Creole Chicken

As an Italian-American, tomato-based sauces are among my absolute favorite. So it should come as no surprise that I crave a good Creole Chicken with a zesty tomato based sauce.

Creole Vs Cajun

We also did a little bit of research. Creole cuisine originated in New Orleans, Louisiana. Another interesting tidbit, Creole and Cajun are two very different cuisines and the names are not to be used interchangeably.

Creole cuisine is what folks were eating in New Orleans proper and Cajun cuisine was established later when the Cajun folks settled in the country.

And the number of cultures that got thrown into a melting pot together to create it is astounding. It is an amalgamation of French, Spanish, African, German, Native American, and Portuguese just to name a few. It is known for its use of ingredients like paprika, red pepper, garlic, and onion.

Creole sauce is super simple and requires more prep than actual cook time. Full of fresh vegetables and delicious spices. It is a great choice to serve for dinner and great to freeze and reheat later.

It is a delicious meal with a little bit of heat to spice up the dinner table. I am sure it will become part of the regular rotation in no time.

Why Our Creole Chicken is the Best

There are countless recipes out there to make chicken creole, but here’s why ours is a little different.

• Made with homemade seasoning blend – While it’s easy to buy seasoning blends at the store, making your own at home is so satisfying. You can double or triple the just the spices together and keep handy in a jar or a shaker in the pantry with your other seasonings for a quick hit of creole seasoning.
• Only 15 minutes of prep – While the cooking time is a little long, you can have this meal prepped and ready to cook in only 15 minutes.
• Unique spin on a classic – We changed up the traditional creole recipe we learned to make by making some simple swaps. Our taste buds were craving andouille sausage but the chicken variety so we added that in. We also added more veggies to beef it up a bit.

Ingredients

The simple ingredients needed to make this creole chicken are easily found at your local grocery store.

• Vegetable oil – I prefer to use vegetable oil to sauté the veggies, but you can use any neutral oil you’d like to.
• Yellow onion – I love the fragrant, flavorful crunch that onion adds to this dish. You can use white onion if you prefer.
• Bell pepper – Make sure they are seeded and diced. I like to use red and green pepper, but you can use any color you’d like.
• Scallions – Chopped scallions not only add flavor to this dish, but also flavor that complements the rest of the veggies.
• Diced tomatoes – You can use the canned version for sake of time and ease. Make sure they are un-drained because you will want those juices.
• Hot sauce – You can make your own homemade hot sauce, or use your favorite brand from the grocery store.
• Seasonings – I used a blend of paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, fine sea salt and marjoram.
• Chicken drumsticks – Traditionally, drumsticks are used in this creole recipe. They are very tender and juicy when cooked correctly.
• Chicken andouille sausage – You will want these sliced into bite sized discs. You can use regular pork andouille sausage if you’d like.

How to Make Creole Chicken

You are going to love how quick and easy it is to make this flavorful creole chicken recipe.

1. Sauté veggies. In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil. Add yellow onion, bell pepper and scallions. Sauté until soft. Add canned tomatoes through marjoram. Stir and cook down.
2. Brown chicken. Meanwhile, preheat oven. Pat drumsticks with a paper towel and then season with fine sea salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in batches, rotating drumsticks as you go.
3. Add chicken, sausage and sauce to pan. Transfer chicken to a larger roasting pan. Add andouille sausage discs. Cover with Creole vegetable sauce.
4. Bake. Remove and make sure chicken internal temperature has reached proper temperature and juices run clear. Spoon over cooked rice and enjoy your creole chicken.

What to Serve with Creole Chicken

I like to serve over some rice. My choice here would be a nice long-grain, white rice to soak up the flavor of the sauce. I also like them with Instant Pot Great Northern Beans.

You can also serve with a nice leafy side salad. This dish is already loaded with veggies, but if you feel the need to have more, broccoli or green beans with bacon would be great options.

Variations

There are plenty of ways for you to make this creole chicken recipe your own.

• Chicken – For your purposes, you can use any cut of chicken you like. We used drumsticks that day but chicken thighs or even chicken breasts would be a great substitute. If you aren’t feeling the andouille made with chicken try it with the classic andouille.
• Vegetables – You can leave out or swap any veggie you’d like to. A great one to add in would be stalk celery for some added texture and crunch.
• Sausage – I love the taste of the chicken sausage, but using pork andouille sausage can be used instead.
• Seasoning – You can buy a premade creole seasoning from the store instead of making your own. You can also swap it for cajun seasoning.

Storage and Freezing

You can easily store or freeze this creole chicken with the instructions below.

How to Store Creole Chicken

This chicken tastes even better the next day, letting the flavors marry. You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay for up to three days.

Can I Freeze Creole Chicken?

If you want to freeze the leftovers, make sure to freeze the chicken and rice separately. Freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

Chicken dinners don’t have to be boring! Here are a few of our favorite chicken recipes that we know you’ll love too.

Easy Chicken Kiev

Thin chicken breasts stuffed with compound butter and covered in a light Panko breading, this Chicken Kiev is an easy dinner the whole family will enjoy!

See The Recipe!

Peri Peri Chicken

From the smoky and bright chicken to the complex spicy sauce, this Peri Peri Chicken is sure to become a family favorite in your house!

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Baked Creole Chicken Recipe

4.68 from 28 votes

Creole Chicken is a baked chicken recipe using a spicy tomato-based sauce with vegetables and spices. Serve over rice. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

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Equipment

• Garlic press
• Large Cast Iron Skillet
• 9×13 Baking Dish

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 bell pepper seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup scallions chopped
• 30 ounces diced tomatoes un-drained
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 3 1/3 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 4 links chicken andouille sausage sliced into discs
• 6 cups cooked rice optional

Instructions

• In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil. Add yellow onion, bell pepper and scallions. Saute until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add canned tomatoes through marjoram. Stir and cook down for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat drumsticks with a paper towel and then season with fine sea salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in 4 batches, rotating drumsticks as you go. Each batch should take about 5 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to 9×13 or larger roasting pan. Add andouille sausage discs. Cover with Creole vegetable sauce.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and make sure chicken internal temperature has reached 165 and juices run clear. Spoon over cooked rice and enjoy your Creole Chicken!
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was! 

Nutrition

Calories: 690 kcal, Carbohydrates: 55 g, Protein: 44 g, Fat: 31 g, Saturated Fat: 10 g, Cholesterol: 192 mg, Sodium: 1478 mg, Potassium: 958 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 5 g, Vitamin A: 1610 IU, Vitamin C: 45 mg, Calcium: 98 mg, Iron: 4 mg

Author: Chef Jessica Anne

Calories: 690

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Creole

Keyword: baked chicken recipe, creole chicken

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