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Blackened Chicken Recipe

4.67 from 6 votes
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This Blackened Chicken recipe is a soft, tender chicken breast with a spicy black crust made from spices.

It’s a delicious healthy chicken recipe to serve as a main or to top up a salad.

Two Blackened Chicken breasts sliced on a black plate with golden forks.

I love chicken breast recipes and when I don’t make a cast iron chicken breast, or creamy spinach chicken I love to make a batch of Blackened chicken seasoning to coat the breast. It results in juicy, pieces of chicken coated with a blend of paprika, dried thyme, oregano, and more spices that turn into a black crusty shell when the chicken breast is pan-seared or grilled.

Blackened chicken is not burnt or charred chicken. It’s the blackened chicken seasoning blend that gives the meat a dark color, not the cooking method.

Ingredients For Blackened Chicken Seasoning

It’s so simple to make blackened chicken breast and so delicious. If you love crusty chicken breast, without using breadcrumbs, this chicken recipe is for you.

All you need to make the blackened chicken seasoning are spices and fat to create a rub that will turn your chicken breast into delicious, crusty, spicy chicken pieces.

  • Paprika – or smoked paprika.
  • Onion Powder – for flavors
  • Dried Thyme dried Parsley or dried basil
  • Dried Oregano or dried herbs you love
  • Garlic Powder – for flavor. You can swap for more onion powder.
  • Cayenne Pepper or chili for a spicier seasoning
  • Avocado Oil – to cook the chicken

To make the blackened seasoning, combine all the blackening seasoning ingredients in a small bowl: paprika, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

Stir very well to make sure everything is evenly combined. It’s that easy.

Expert Tips To Make The Best Blackened Chicken Breast

How to make Blackened Chicken Marinade
  1. Use boneless, skinless Chicken Breast with a medium size of about 6 oz each (170 grams). This ensures juicy meat with an ultra-crispy crust. Season the chicken breast to tenderize the meat. Place the chicken breast in front of you on a chopping board and rub both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
  2. Rub with oil or melted butter to keep the chicken breast juicy. Next, melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave or under medium heat in a non-stick saucepan. Pour the cooled melted butter onto the chicken breast and rub it all over. You can also use vegetable oil, but butter is the best option as it adds a delicious flavor to the spice crust and darkens it more than oil.
  3. Make the seasoning with the blend above. If you have seasoning leftovers that didn’t touch the raw meat, you can store it for up to 3 months in a glass mason jar in the pantry.
  4. Generously coat with blackened seasoning. I like to sprinkle the spices and not pour them all on the breast because sometimes, you don’t use the whole seasoning batch in the recipe. Use your hands to pat and rub the mix, adding more, if needed, until it’s fully covered on one side. Flip the chicken breast and repeat on the other side.

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Tips For Cooking Blackened Chicken

There are two ways to cook this blackened chicken recipe.

1. Bake Blackened Chicken In A Cast-Iron Skillet

First, preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Warm a non-stick cast-iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat with avocado oil.

Add the coated chicken breasts and cook them for one minute on each side until the crust starts to set.

Pop the skillet into the preheated oven and bake the meat for 10 to 12 minutes.

Another option is to cook the chicken in the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 minutes.

Blackened Chicken cooked in a large cast-iron pan.

2. Check The Internal Meat Temperature

To make the best-blackened chicken recipes, wait until the internal chicken temperature reaches 160°F (74°C) before removing it from the oven. The breast should be dark, black, and crusty.

3. Rest The Chicken Breast Before Serving

Remove from the oven and cover the hot pan with a piece of foil. Wait for 3 minutes before serving. This extra step makes the center of the chicken breast ultra moist and juicy.

Serving Side Dishes For Chicken Breasts

This chicken breast with a blackened crust makes a very healthy dinner and tastes amazing with some roasted vegetables such as tomatoes or sweet potatoes, lettuce, salad, pasta, or creamy casseroles.

Here are some of the recipes I like to serve with this chicken recipe:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Grill This Recipe?

Yes, you can put the chicken breast on a hot grill. Cook it uncovered for 1 minute on both sides.
Then, close or cover the meat with foil and cook it until black.

Can I Use Other Chicken Cuts?

Absolutely, you can use chicken tenderloins, chicken thighs, or any chicken part as long as it’s skinless and boneless.

Can I Keep Seasoning Leftovers?

