Cajun Stir Fry with Chicken, Sausage, and Peppers Recipe

Cajun stir fry is a quick, Cajun-inspired skillet dinner with chicken, smoky andouille sausage, bell peppers, onion, and celery tossed in a savory sauce. It brings Louisiana-style seasoning to a fast stir-fry method; it is a modern weeknight mashup rather than a traditional Cajun dish, and the combination of browned meat and crisp-tender vegetables makes it especially satisfying.

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces
8 oz (225 g) fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds
1 medium yellow onion, about 5 oz (150 g), thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, about 5 oz (150 g), cored and thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, about 5 oz (150 g), cored and thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, about 3 oz (80 g), thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 garlic cloves, about 9 g, finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil
1 tbsp (about 8 g) Cajun seasoning, divided; check the label for salt and heat level
⅓ cup (80 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp (15 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp (3 g) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 ml) cold water
¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
Up to ⅛ tsp (0.7 g) fine salt, only if needed after tasting
2 green onions, about 20 g, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Pat the chicken dry and cut it into evenly sized pieces so it cooks at a similar rate. Slice the sausage and vegetables, and chop the garlic. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, and cold water until the cornstarch is fully dispersed. Measure out the Cajun seasoning; you will use half on the chicken and half with the vegetables. Doing this setup before heating the pan helps keep the quick cooking sequence manageable.
Season the chicken. Toss the chicken with 1½ teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning and the black pepper. Leave the remaining seasoning for the vegetables. If your Cajun blend is particularly salty, do not add salt now; you can taste the finished sauce before deciding whether it needs any.
Brown the sausage. Heat a large 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or wok over medium-high heat, then add the oil. When it shimmers, add the fully cooked andouille in a single layer. Cook for 3 minutes, turning the slices once, until browned at the edges. Transfer the sausage to a clean plate. If the pan is small, brown it in batches rather than crowding it; crowded sausage tends to steam instead of develop color.
Cook the chicken. Add the seasoned chicken to the same pan in a single layer. Cook for about 7 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally so the pieces brown on several sides. Check the thickest piece with an instant-read food thermometer; USDA FSIS guidance sets the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry at 165°F (74°C). If a piece has not reached that temperature, continue cooking and check again. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the sausage using a clean utensil, and keep the juices on the plate for the final step.
Stir-fry the vegetables. Add the onion, red and green peppers, and celery to the hot pan. Stir-fry for 4 minutes, keeping the vegetables moving and scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Add the garlic and remaining 1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning, then cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The peppers should be bright and beginning to soften while still retaining a little bite.
Finish the sauce and serve. Whisk the sauce mixture once more, then pour it into the pan. Stir for about 1 minute, until it bubbles and lightly thickens. Return the chicken, sausage, and any plate juices to the pan; toss for 1 minute, until everything is hot and coated. Taste and add the optional salt only if needed. Take the pan off the heat, scatter over green onion if using, and serve with lemon wedges.

Tips

Choose the pan and control the heat. A wide skillet gives moisture room to evaporate, which helps the ingredients brown instead of steam. If the pan is not large enough to hold the chicken in one layer, cook it in two batches. Keep the heat at medium-high, but turn it down if the garlic starts to darken before the vegetables are ready.
Adjust seasoning gradually. Cajun seasoning blends vary in salt, paprika, and cayenne. Start with the listed tablespoon if you know your blend, or use 2 teaspoons (about 5 g) for a milder first batch and add more at the end. A little lemon brightens the flavor without requiring extra salt.
Use a sensible sausage substitute. If andouille is hard to find, fully cooked smoked kielbasa works. It is usually less peppery and may be less spicy, so taste the stir fry before serving and add a pinch of cayenne or extra Cajun seasoning if you want more heat. Avoid substituting raw sausage without adjusting the cooking process; this recipe is timed for fully cooked sausage.
Cut for even cooking. Similar-sized chicken pieces and thinly sliced vegetables cook quickly and evenly. Keep raw chicken and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat garnishes, and wash hands and surfaces after handling it. Do not add a large pile of cold vegetables all at once if your pan is small, since that can drop the pan temperature.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the stir fry over steamed long-grain white rice, brown rice, or rice made with a little broth. Rice is not included in the recipe timing, so start it before you begin chopping if you want dinner to reach the table together. For a low-effort side, use warm flatbread or crusty bread to catch the sauce, or spoon the mixture into a bowl with cooked noodles.

