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Blackened Chicken

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4.97 from 58 votes
By Carine Claudepierre - - 2 Comments
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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.

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.

Blackened Chicken

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.

Blackened Chicken

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.

How to make Blackened Chicken

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.

Blackened Chicken

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:

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.

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 burnt?

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

Have you tried this easy blackened chicken recipe? Share a comment or review below!

Blackened Chicken

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

Nutrition Snapshot

Net Carbs 5.2g
Fat 22.9g
Protein 50.1g
Calories 443.7kcal
4.97 from 58 votes
Review Print

Ingredients

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.
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Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
Yield: 2 chicken breasts
Serving: 1chicken breastCalories: 443.7kcal (22%)Carbohydrates: 10g (3%)Fiber: 4.8g (20%)Net Carbs: 5.2gProtein: 50.1g (100%)Fat: 22.9g (35%)Saturated Fat: 4.4g (28%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10.6gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 144.6mg (48%)Sodium: 2147.4mg (93%)Potassium: 1097.6mg (31%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 4239.6IU (85%)Vitamin B12: 0.5µg (8%)Vitamin C: 4.5mg (5%)Vitamin D: 0.2µg (1%)Calcium: 119.6mg (12%)Iron: 5.9mg (33%)Magnesium: 86.9mg (22%)Zinc: 1.9mg (13%)
Carine Claudepierre

About The Author

Carine Claudepierre

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

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
  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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