Yes, but you can only keep seasoning leftovers that didn’t come into contact with raw meat.
If the seasoning mixture has been in contact with raw meat, it can carry bacteria and must be discarded.

Does blackened chicken taste burn?

No, if your blackened chicken tastes burnt, it has cooked for too long. The blackened layer should be quite thin.

More Chicken Recipes

Below are some more chicken recipes for you to try.

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a cast iron skillet filled with two Blackened Chicken Breast and fresh herbs on top

Blackened Chicken

5.2gNet Carbs
This Blackened Chicken recipe makes soft, tender chicken breast with a spicy black crust made from spices. It's a delicious healthy chicken recipe to serve as a main or to top up a salad.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 16 minutes
Total: 26 minutes
Yield: 2 chicken breasts
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
4.67 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 Chicken Breast boneless, skinless (6 oz, 170 g each)
  • ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt
  • teaspoon Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Melted Butter

Blackening Seasoning

To cook meat

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
  • In a bowl, stir all the blackening seasoning spices. Set aside.
  • Season the chicken breast on both sides with Kosher salt and black pepper.
  • Brush both sides of the breast with cooled, melted butter or olive oil.
  • Sprinkle a teaspoon of blackened seasoning on one side of the breast, press it and rub it to stick to the chicken. Add more if needed. You shouldn't see any pink meat as it should be covered with spices.
  • Flip the chicken over and repeat until both sides are fully coated with a thick layer of spices. If you have spices leftovers that haven't been in contact with raw meat, store them for up to 3 months in a glass mason jar in the pantry.
  • Discard excess spices that get in contact with raw meat for food safety.
  • Warm a non-stick cast-iron skillet over high medium-high with avocado oil.
  • Add the seasoned chicken breasts and cook them for 1-2 minutes on both sides to sizzle the meat.
  • Place the skillet in the oven and keep cooking until the chicken is crusted. It takes about 10-12 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer in the thicker part of the chicken breast. When the internal temperature reaches 160°F (74°C), remove it from the oven. The meat inside should be white, not pink.
  • Keep the chicken in the skillet, cover it with foil if needed to keep it warm, then slice and serve it as a main dish.

Notes

Allergy Swaps

Below are some substitution suggestions for some of the ingredients if needed.
  • Dairy-Free – Replace the butter with dairy-free butter or olive oil.
  • Low-FODMAP – Skip the garlic and onion powder. Try ground cumin instead.
  • Meat-Free – This recipe works very well with drained firm tofu instead of Chicken.

Storage Instructions

You can store cooked chicken leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Or they can be frozen for later. They last for up to one month in a sealed container in the freezer.
Thaw the chicken in the fridge the day before.
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetashoneyrecipes
Nutrition1 chicken breast
Yield: 2 chicken breasts

Nutrition

Serving: 1 chicken breastCalories: 443.7 kcal (22%)Carbohydrates: 10 g (3%)Fiber: 4.8 g (20%)Net Carbs: 5.2 gProtein: 50.1 g (100%)Fat: 22.9 g (35%)Saturated Fat: 4.4 g (28%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 10.6 gTrans Fat: 0.03 gCholesterol: 144.6 mg (48%)Sodium: 2147.4 mg (93%)Potassium: 1097.6 mg (31%)Sugar: 1 g (1%)Vitamin A: 4239.6 IU (85%)Vitamin B12: 0.5 µg (8%)Vitamin C: 4.5 mg (5%)Vitamin D: 0.2 µg (1%)Calcium: 119.6 mg (12%)Iron: 5.9 mg (33%)Magnesium: 86.9 mg (22%)Zinc: 1.9 mg (13%)
Carine Claudepierre

About The Author

Carine Claudepierre

Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.

I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.

I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet

Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!

All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.

Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.

I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!

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    2 Thoughts On Blackened Chicken Recipe
  1. 5 stars
    You have made some of my favorite recipes, thank you for all of your effort! I scrolled across this delicious sounding recipe and wonder how it comes up to 5 carbs. I would guess, by just browsing the ingredients that it is close to 1.

    • Hi Julee,
      The carbs come from paprika (2.5g of net carbs in 2 tablespoons), onion powder (2.5g NC in 1/2 tbsp), thyme (1g NC in 1 tbsp), oregano (1g nc in 1 tbsp), etc.
      All of that is divided by 2 for the 2 servings.
      It’s important not to dismiss herbs and spices in carb calculation as they bring quite a bit.

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The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.

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