Cajun Chicken Ranch Rice Bowls (Print Version)

Cajun-spiced chicken rice bowls with ranch, crisp veggies, and avocado—an easy, flavorful, weeknight dinner.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Rice

06 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
07 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Vegetables & Toppings

09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, canned, or thawed from frozen
11 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
12 - 1 avocado, sliced
13 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
14 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
15 - 1 lime, cut into wedges

→ Ranch Drizzle

16 - 1/2 cup ranch dressing, store-bought or homemade
17 - 1 tablespoon milk or water, to thin (optional)
18 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Rinse the rice thoroughly under cold water until the water turns clear. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, chicken broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
02 - In a mixing bowl, toss the chicken pieces with Cajun seasoning, olive oil, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
04 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, milk or water if needed to achieve pouring consistency, and hot sauce if desired.
05 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among 4 bowls. Top each with Cajun chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, diced cucumber, sliced avocado, red onion, and chopped cilantro or parsley.
06 - Drizzle ranch dressing over each bowl. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Bright colors and bold flavors in every bowl
  • Totally customizable with your favorite veggies or proteins
  • Easy to throw together in under an hour
  • Naturally gluten free if you use the right ranch and seasoning
02 -
  • Loaded with protein and veggies for a balanced meal
  • Meal prep friendly bowl components keep well for days
  • Easy to scale up for a crowd or potluck
03 -
  • For extra crispy bites use boneless chicken thighs and let the seasoned pieces sit on the hot pan undisturbed for two minutes before stirring
  • Do not skimp on fresh lime at the end Fresh herbs make a huge difference and you can switch to parsley if cilantro is not your thing To stretch the bowl add a handful of shredded lettuce or chopped baby spinach underneath everything for more greens

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