This Cajun Stuffed Chicken is a classic Southern recipe made with juicy chicken breast, Holy Trinity vegetables, andouille sausage, and gooey melted cheese. Serve this easy meal for weeknight dinners and with traditional soul food side dishes.

cajun stuffed chicken breast with cheese and andouille sausage on a plate with asparagus

What Type of Chicken to Use

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts will work best for this recipe.

boneless skinless chicken breasts on a plate

Key Recipe Ingredients

Holy Trinity Vegetables (Celery, Onions, and Green Pepper)
Cajun Andouille Sausage
Cheese
Cajun or Creole Seasoning

chopped green peppers, celery, onions, sausage, and Cajun seasoning in separate bowls

How to Season the Chicken/Is it Spicy?

I have used both Cajun and Creole Seasoning in this recipe and I enjoy them both. It’s totally up to you with what you use. Do you want something spicy? Opt for Cajun. Do you want something well seasoned? Opt for Creole.

Cajun Seasoning is often spicy with an emphasis on peppers, white pepper, black peppers, cayenne pepper, and bell peppers. It also has hints of paprika and garlic.

Creole Seasoning has more emphasis on herbs such as basil, oregano, and thyme. It is milder. If you want to substitute it, and you still want the added heat, add in a teaspoon or more of red cayenne pepper.

If you are looking for an option that’s less spicy Creole may work better for you than Cajun.

cheddar cheese, butter, and garlic in separate bowls

How to Slice/Stuff the Chicken

I like to slice into the chicken breast lengthwise and create a deep pocket without slicing through to the other side.

Instead of creating one pocket in each chicken breast, you can also create slits on top of the breasts and stuff them, and create Hasselback Chicken. This variation holds a lot less stuffing, hence why I didn’t use it for this recipe.

raw skinless chicken breasts sliced in half on a plate

How to Make Cajun Stuffed Chicken Breast

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Heat an oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat with olive oil. Add green peppers, onions, celery, and andouille sausage. Saute.
Add garlic and stir. Remove the vegetables and sausage from the pan and set aside.
Arrange the chicken breasts on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife, cut a deep pocket lengthwise into each chicken breast without cutting all the way through to the other side.
Place the vegetable and sausage mixture firmly into each pocket.
Season the outsides of the chicken breasts on both sides with spices.
Melt butter in a pan.
Once the butter has melted, add the chicken breasts to each pan. Sear the chicken.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue to cook the chicken breasts until the thickest part of each breast reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.

Holy trinity vegetables in a cast iron and Cajun stuffed chicken in a cast iron skillet

chopped green peppers, celery, onions, sausage, and shredded cheddar cheese in a glass bowl

raw cajun seasoned stuffed chicken breasts on a plate

What Type of Cheese to Use

Any cheese will work great. I like to use a combination of sharp cheddar (for great flavor). Here are more options:

Pepperjack Cheese
Mozzarella (Best when you’re looking for a nice cheese pull.)
White Cheddar
Provolone
Parmesan

How to Make it Spicy

If you like a lot of heat feel free to add red cayenne pepper. Start with a teaspoon and adjust to suit your needs.

uncooked cajun stuffed chicken breast with cheese and andouille sausage in a cast iron skillet

Additional Substitutions and Ideas to Stuff

Shrimp
Crab
Crawfish
Bacon
Okra
Tomatoes
Jambalaya
Boudin

cajun stuffed chicken breast with cheese and andouille sausage in a cast iron skillet

Pair With These Side Dishes

Southern Fried Okra
Southern Green Beans and Potatoes
Patti Labelle’s Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Homemade Baked Beans
Southern Corn Salad
Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

More Chicken Recipes

Fabulous Fried Chicken Recipes
Easy Jerk Chicken Recipes
Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
Okra and Tomatoes with Chicken
Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast

Print Pin

5 from 7 votes

Cajun Stuffed Chicken

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 187kcal

Author Brandi Crawford

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts About 5-6 ounces each.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped white onions
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 oz andouille sausage Diced into small chunks.
2-3 garlic cloves Minced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning Adjust to suit your taste. I ensure both sides of each chicken breast is coated.
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat an oven-safe skillet (I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet) on medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the green peppers, onions, celery, and andouille sausage. Saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
Add the garlic and stir. Remove the vegetables and sausage from the pan and set aside.
Arrange the chicken breasts on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife, cut a deep pocket lengthwise into each chicken breast without cutting all the way through to the other side.
Divide the vegetable and sausage mixture along with the shredded cheese among the chicken breasts, pressing it firmly into each pocket. You can seal and secure each chicken breast with toothpicks if you wish.
Season the outsides of the chicken breasts on both sides with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
Note: The Cajun Seasoning you use may be salted with plenty of flavor already. If using it for the first time, taste it first to determine if your chicken will need additional salt.
Add the butter to the same skillet. Once the butter has melted, add the chicken breasts to each pan. Sear the chicken for 3 minutes on one side then flip it once and sear an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and continue to cook the chicken breasts until the thickest part of each breast reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Use a meat thermometer. This can take 20 minutes or more.
Remove from the oven and cool before serving.

Air Fryer Instructions

Place the stuffed chicken in the air fryer.
Cook for 10 minutes at 380 degrees.
Open the air fryer and flip the chicken. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until crisp and the chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer.

Notes

Large chicken breasts work best and are easier to stuff. When buying chicken breasts, it’s often hard to find pairs that are identical in size. Keep this in mind while baking so that your chicken breasts do not overcook.

If you notice your stuffed chicken breasts are falling apart, you can secure them with toothpicks. I like a lot of stuffed filling and I expect some to spill out.

The amount of stuffing you will need will vary based on the size of your chicken. Feel free to use more or less of each ingredient to suit your needs.

For really cheesy chicken, add more cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 5oz | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 8g

Debbie

Monday 26th of August 2024

This is absolutely delicious!! I’ll add this to my normal recipe rotation and recipe app. I used 3 large chicken breasts and needed about 4-5 toothpicks to hold them together. YUM! Thank you!

Tanya

Friday 1st of November 2024

Thanks Debbie! So happy you enjoyed the recipe :)

Rev Frederick

Wednesday 18th of May 2022

Calories hmm hmm...fun recipes with oven finish..reduce heat for members of the family known not to take all that pepper..also adding the air fryer method was very helpful since im now a fan of using mine whenever i can.. blessings rev fred

Brandi Crawford

Sunday 22nd of May 2022

I love the air fryer method!

Krissie M Wilson

Thursday 12th of May 2022

This was a big hit for my husband and myself! I need some practice on the cutting and stuffing but with a few toothpicks it stayed together fairly well. I used the air fryer as it was in the 90's here today. Also made some jalapeno corn and mashed potatoes. We loved it so much we're going to fix it for Sunday dinner with the family. Thanks Brandi, this will be on the menu as a regular.

@Krissie M Wilson, check the sharpness of your knife...that make all the difference in the world when slicing any kind of meat. blessings rev fred

Amanda G.

Thursday 5th of May 2022

Oh man was this good! My stuffing skills need some work so it ended up being more like an “open faced” chicken breast but that didn’t take away from the taste! The sausage adds some zing to the already flavorful stuffing. 😀

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! An open faced chicken breast actually sounds amazing lol.