This Low Sodium Creamy Cajun Chicken recipe is made with chicken cutlets dredged in Cajun seasoning, cooked until golden, bathed in a rich luscious cream sauce blended with even more zesty Cajun spice, onions, garlic, and roasted tomatoes.
It’s a quick one-pan meal. This Cajun chicken breast recipe only takes about 30 minutes to make. Just enough time for you to cook up some pasta or rice to go along with your creamy chicken.
The chicken breasts stay moist as they are pan seared to a golden brown after slicing them into cutlets so they cook quickly and don’t lose any moisture.
This recipe reminds me of a Cajun spiced-up version of my Low Sodium Alfredo Sauce with chicken. Though this recipe has a touch of kick, I wouldn’t call it too spicy. More of a nice warm zing feeling on your tongue but, you can always kick it up a notch too.
Sodium per serving for this recipe | 174mg* |
Calories per serving | 438 |
Sodium in this recipe
The majority of the sodium in this recipe comes naturally from the chicken breasts themselves and the optional Parmesan cheese. I could not find a Parmesan cheese to put in the nutrition calculator that was below 85mg, so the actual value is about 45mg less than shown in the nutrition label or about 145mg per serving.
This recipe makes four servings from 2 large chicken breasts. A serving size is ½ breast plus a generous amount of sauce. When buying chicken breast, check to see it is fresh and not injected or enhanced with a sodium solution. A fresh chicken should have roughly 50mg of sodium per 4oz serving.
A tablespoon of shredded cheese adds about 40mg of sodium per serving. You can sprinkle the optional shredded Parmesan cheese over top or stir it into the sauce. The shredded cheese in the plastic cups with a lid seem to be lowest.
Sun dried tomatoes options for lower sodium
Many recipes call for using sun-dried tomatoes. While not terribly high in sodium depending on which brand you get, they do add a fairly large amount of sodium. They can be found as low as 10mg sodium per serving of dried tomatoes. (Serving is small though.)
For the quantity of sun-dried tomatoes needed in this recipe, that would add at least 80 – 100mg to the total amount of sodium to the meal. Depending on your sodium needs this may be acceptable.
I chose to easily substitute roasted tomatoes made in my oven with my Low Sodium Roasted Tomatoes while the chicken was cooking to keep sodium content as low as possible.
An even easier option would be to use half a 15oz can of well drained Muir Glenn fire roasted tomatoes with no salt added. Just depends on your time and if you want to use up some fresh tomatoes.
Making quick oven roasted tomatoes
Making oven roasted tomatoes is quick and easy and can be done while slicing and cooking the chicken. Fresh tomatoes are the way to go for me. See my full recipe Low Sodium “sun-dried” Roasted Tomatoes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet with a rim and tin foil covered bottom. Spread the tomatoes in one single layer, spritz with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with Mrs. Dash Original Table Blend.
Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the tomatoes have mostly dried and some crispy edges or, to your desired doneness.
How to make Low Sodium Creamy Cajun Chicken
Begin by getting your tomatoes roasting or draining the canned tomatoes (see above). Make your Cajun seasoning if making homemade seasoning. It’s Super Easy!
Slice chicken breasts lengthwise to make them thinner as if butterflying them. Then slice in thirds or quarters to make either 6 or 8 cutlets per breast depending on size. They should be about three large bites apiece, they will cook faster and more evenly and hold more sauce so they stay tender.
To cook in extra flavor in the chicken, mix in a small bowl garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning, pepper, and flour. Lightly coat cutlets in the dry mixture and fry them to a golden brown. Remove chicken to a side plate.
To make the Cajun sauce, start by sautéing onion and garlic for about two minutes. Then add the chicken broth and roasted tomatoes to the pan, followed by the cream and remaining 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning. Let simmer for a few minutes
Add the chicken back in, spooning the sauce over it, and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens up after a few minutes.
I would describe this as having a nice warm heat level of spiciness. If you do want to make it a little spicier, add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to taste.
Low sodium Cajun seasoning options
A nearly no sodium Cajun seasoning is easy to make with ingredients sure to be in your pantry. It usually contains garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes.
This seasoning is so easy to make at home, I used my salt-free Low Sodium Cajun Seasoning because many Cajun seasonings are very high in sodium at 350mg per ¼ tsp. Which would add 1400mg total to the recipe and totally not necessary.
Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning Blend – No Salt is available and a decent substitute but might be hard to find. I have been finding it at Kroger now and use it quite often. Amazon carries it and in some Walmart stores but maybe hit or miss. Walmart’s pricing is nearly a third of the price of Amazon.
I would still recommend making your own authentic blend at home. I just think it tastes better especially in this dish. It only takes less than five minutes and you likely already have the ingredients.
What to serve with Cajun chicken
This dish is best served over rice or pasta and maybe even smashed potatoes. I’d also serve it sauced over a vegetable or corn on the cob and a side salad to give more variance in taste.
How to store Cajun chicken?
Your Cajun chicken will keep for 2-3 days in your fridge. Reheat the chicken in the microwave with a microwave lid to prevent becoming dry. Add a spritz of water or milk over the top to help loosen the sauce if it gets too thick.
Can I freeze leftovers
The cream in this recipe does not freeze well as it’s known for separating. But this recipe is so delicious and with only 4 servings you shouldn’t have trouble finishing it up in a couple of days!
A few of my other great dishes to enjoy!
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Low Sodium Creamy Cajun Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts (Fresh not injected or enhanced / should be about 50mg per 4oz.)
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 teaspoon divided Low Sodium Cajun Seasoning (See my Low Sodium Cajun Blend or use a no salt Brand*)
- Flour for dredging
- 2 tablespoons butter no salt added
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic pre-minced a bit more if you like it
- 1/4 cup chicken broth unsalted
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (Look for 40mg / Tbsp serving (optional))
Roasted tomatoes
- 2 medium to large tomatoes 1/4" slices (Or ½ – 15oz can Glen Muir fire roasted tomatoes well drained.)
- 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Original Table Blend seasoning no salt
- Olive oil cooking spray
Preparation
If making roasted tomatoes start these first
- Making oven roasted tomatoes is quick and easy and should be done while slicing and cooking the chicken. Otherwise use well drained Muir Glenn fire roasted tomatoes no salt added.Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet with a rim and tin foil covered bottom. Spread the tomatoes in one single layer, spritz with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with Mrs. Dash Original Table Blend.
- Roast in oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the tomatoes have mostly dried and some crispy edges or, to your desired doness.
Remainder of Cajun Chicken recipe
- Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise, then into thirds, so you have six cutlets. Sprinkle them with a mixture of Mrs. Dash Original blend, pepper, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Pat them down with a sprinkle of flour.
- Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and then add butter and oil. After coating the bottom, add the chicken. Cook for 4-5 min per side until it's nice and golden. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add and sauté onions for 3-4 minutes. (Add a touch of butter or oil if need be.) Add the minced garlic and roasted tomatoes for another 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth to the pan, bring to a light boil for about 30 seconds and scrape any bits from bottom of pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cream and remaining 1 tablespoon of low sodium Cajun seasoning.
- Add the chicken back into the pan covering with sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes or so, until the sauce has thickened a bit and chicken is cooked through.
- Sprinkle the optional shredded Parmesan cheese over top or stir it into the sauce. Taste and season with more Cajun seasoning if desired and serve hot.
Notes ______________________________________________
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Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please understand that not everyone’s sodium and dietary requirements are the same, therefore some recipes may be higher than you’re allowed.
https://tastyhealthyheartrecipes.com/main-dishes/entrees/low-sodium-creamy-cajun-chicken/© 2024 Tasty Healthy Heart Recipes
Nutrition Information – The information shown is provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be substituted for a doctor’s or nutritionist’s advice. Please understand that not everyone’s sodium requirements are the same, therefore some recipes may be higher than you’re allowed. Always consult with your doctor for your recommended daily sodium allowance.
This recipe is really good I paired it with Parmesan Smashed Potatoes. Definitely will be making it again.
Enjoyed this meal thoroughly. Thank you for posting, it is so difficult to find good recipes that are low in sodium. I didn’t have chicken breasts but had chicken thighs and had a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, not roasted. So very good!
Glad you enjoyed Anita! Thanks for the review.
Creamy Cajun Chicken is delicious! I used the Low Sodium Cajun Seasoning, which I had made in advance, and Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes, to save time. Instead of draining the tomatoes, I also used the juice, to increase the amount of sauce. I did thicken it slightly with a roux of corn starch and water. I served this with tri-color rotini and we sprinkled the Parmesan on individual servings.
Thank you so much Cynthia, I hadn’t thought of saving the juice for the sauce. Awesome ideas there, I love the way you cook!
Bill