Cajun Blackened Chicken Stuffed with Shrimp and Spinach Over Dirty Rice

This dish brings together the bold flavors of the bayou with tender chicken, a creamy shrimp and spinach stuffing and savory dirty rice. The chicken cutlets are pounded thin, seasoned with blackening spice and rolled up with a rich filling of chopped shrimp, cream cheese, Parmesan and spinach. Baked until golden and served over rice simmered with onion, bell pepper and chicken stock, every bite is packed with Cajun-inspired goodness.

Perfect for a special dinner or when you want to elevate your weeknight routine, this recipe delivers restaurant-quality results at home. The combination of spicy blackened seasoning and creamy filling creates a delightful contrast, while the dirty rice adds a hearty, flavorful base. Serve with lemon wedges for a bright finish.

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Ingredients

1 unit OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.75 cup Jasmine RiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6 tablespoon Cream CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2.5 ounce SpinachView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 unit LemonView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce ShrimpView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Cajun Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 tablespoon Parmesan CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Chicken CutletsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Bell PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Garlic PowderView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Blackening SpiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon (tbsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle position. Wash and dry produce. Halve, peel and finely dice onion. Core, deseed and dice bell pepper into ¼-inch pieces. Roughly chop spinach. Quarter lemon.
2. Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium pot over high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and half the Blackening Spice (reserve the rest). Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add rice, stock concentrates, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings) and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to use.
3. While rice cooks, rinse shrimp under cold water and pat very dry with paper towels. Season shrimp with Cajun Spice Blend. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Once cool enough to handle, transfer half the shrimp to a cutting board and roughly chop (reserve the rest for later). In a medium bowl, combine chopped shrimp, cream cheese, garlic powder, Parmesan, half the chopped spinach, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until cream cheese is thoroughly incorporated.
4. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin until about ¼ inch thick. Season all over with remaining Blackening Spice, salt and pepper. Keeping chicken on bottom piece of plastic wrap, evenly top with shrimp filling. Starting at the bottom, tightly roll up chicken, removing plastic wrap as you go.
5. Place stuffed chicken, seam sides down, on a baking sheet (line with foil or parchment for easier cleanup). Lightly drizzle oil over chicken and bake on middle rack until chicken is cooked through and filling is warmed through, 12-15 minutes. Let rest for at least 2 minutes before serving.
6. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in remaining whole shrimp and remaining chopped spinach. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. (If necessary, warm up rice mixture over low heat.) Divide dirty rice between plates and top with stuffed chicken. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use a different type of rice?

Yes, you can substitute long-grain white rice or basmati, but adjust the liquid and cooking time according to package instructions.

How do I prevent the chicken from unrolling during baking?

Place the stuffed chicken seam-side down on the baking sheet. You can also secure with toothpicks if needed, but remember to remove them before serving.

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

The stuffed chicken can be assembled a few hours in advance and refrigerated. Bake just before serving. The dirty rice is best made fresh, but leftovers can be reheated.