Cajun-spiced chicken breasts stuffed with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and melted zesty pepper-jack cheese. This easy dinner is bursting with flavor! Serve plain, with rice, or over buttered pasta.
This recipe has all the goodness of cajun chicken pasta, without the pasta. Of course, you can serve it with buttered pasta, or you can skip the carb loading and serve it up with veggies or a salad as shown. Either way no one is going to complain about that gooey cheese oozing out of the middle with mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion all stuffed inside a deliciously seasoned chicken breast.
MAKE YOUR OWN CAJUN SEASONING:
Cajun seasoning can be bought in the seasoning section of the grocery store. Each brand will be slightly different in their ingredients and proportions. We like to save the money and make it ourselves. Bonus, you also get to control the flavor and spice level. Mix it up in a ziploc bag or small jar, and if you want to make a big batch to store, just change all the measurements to tablespoons.
- 4 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
If you don’t have white pepper, you can replace the white pepper with black pepper for a total of 2 teaspoons black pepper.
Cheese Options:
Don’t love the zing of pepper-jack cheese? You can use shredded cheddar cheese instead, or any other good melting cheese like mozzarella or monterey jack.
How should I cut my chicken so I can stuff it?
There are a few different ways to stuff your chicken. You can butterfly it (slice lengthwise and fold it out into butterfly wings). You can pound it out thin, using a meat mallet, or even a rolling pin. You can also slice a little pocket into it.
How can I keep the stuffing from falling out while the chicken bakes?
Use toothpicks to secure the chicken and help keep all that delicious stuffing on the inside. Slide the toothpicks right through the chicken vertically to pinch the chicken together. Just be sure to remove the toothpicks before serving.
Spice Level:
By making your own cajun seasoning you can control the amount of spice. Simply reduce or omit the cayenne pepper in the cajun seasoning to make this recipe more mild.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other amazing recipes using cajun seasoning:
My family loves this recipe! So yummy and easy with ingredients I always have on hand. Makes a nice dinner when you want to impress guests. And, by the way, I don’t wash my chicken either anymore. It was something I did only as a new cook decades ago because somebody told me that’s what I was “supposed to do.” I later read all of the research and didn’t look back. I don’t miss the mess and contamination that comes with washing it. Yuck!!
I haven’t made these yet, but they sound wonderful! I can’t eat many spices, so I’ll prob add roasted tomatoes or pimentos & poblanos. (I lived in Germany many yrs ago & love their food, so I also learned Tom make my own Chicken Corden Bleu -definitely a family favorite!).?
It looks very delicious and easy to make.Can I use any other cheese except pepper jack?If so,what other types of cheese can I use?
Thanks
Pretty much any kind.
Made this last night for dinner and it was delicious, thank you! I’m sure my family will be enjoying this recipe for years to come. I appreciate your easy-to-follow instructions. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Glad you liked it!
Does a pat of margarine on top work as well?
Yes, but I never recommend cooking with margarine.
Can we substitute the butter with something else? Looks delicious otherwise!
You could rub the skin with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Fantastic recipe! Beautiful and delicious. I used Habenero pepper jack for extra spice and it was amazing! Husband also loved and it’s definitely in the rotation! Thank you!
mmmm, I love a little extra heat!
Made this for dinner and it was sooo delicious! Added extra red pepper flakes, chili powder, and garlic on top alongside the cajun seasoning. Will definitely make this again.
Family loved it! I’m not a fan of mushrooms, so omitted them. Had fresh serrano peppers out of the garden, so sauted them along with the onion instead of green peppers. Made it extra spicy! LOVE the cajun spice mix!
Awesome! And yes, that cajun spice mix is so delicious. I use it on so many different things!
I kinda lost focus when I saw the meat come straight from the pack without being washed first…
You aren’t supposed to do that anymore as it can cause the spread of bacteria and food poisoning. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/washing-chicken-can-cause-campylobacter-food-poisoning.aspx