Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs
Our delicious, slimming-friendly Cajun Chicken Thighs are juicy, tender and packed with flavour! Perfect for a low-calorie midweek meal, they can be enjoyed with all kinds of different sides, from rice or wedges, to a simple fresh salad. They're ideal if you're following a diet plan like Weight Watchers!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories297
- Carbs1.7g
- Protein55g
- Fat7.4g
- Saturates2.1g
- Sugars1.2g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
These delicious, Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs are slimming friendly and can be enjoyed if you’re counting calories or following a plan like Weight Watchers.
We love cooking with chicken thighs, rather than breast, since they’re so much juicier, with bags more flavour. To add a spicy kick, we’ve marinated them in yoghurt and Cajun-style seasoning.
Yoghurt helps to lock in moisture and make the chicken especially tender, so you’ll want to let the marinade sit overnight if you have the time! You can prep this recipe the day before, and leave the marinated chicken in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking,
They’ll bake in the oven until they smell incredible, and then you can enjoy them for lunch, dinner, or even as a snack. Trust us, that final drizzle of lemon adds the perfect zing!
Although we’ve cooked them in the oven, they’re perfect for throwing on the BBQ and eating al fresco with a beautiful glass of wine – they really are a fantastic summer treat!
What diets are these Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs suitable for?
This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
It can be made dairy free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for dairy-free versions;
- 0% Greek yoghurt
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs?
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We like to cook these Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs on our Big Green Egg, which is a charcoal BBQ. If you’re cooking on charcoal you will want to cook them on the opposite side of the grill to where the coals are.
This will ensure that the Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs don’t overcook, and that they retain moisture, which is exactly what you want.
We used Tesco’s Cajun Seasoning for our Cajun Chicken Thighs, but if you use another then just make sure that you look up the calories and Points etc as they can vary!
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How many calories are in these Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs?
There are 297 calories per portion in these Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs, which means they fall into our Everyday Light category.
This recipe is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fit well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Put all the ingredients into a non-reactive bowl and mix well. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours to marinate.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the chicken thighs onto a baking tray and cook for 20-30 minutes. There should be no signs of pinkness and juices should run clear.
Step 3
Drizzle with the lemon juice and serve!
What could I serve with these Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs?
These Cajun Chicken Thighs are perfect when served for lunch or as a snack, but we especially love them served as a light dinner alongside the following accompaniments:
How do you know when these Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs are cooked?
You’ll need to cook these for around 20 – 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep these Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat this dish within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill in the fridge. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze these Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs?
From chilled: Place in a microwave safe container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 2-3 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 1-2 minutes then turn. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes until piping hot.
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Cajun-Style Chicken Thighs
Our delicious, slimming-friendly Cajun Chicken Thighs are juicy, tender and packed with flavour! Perfect for a low-calorie midweek meal, they can be enjoyed with all kinds of different sides, from rice or wedges, to a simple fresh salad. They're ideal if you're following a diet plan like Weight Watchers!
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Prep Time
10 MINS
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Cook Time
30 MINS
- KCals 297
- Carbs 1.7G
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients into a non-reactive bowl and mix well. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours to marinate.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the chicken thighs onto a baking tray and cook for 20-30 minutes. There should be no signs of pinkness and juices should run clear.
- Drizzle with the lemon juice and serve!
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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We agreed with Slimming World to remove their trademarked terms from our website
Recipe notes
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17 comments
See what others have to say
MariaWednesday 21st April 2021
Hi, Can I add the lemon juice with the marinade?
HollyWednesday 21st April 2021
Hey Maria, we prefer to drizzle the lemon juice over the cooked chicken thighs before serving but if you prefer you cna mix into the marinade. Hope that helps!
Karen ClarkSaturday 20th March 2021
I cooked these for the first time tonight , they were so lovely even my fussy son ate them
HollyMonday 22nd March 2021
Hey Karen, so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
LindaThursday 2nd July 2020
Hi could I use chicken breast?
HollyThursday 2nd July 2020
Hi Linda, yes you can swap the chicken thighs for chicken breasts but check the chicken is cooked through before serving. Hope that helps!
roseleenFriday 1st March 2019
hi could i use o/o greek yogurt for this please many thanks roseleen
AstraSaturday 19th January 2019
Hi
Can you use fromage frais?
taylorThursday 23rd January 2020
Luv luv luv this cajun chicken thigh meal. I serve it with a spinach salad and mixed peppers. Luvaleee
Steve CowderoyTuesday 12th May 2020
Hi Taylor, so glad you like this recipe, thanks for letting us know.
Sarah BradshawMonday 26th March 2018
Hi, could you use quark instead of yogurt? Only I have some in the fridge already but no yogurt. Save me a trip to the shop. ???? Thanks in advance for your help, Sarah.
JemmaTuesday 22nd May 2018
Hey, I use quark, works just as well I think, just use a tad less than I would yoghurt. Always have quark in the house! Rarely yoghurt! X
DDSunday 18th March 2018
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING 5 Stars
My husband who hates chicken thighs had 5 of them 😀
Great recipe
HayleyThursday 1st February 2018
We mix the ingredients then coat the chicken with the mix?
GraceMonday 8th January 2018
Could youse a Thai 7 spice or Chinese 5 spice on this dish instead of Cajun?
CiaraFriday 3rd November 2017
Hi can you use chicken breast instead of thighs and if so would it still be sun free. Thanks
LouiseSunday 1st October 2017
My husband loves chicken on the bone. He said that this was some of best hes ever had.
I think it might be have been particularly nice as it was in the oven with potato wedges, giving the oven more moisture. Regardless we’ll be having it again. Its a cheap cut and took about as long as it takes to take the yogurt out of the freezer. Result!
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