Type Of Chicken To Use

I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Chicken thigh meat has a higher fat content than breast meat and stays super moist and flavorful when cooked. You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you want but be really careful not to overcook it or it can be dry and chewy.

You will need about 6 chicken thighs for this recipe. If using chicken breasts, use three.

Deep Tomato Flavor

For a deep tomato flavor, I use a whole can of tomato paste combined with a can of petite diced tomatoes.

Make It A Little Or A Lot Spicy

As written with 2 teaspoons of Creole seasoning and 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, this dish has a little heat. To make it spicier, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and serve with additional hot sauce.

Type Of Seasoning

You can use either a Creole seasoning or a Cajun seasoning for this recipe. They are very similar. Cajun seasoning tends to have a little more kick from peppers and creole seasoning is a little more herbal. I like to use Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning.

How To Make

(More detailed instructions and video in recipe card below.)

Cut chicken into pieces and season.
Heat oil in a skillet and brown chicken. Remove chicken and set it aside.
Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook 5 to 6 minutes.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add tomato paste and stir it in.
Add next 7 ingredients and simmer 5 minutes.
Return chicken to skillet and cook another 5 minutes.
Top with parsley and green onion and serve.

Chicken Creole Recipe Tips

For best flavor, pat the chicken dry before cooking it and do not stir it too much while cooking. You want it to get a chance to really develop some color on the outside.

Serve with lots of sliced green onions for more flavor.

Storage

This meal tastes even better the next day so it makes perfect leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days and reheat in a microwave.