Bayou Chicken With Confetti Rice

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♼ Recipe origin is unknown. Bayou chicken with confetti rice recipe, recipe Rating: 4.5
Number of votes:105

This is one of my favorite spicy chicken dishes. The colorful blend of a rice bed speckled with colorful peppers topped with a Cajun-seasoned chicken breast and smothered with a golden bayou sauce is not only a pleasing presentation, but very delicious. It’s a four-part recipe, so see footnote for timing.

Ready in: 50 mins

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• For Cajun Seasoning (makes more than you’ll need):
• 3 cups coarse salt
• ½ cup paprika
• 1/3 cup cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup garlic powder
• ¼ cup chili powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons pink peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons green peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 4-6 bay leaves, crushed
• For chicken:
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Cajun Seasoning (see ingredients above)
• For Confetti Rice:
• 1 ½ cups white uncooked Rice
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped orange bell pepper
• For Bayou Sauce:
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups half & half
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 scallion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup minced red bell pepper

Preparation method

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 35 mins

1. For Cajun Seasoning: Blend peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, basil, and bay leaves together using a mortar and pestle or your food processor. Once the spices are crushed, blend in the powdered spices until you have a consistent color.

2. Add in the salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Blend well, but try not to crush the salt and red pepper flakes too much.

3. For chicken: rinse chicken breasts, then pat dry. Place in shallow dish.

4. With a wire whisk, blend lemon juice and oil. Cover chicken with oil mixture. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

5. Heat grill to Medium and lightly oil grate.

6. Remove chicken from marinade and heavily sprinkle both sides of chicken breasts with Cajun Seasoning (see directions below).

7. Grill until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F but is not dried out, about 12 minutes.

8. For Confetti Rice: Place dry rice, chicken bouillon and water in a heavy saucepan. Mix until bouillon is dissolved.

9. Cover and cook on medium-high heat until mixture reaches a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and let cook until all water is absorbed (15 to 20 minutes)

10. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add butter and bell peppers. Stir well. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

11. For Bayou Sauce: Place half & half in the microwave and heat until luke warm.

12. Meanwhile, melt ¼ cup of butter in a saucepan over low heat and add garlic and scallions. Cook until soft and clear; do not brown.

13. In a separate saucepan, melt the other ¼ cup of butter. Slowly stir in the flour to the melted butter until a soft paste is formed.

14. Slowly stream in the warm half and half as you whisk it into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk the mixture to prevent lumps.

15. Add salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper; continue to stir, then combine with scallions and garlic mixture. Add Parmesan cheese.

16. Simmer until mixture is well blended and starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat then stir in the minced red bell peppers.

17. To plate, line the bottom of each plate with Confetti Rice. Place a chicken breast in the center of the rice and top with Bayou Sauce.Serving Suggestion

Serve with steamed asparagus or green beans for contrast in color.

Timing

Make Cajun Seasoning first, get the chicken marinating, then start the rice. Make the Bayou Sauce while chicken is grilling.