one of the crowned jewels of the south Louisiana Cajun and Creole food scene for a reason!! The red gravy is so on-point that you can feel its lusciousness dancing all over your tongue each time you take a bite.
And the chicken, y'all, the chicken!! Each piece is just as flavorful as it is eyes-rolling-in-the-back-of-your-head tender.
Classic chicken sauce piquante is served over rice. But, you can also serve it over cauliflower rice or just enjoy it on its own. For sure.
Share with those whose love brings a warm, sweet, and spicy kick into your life. And see y'all on the yum side...
Other Scrumptious Red Gravy Recipes
What to Serve with Chicken Sauce Piquante
NOTE: This post was originally published on January 19, 2019, and was updated and republished on September 24, 2024.
Chicken Sauce Piquante
Ingredients
For the Marinated Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cubed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce Lea & Perrins is gluten free
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
For the Chicken Sauce Piquante
- 4 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 Trinity Roux
- 1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- additional salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste, optional
- cooked rice or cauliflower rice for serving
Instructions
- Stir the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Submerge the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but up to 24 hours. Drain well over a colander.
- Add one tablespoon of the butter or oil to a large pot set over medium-high heat.
- Add the drained chicken breast cubes to the pot, and cook until the pieces are no longer pink and browned lightly.
- Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a paper towel-lined plate. (You should have about ¼ to ½ cup of pan drippings in the bottom of the pot. If you have more than that then remove the excess before proceeding with the recipe).
- Use the rest of the oil or butter to prepare the Trinity Roux™ in the pan drippings.
- When the roux is ready, reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir the Rotel tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, and the chicken broth into the pot.
- Cover and cook for 1 additional hour, stirring often.
- Serve with rice or cauliflower rice.
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.
See our full nutrition disclaimer here.
