Butter Garlic Cajun Chicken Bites

Need an EASY DINNER IDEA?  Try my Butter Garlic Cajun Bites for a quick dinner in under 30 minutes!

 

Butter Garlic Cajun Chicken Bites

We just a new puppy and I am chasing him around so much that I don't have time for anything else. 

Boy do I ever need some quick dinner ideas!  We eat a lot of chicken and I'm sure you've seen the viral videos for the Butter Garlic Chicken or Steak bites, so I decided to do a variation on that by adding some more flavor.  Cajun flavor.  

These little bites of heaven are rich and full of buttery herb flavors.  They are so quick to make you will have them on the table in under 30 minutes.  They make a healthy meal that is low in carbs, gluten-free, and Keto friendly.  With the addition of a few more spices and some hot sauce you can have these Butter Garlic Cajun Chicken Bites as your next meal.  A one pan dinner in under 30 minutes.  Just add a simple side dish and you have an easy weeknight meal!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• onion powder

• butter

• olive oil

• garlic cloves

• Italian seasoning

• hot sauce - I like Sriracha

• low-sodium chicken broth

• fresh lemon

• parsley

• Crushed red chili pepper flakes

Substitutions and Variations

• Can't handle the heat?  Leave out the hot sauce

• Substitute the protein:  This would work with steak or pork as well.  Just cut bite sized pieces and follow the instructions.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• You can enrich the sauce by adding some white wine instead of chicken broth

• Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken bites. Cook in batches if necessary, so each chicken bite has this delicious crisp golden crust!

• For a variant you can use whole chicken tenders instead. They’re delicious, and you can skip the cutting board! 

• What to serve with chicken bites?  I like serving these with basmati rice, roasted or pan-seared asparagus, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, or summer squash.

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Butter Garlic Cajun Chicken Bites

serves 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon hot sauce, (Sriracha)
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional
Slices of lemon, for garnish

Season bite-sized chicken chunks with salt, pepper, and onion powder.

Heat half of the butter (4 Tablespoons) and olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Gently stir-fry the chicken on all sides until golden brown.

Lower the temperature, add two teaspoons minced garlic, the remaining butter, and Italian seasoning and stir and cook with chicken bites until fragrant. Depending on your skillet size you may need to cook the chicken in batches to avoid crowding the pan and have steamed chicken instead of browned pieces.

Deglaze the skillet with a little chicken broth, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Toss the chicken bites in the sauce to coat.

Garnish the garlic butter chicken bites with parsley, crushed chili pepper, and serve with lemon slices immediately. 

Spring Fling: 14 Strawberry Recipes

May is the start of strawberry season and here is a round up of 14 irresistible strawberry recipes!

 

14 Strawberry Recipes

Each year in May we have our Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, Ca.  It's filled with lots of booths selling artistic creations and crafts, food vendors selling strawberry delicacies, and then there's the heavenly strawberries themselves!  We always bring home a flat of these gems so I can make all the different dishes that include this luscious fruit.

Below is a round up with links to 14 of my favorite strawberry recipes.  I hope you enjoy them.

1.  Strawberry Lime Slushy - perfect to cool down with on a summer afternoon.

2.  Grandma Landon's Strawberry Cake - a throwback recipe that is the best around!

3.  Strawberry Pear Smoothie - The perfect drink during the Spring when strawberries are popping up and pears are still around.  The pears lend a delicate flavor that compliments the strawberries.

4.  Spinach and Strawberry Salad - The perfect light salad.  Simple and delicious.  Great for Mother's day, Easter, or Memorial Day.

5.  Strawberry Banana Pancakes - get ready for all those Spring brunches.  This recipe is a crowd pleaser!

6.  Strawberry Shortcake Scones - I've made these scones for Mother's Day for many years.  They are elegant, flavorful, and lend something special to the day.

7.  Strawberry Waffles with Yogurt - These waffles are sweet with the flavor of strawberries in the batter and light with a dollop of yogurt instead of the heavy maple syrup.

8.  Strawberry Avocado Toast - this recipe is a WINNER!  Strawberries, avocado, and feta top toasted bread for one heck of a combination!

9.  Healthy Breakfast Banana Split - Banana Split for breakfast?  Yes! This modified version uses yogurt along with strawberries and almonds to top bananas.  It's heaven on a plate.

10.  Strawberry Couscous Spinach Salad - A favorite salad during the Spring and Summer months featuring strawberries and couscous.  Great for the 4th of July!

11.  Lighter Strawberry Crisp - An delicious dessert for spring and summer.  This is a lighter version!

12.  Strawberry Crostini - A great appetizer for any summer gathering.

13.  Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars - I love these bars.  These are the best snacks!  I made these recently to take along with us on a road trip to Oceanside.

14.  Strawberry Banana Chunk Muffins - Muffins are a great breakfast treat.  These are filled with fresh strawberries and bananas that the whole family love.

Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce Wraps are a family favorite! Let me show you how easy they are to make at home!

 

Lettuce Wraps 

The first time I tried Lettuce Wraps was at PF Chang's.  Remember those?  Well I haven't been to one in many years and yet I still love lettuce wraps.  So I make them at home.  They are SO EASY to make, you'll wonder why you didn't try this before now.

Crisp cups of butter lettuce is filled with ground turkey (you can use chicken or pork), fresh vegetables, and an Asian sauce that will bring all the flavors together and knock your socks off!  Did I mention you can make this dish in under 30 minutes?  Perfect for a quick weeknight meal when you don't want to fuss and want dinner on the table in a flash.  This is one dish the whole family will be asking for more.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• Butter lettuce or Boston Bibb lettuce - these are shaped with cupped leaves

• Shredded Carrots

• Shredded Cabbage (optional) - note: I couldn't find mine so my pictures do not include the cabbage, but I recommend it for a little crunch and color.

• Cilantro - fresh

• Cashews or peanuts

• Ground turkey

• Hoisin sauce

• Lite soy sauce

• Limes

• Chili garlic sauce

• Ginger - fresh minced or paste

• Garlic cloves - fresh

Substitutions and Variations

• Meat:  Use ground chicken or pork or go vegetarian with tofu

• Vegetables:  Add sliced green onions, mushrooms, cucumbers, or bell peppers

• Nuts: These add nice crunch but if you are allergic then leave them out

• Toppings:  Fried wontons or crunchy fried chow mein noodles add nice crunch.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Leftovers?  Store the chicken and the lettuce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

• Freezer Friendly:  The chicken mixture can be made, cooled, and then placed in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator before heating.

• Reheat: I would add a smidge of water or chicken broth to the mixture and then reheat in a skillet over medium heat.

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Lettuce Wraps

serves 4

Sauce:

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons lite soy sauce
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon ginger, minced or paste
1 clove garlic, minced

Wraps:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large head Butter or Bibb lettuce
1 pkg of shredded carrots
1 pkg of shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup cashew halves

In a small bowl whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, ginger, and garlic.  Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat add canola oil.  When heated add the ground turkey and cook 5 - 7 minutes breaking up in to small pieces.  When fully cooked add the sauce and stir to coat all the meat.  

On a platter place the individual lettuce leaves.  Spoon on the turkey into the center of each leaf.  Top with a sprinkling of carrots, cabbage, cilantro, and cashews.  Serve.