When it comes to soulful, rich, and hearty dishes, ZeroPoint Chicken Creole is a top contender. This New Orleans-style dish packs a punch of bold flavors from a fusion of French, Spanish, African, Caribbean, and Native American spices.
The hallmark of Creole cooking is the “holy trinity”: onions, green bell peppers, and celery—simmered in a tomato sauce with simple spices for depth of flavor. Don’t forget to browse through our selection of other Weight Watchers dinner recipes!
Why You Should Try Chicken Creole
- Chicken Creole is a one-pot dish, which means fewer dishes to clean up later. In the same pot, you brown the chicken, sauté the onions, peppers, and chili (I use it to bring a Cajun twist), and cook everything down in a tomato base. Once the chicken has simmered in the sauce, it absorbs all those flavors and turns tender.
- Chicken Creole has Zero WW points! It’s made with mostly ZeroPoint foods. This means you can enjoy it guilt-free, maybe even with a small piece of bread to mop up that delicious sauce.
- It’s so versatile. You can serve it over rice, with a simple green salad, or even alongside some roasted veggies. It’s also great for meal prepping because you can make a big batch and enjoy it with different sides throughout the week. And if you want, it works wonderfully as a sandwich filling too!
- This dish is all about big, bold flavors without the calorie overload. You’ve got fresh veggies, lean chicken, and a tomato-based sauce that’s bursting with tangy goodness. It’s spicy but not overwhelming, making it perfect for those who enjoy a little heat without too much kick and natural sweetness from the veggies.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
ZERO WW Points Per Serving. You can view the recipe on the WW App here. (WW login required.)
Ingredients In Chicken Creole:
- 4 chicken breasts (about 680 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (5 g)
- 1 teaspoon salt (5 g)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (5 g) (optional)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (5 mL)
- 1 medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup, 150 g)
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup, 150 g)
- 2 small green chilis, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 celery stalks, chopped (1/2 cup, 50 g)
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz, 425 g)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (2 g)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (5 g) dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water (30 mL)
- ½ cup water or chicken broth (120 mL)
How To Make Chicken Creole:
- Marinate the Chicken: Start by marinating the chicken breasts. In a large bowl, combine the crushed garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Rub this mixture all over the chicken breasts. Set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Sear the Chicken: In a large skillet or pot, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and sear them on each side for about 3-4 minutes until they develop a nice golden-brown crust. Don’t worry if they’re not fully cooked through at this point—they’ll finish cooking in the sauce. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Prepare the Sofrito: In the same skillet, using the leftover oil and bits from the chicken, add the chopped red onion, green bell pepper, green chilis (if using), and celery. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes until they soften and the onion becomes translucent. This combination of vegetables is known as the “Holy Trinity” of Creole cooking.
- Make the Sauce: Once the vegetables are softened, pour in the tomato sauce, dried oregano, bay leaves, and 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth. Stir everything together, scraping the bottom of the skillet to lift any bits stuck from the chicken (this adds extra flavor to the sauce). Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Thicken the Sauce: After the sauce has simmered, add the cornstarch mixture (1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water) to the skillet. Stir well to combine and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a bit more water or broth to reach your desired consistency.
- Cook the Chicken in the Sauce: Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Cover the skillet and let the chicken cook in the sauce for about 20 minutes over low heat, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) when done.
- Serve: Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove the bay leaves and discard them.
Variations and Substitutions
You can make Chicken Creole as spicy, sweet, or savory as you like. Here are a few classic variations to consider:
- If you love seafood: You can easily swap out the chicken for shrimp or crab. Both seafood options work beautifully in the same tomato-based sauce, and they bring out the Creole flavor even more. If you want to go all out, consider adding sausage too—shrimp and sausage together are a match made in heaven in this dish.
- Use okra instead of cornstarch: Okra is traditional in a lot of Creole dishes because it naturally thickens the sauce without adding unnecessary starch or calories. Plus, it adds a nice texture that makes the dish even more satisfying.
- Spice it up: Add a dash of Tabasco sauce or a sprinkle of Jamaican pepper. This stew practically begs for spice! Just be sure to taste as you go, so you don’t overpower the other flavors.
Tips and Tricks for Making Chicken Creole
- Don’t rush the searing process. You want your chicken to get a nice golden crust. And don’t worry if some bits stick to the bottom of the pot. Once you add the tomatoes, they’ll help deglaze the pan and lift all that flavor into the sauce.
- Use an Instant Pot to down the cooking time while locking in all the flavors. Just follow the same steps, but use the sauté function to brown the chicken and cook the veggies before sealing the lid and pressure cooking.
- Chicken Creole pairs well with a variety of sides. It’s traditionally served over rice, but you could mix it up with mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice, or even quinoa if you’re feeling fancy.
- Make large batches: Have it ready for quick meals throughout the week. Use it as a filling for sandwiches. It’s also one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld together.
Try it, and I promise it’ll become one of your go-to recipes!
Chicken Creole
A low-point New Orleans-inspired protein main.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, about 680 g
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 5 g
- 1 teaspoon salt, 5 g
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, 5 g (optional)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, 5 mL
- 1 medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup, 150 g)
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup, 150 g)
- 2 small green chilis, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 celery stalks, chopped (1/2 cup, 50 g)
- 1 can tomato sauce, 15 oz, 425 g
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 g
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 5 g dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water (30 mL)
- ½ cup water or chicken broth, 120 mL
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Start by marinating the chicken breasts. In a large bowl, combine the crushed garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Rub this mixture all over the chicken breasts. Set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Sear the Chicken: In a large skillet or pot, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and sear them on each side for about 3-4 minutes until they develop a nice golden-brown crust. Don’t worry if they’re not fully cooked through at this point—they’ll finish cooking in the sauce. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Prepare the Sofrito: In the same skillet, using the leftover oil and bits from the chicken, add the chopped red onion, green bell pepper, green chilis (if using), and celery. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes until they soften and the onion becomes translucent. This combination of vegetables is known as the “Holy Trinity” of Creole cooking.
- Make the Sauce: Once the vegetables are softened, pour in the tomato sauce, dried oregano, bay leaves, and 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth. Stir everything together, scraping the bottom of the skillet to lift any bits stuck from the chicken (this adds extra flavor to the sauce). Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Thicken the Sauce: After the sauce has simmered, add the cornstarch mixture (1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water) to the skillet. Stir well to combine and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a bit more water or broth to reach your desired consistency.
- Cook the Chicken in the Sauce: Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Cover the skillet and let the chicken cook in the sauce for about 20 minutes over low heat, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) when done.
- Serve: Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove the bay leaves and discard it.
Notes
ZERO WW Points per serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 371gCalories: 274kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 40gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1.2gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 914mgPotassium: 1024mgFiber: 3.6gSugar: 5.6gCalcium: 44mgIron: 2.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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