Blackened chicken is nothing more than a spicy dry rub that infuses tons of flavor into bland chicken. The chicken is then cooked over very high heat resulting in a blackened outer crust and a moist tender inside.
Blackened chicken is NOT the result of burning your chicken … or cooking it too long…. or from it sticking to the pan.
The ‘blackened’ part of the chicken is the result of a medley of spices, usually Cajun, that when put to high heat, gives the chicken an nice blackened crust on the outside.
This chicken is gluten free, low carb, keto friendly and a great healthy choice to keep in the fridge all week long to put on top of salads or add to pasta or just grab and go.
WHAT SPICES ARE USED FOR BLACKENED CHICKEN?
- paprika (you can even use smoked paprika for a real smoky flavor)
- salt
- white & cayenne peppers
- cumin
- thyme
- onion powder
These spices create a nice heat with each bite. It can get as spicy as you like. I would suggest you start with the original dry rub listed below and tweak to your personal liking in the future.
It goes great over a salad as the creaminess from the salad dressing or avocados offsets the chicken really well. Or another great option is over pasta. My personal favorite is over Fettucine Alfredo.
You can cook this chicken one of 2 ways: you can cook the chicken completely on the stove. However, I would recommend you flatten the chicken just a bit for even cooking and to thin it out. Or you can sear it on both sides and then finish cooking it in the oven (recommended).
Usually we want to bring meat to room temperature before cooking, however the opposite is true when blackening food. Keep the chicken cool and be sure to turn on the fan and use thick oven mitts.
How to Make Blackened Chicken
Description
A spicy dry rub is rubbed all over lean chicken breasts and pan seared in a very hot pan for a blackened outer crust and a moist tender inside.
Ingredients
- 2 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
- ½ teaspoon Paprika (or smoked paprika)
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon White Pepper (black would be fine as a substitution)
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Mix the spices in a small dish.
- Trim any excess fat off the chicken breast and pat dry. Rub the spices all over the chicken and drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Heat up a cast iron skillet over high heat until it is SMOKING.
- Place the chicken in the skillet and let it cook for 2 minutes or until a nice black crust has formed.
- Flip and repeat.
- You can continue to cook the chicken in the pan until done or place the chicken carefully in the oven and cook until the juices run clear or a meat thermometer reaches 165°F.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:
Garlic Parmesan Noodles
Creamy Garlic Orzo
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I love blackened chicken & salmon so I was thrilled to come across this recipe. Made it tonight and my husband, who can’t handle a lot of spice, ate it right up! I loved it, too. Thank you for the recipe
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thanks Sharon!
I am so glad you put this recipe back up !!! My son LOVES this chicken
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Omg this soooo good … Thank you for the recipe !!!!. I just made mine in a pan since the chicken breast was cut thin
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I’m going to cook this tonight! If you don’t have a meat thermometer, how long should I bake the chicken in the over for? 15 minutes? Since the chicken has already been blackened in the pan? Also, could I use a regular non stick pan for this recipe?
This is a go-to recipe of mine when I want chicken that is full of flavor, well cooked, and not dry. I’ve used it in salads, alfredo, casseroles and on its own. Extremely easy, but tastes very intricate! Thank you so much for sharing!
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thank YOU so much for writing!
Hey Debi! I came across your site after searching for “unprocessed recipes” on Pinterest. After reviewing a few of your recipes, I am officially your newest subscriber! 🙂
I have two little girls and want to start cooking healthier meals for our family…and use REAL food to cook with. No more frozen nuggets or Hamburger Helper in my house. Anyways, I just had to thank you for the clarification that blackened chicken doesn’t mean burnt chicken. I will now be able to make blackened chicken correctly, thanks to you!! And I’m sure my family’s taste buds will celebrate! 🙂
so happy to have you on board Erin! My advice to you is to start slowly. If you eat out x amount of times a week, cut it back by 1 each week. If you cook with a lot of boxed items, again, try making one or two from scratch each week. Pretty soon you will notice a difference in taste and will prefer homemade. I find there is way too much sodium in boxed foods and find that I can’t eat them anymore. You can do this and your girls will benefit immensely from it!