Description
Spicy Cajun chicken sloppy joes combine zesty Creole flavors with hearty sandwich satisfaction. Louisiana-inspired ingredients deliver bold taste sensations you’ll crave repeatedly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 tbsps Cajun seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional, for extra heat)
- 0.5 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional, for a touch of sweetness)
- 4 hamburger buns, toasted
- Optional toppings: sliced pickles, coleslaw, shredded cheese
Instructions
- Sear and Brown: Heat a large skillet over medium-high flame, drizzle olive oil, and thoroughly crumble ground chicken until evenly cooked and golden brown.
- Vegetable Infusion: Add diced onions, green and red bell peppers, and minced garlic to the skillet, sautéing until vegetables become translucent and release their aromatic qualities.
- Spice Awakening: Sprinkle Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika across the mixture, gently toasting spices to unlock their deep, complex flavor profiles.
- Sauce Composition: Reduce skillet temperature and pour in ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chicken broth, and brown sugar, stirring until the sauce thickens and integrates harmoniously.
- Seasoning Refinement: Adjust salt and spice levels, ensuring a balanced interplay between heat and sweetness that complements the Cajun-inspired sauce.
- Bun Preparation: Lightly toast buns to create a crisp base that will support the robust chicken mixture without becoming soggy.
- Plating and Garnish: Generously pile the spicy chicken mixture onto toasted buns, optionally adorning with pickles, coleslaw, or melted cheese for additional texture and flavor.
- Serving Suggestion: Present immediately with accompanying sides like crispy fries, crunchy chips, or a fresh salad to complete the meal.
Notes
- Spice Control: Adjust Cajun seasoning based on heat tolerance; start with less and gradually add more to prevent overwhelming spiciness.
- Meat Texture Tip: Break ground chicken into extremely fine pieces while browning to ensure even cooking and better sauce absorption.
- Sauce Consistency Hack: Simmer sauce slowly to develop deeper flavors and achieve desired thickness; longer cooking creates richer taste profile.
- Dietary Modification: For gluten-free version, use gluten-free buns and verify Worcestershire sauce is wheat-free; for low-carb option, serve over cauliflower rice or lettuce wraps instead of traditional buns.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg