Easiest Cajun Roasted Chicken
Makes 4 servings
When it's Tuesday night and you're shuttling kids back and forth, or when a project at work runs late, or you just don't want to think about dinner but you want something quick and delicious—this is your go-to no-brainer, my friends.
Ingredients
1.5 – 2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Cajun seasoning mix (like Penzey's Cajun Seasoning), to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (if you have a convection oven setting, set it on 375 degrees F).
Cover a half sheet pan with foil (easy clean up, y'all), and stick a greased rack on top of it if you have one. This will keep the chicken lifted and result in crispier skin.
Dry the chicken pieces with paper towels. The drier the skin, the crispier it'll get.
Shake on the salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning, making sure each piece is well coated. Don't go crazy here—a little goes a long way, but hey, this is your chicken, not mine.
Place chicken on the rack, and roast for 40 minutes for legs and thighs, and 45 minutes for bone-in chicken breasts; flip the chicken halfway through the cooking time to make sure it cooks evenly. The chicken's done when the juices run clear.
Cook's Notes
I’m a bit odd when it comes to thick cuts of meat. I feel it should be cooked much longer and at a lower temperature than most recipes call for. As such, here’s how I would do this: rub the skinless breast in olive oil first, then sprinkling the Cajun seasoning on and cooking at 350 for an hour. Delicious, juicy, and healthier than the skinned version . . .