Fired Up With Flavor: Baked and Grilled Cajun Chicken Recipe

Blend the ease of baking chicken with the smoky flavor of your charcoal grill when you try this deliciously spicy entree. Unlike most grilled chicken recipes, this one involves baking the chicken first to keep it moist, and then finishing it on the grill to add some delectable char. And it's packed with blazing Cajun flavors that'll really give your dinner guests — and your taste buds — something to talk about.

Cajun Chicken Marinade Ingredients

· 1 cup olive oil

· ½ cup white wine vinegar

· 2 tablespoons onion powder

· 2 tablespoons paprika

· 2 tablespoons cayenne powder

· 4 teaspoons seasoning salt

· 2 teaspoons crushed oregano

· 2 teaspoons dried thyme

· 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

· 1 tablespoon horseradish

Grilled Chicken Ingredients

· 6 small chicken breasts

· 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

· 1 teaspoon cayenne powder

· 2 teaspoons garlic powder

· ½ teaspoon dried thyme

· ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

· Olive oil

Step One

Whisk together the grilled chicken marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the marinade into a large plastic zipper bag and add the chicken. Coat chicken evenly with the sauce. Marinate the chicken for two hours in the refrigerator.

Step Two

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Arrange the chicken breasts in the dish and bake for 18 minutes. Turn the breasts over halfway through the cooking time.

Step Three

Preheat your grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grates. While the grill is heating up, combine the cayenne and garlic powders with the crushed red pepper, chopped parsley, and dried thyme.

Step Four

Remove the chicken breasts from the oven and transfer them to a plate. Sprinkle both sides of each breast with the spice mixture you prepared in the previous step.

Step Five 

Grill the chicken breasts for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to add smoky flavor and finish cooking. Enjoy these grilled chicken breasts as a main course, sliced atop a fresh salad, or on a toasted sourdough sandwich roll.