A crisp green salad or simply dressed cabbage slaw balances the smoky sausage and seasoned sauce. If you want more vegetables on the plate, serve with steamed green beans, sautéed okra, or corn. Offer lemon wedges at the table: a squeeze over an individual serving adds brightness, especially when the Cajun seasoning is rich or salty. For a heartier meal, add a small bowl of beans alongside the rice.

Variations

Make it with shrimp: Replace the chicken with 1 lb (450 g) peeled, deveined large shrimp. Brown the sausage, stir-fry the vegetables, and add the shrimp near the end; cook just until opaque and firm, checking that the thickest shrimp reaches 145°F (63°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum for fish and seafood. Shrimp cook faster than chicken, so avoid leaving them in the pan while the sauce reduces.

Change the protein: Boneless pork loin can replace the chicken if cut into thin, even strips; cook whole cuts of pork to 145°F (63°C) and allow a 3-minute rest, following USDA FSIS guidance. For a meatless version, omit the sausage and use 14 oz (400 g) pressed, cubed extra-firm tofu, browned in batches. Tofu will not have the same smoky pork flavor, so add a little smoked paprika and use vegetable broth.

Make it hotter or milder: Add ¼ teaspoon (about 0.5 g) cayenne with the Cajun seasoning for a more pronounced kick, or choose a mild Cajun blend and leave out extra cayenne for a gentler version. If you like a sweeter pepper profile, use two red peppers instead of one red and one green. For extra vegetables, add up to 1 cup (100 g) sliced mushrooms or 1 cup (100 g) snap peas; cook them with the peppers, allowing an extra minute or two if the pan becomes crowded.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, dividing a large batch among shallow containers so it cools promptly. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze in a sealed freezer-safe container for up to 2 months for best quality; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The peppers will soften after freezing, but the dish remains useful for bowls or wraps.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat. Warm it in a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon or two of water or broth, stirring until evenly hot, or microwave it in a covered, microwave-safe dish, stirring partway through. Leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C) when reheated; check the center with a food thermometer. Avoid repeatedly cooling and reheating the same batch, as that can dry out the chicken and soften the vegetables further.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cajun stir fry an authentic Cajun dish?
This recipe is Cajun-inspired, not a traditional Louisiana preparation. Cajun seasoning and andouille draw on flavors associated with Cajun cooking, while stir-frying the ingredients in a skillet is a convenient modern approach. Families and cooks use different seasoning blends and proteins, so the exact flavor can vary.

Can I make Cajun stir fry without andouille?
Yes. Fully cooked smoked kielbasa is the easiest substitute and cooks in the same step, though it is often milder than andouille. You can also leave the sausage out and use extra chicken or tofu. To keep some smoky flavor without sausage, add a small pinch of smoked paprika and adjust the Cajun seasoning to taste.

How do I keep the chicken from getting tough?
Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces, cook it in a single layer, and use a thermometer rather than relying on browning alone. Remove it from the pan as soon as the thickest piece reaches 165°F (74°C), then return it only briefly at the end to warm through. Overcrowding the pan can make the chicken release moisture and cook unevenly.

Can I prepare any of this ahead?
You can slice the vegetables and sausage and mix the sauce up to a day ahead; refrigerate them in separate covered containers. Keep raw chicken sealed on the lowest refrigerator shelf and cut it shortly before cooking, or cut it ahead and refrigerate it separately from ready-to-eat ingredients. Stir the sauce again before pouring, because cornstarch settles as it sits.

What can I use instead of soy sauce?
Use an equal amount of tamari if you want a similar savory taste, checking the label if gluten matters to you. Coconut aminos can also work, but they are typically sweeter and less salty, so taste the sauce before adding any extra salt. The small amount of soy sauce supports the sauce rather than defining the Cajun flavor.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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