Blackened Chicken

What’s Blackened Chicken?

Blackened chicken is a piece of chicken coated with a blend of spices that turns black when pan-seared or grilled.

Blackened chicken is not burnt or charred chicken. It’s the spice blend that gives the meat its color, not the cooking method.

How To Make Blackened Chicken

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

Ingredients

All you need are a few spices to make the blackening spices that will turn your chicken breast into delicious crusty spicy chicken pieces.

• Chicken Breast – Boneless, skinless chicken breast with a medium size of about 6 oz each (170 grams).
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Melted Butter or olive oil
• Paprika – or smoked paprika.
• Onion Powder
• Dried Thyme
• Dried Oregano
• Garlic Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Avocado Oil – to cook the chicken

Blackening Seasoning Preparation

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

Stir very well to make sure everything is evenly combined. Set aside.

Coating

Place the chicken breast in front of you on a chopping board and rub both sides with kosher salt and pepper.

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 it darkens it more than oil.

Now, use a teaspoon to sprinkle some blackening spices on top of the breast. 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.

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.

This is because each breast, even if of the same weight, can be wider and require more seasoning than others.

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.

Cooking

There are two ways to cook blackened proteins recipe. 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.

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.

Resting And 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

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:

• Roasted Cauliflower
• Broccoli Pasta
• Broccoli Gratin
• Keto Cucumber Salad
• Roasted Rutabagas
• Cottage Cheese Salad
• Oven Roasted Potatoes