Blackened Chicken (Ready in 25 Minutes)

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.

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I love chicken breast recipes, and when I don’t make cast iron chicken breasts 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.

The full recipe is just below but don’t miss my ingredient selection tips, storage instructions, and detailed step-by-step tips.

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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.

Author: Carine Claudepierre

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Yield: 2 chicken breasts

Serving Size: 1 chicken breast

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4.67 from 6 votes

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 2 Chicken Breast boneless, skinless (6 oz, 170 g each)
• ▢ ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Melted Butter

Blackening Seasoning

• ▢ 2 tablespoons Paprika
• ▢ ½ tablespoon Onion Powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dried Thyme
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
• ▢ ½ tablespoon Garlic Powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

To cook meat

• ▢ 2 teaspoons Avocado Oil

Instructions

• Preheat the 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.

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NutritionServing Size: 1 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%)

Ingredients and Substitutions

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

How to Make Blackened Chicken Breast

1. 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.
2. Stir very well to make sure everything is evenly combined. It’s that easy.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Cooking Tips

There are two ways to cook this blackened chicken recipe.

1. 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.
2. Add the coated chicken breasts and cook them for one minute on each side until the crust starts to set.
3. Pop the skillet into the preheated oven and bake the meat for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Another option is to cook the chicken in the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. 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.
6. 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 Suggestions

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 Gratin
• Keto Cucumber Salad
• Roasted Rutabagas
• Cottage Cheese Salad
• Oven Roasted Potatoes

Frequently Asked Questions

More Chicken Recipes

Below are some more chicken recipes for you to try.

Moo Shu Chicken

Chicken Marinade

Cranberry Chicken Salad

Greek Chicken Marinade