How to Make Blackened Chicken
If you have ever wondered how to make blackened chicken, look no further! It's SUPER easy to make--just use a few of my tips and tricks to get your chicken perfectly browned and seasoned on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside! This delicious chicken recipe is great for tacos, salads, pasta or just on its own with a tasty side dish!
Ingredients
For cooking the chicken
- 1 1/2-2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil or enough to coat the bottom of your pan. Avocado oil or canola oil also work great.
- 1-2 limes, optional for serving
For the blackening spice rub (See Note 1)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika regular paprika is OK, too
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (or kosher salt)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (+more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Prep: Place chicken breasts on a large cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound out the breasts until they are uniform in thickness-- about 1/2" thick is ideal.
- Season Chicken: Transfer chicken to a large bowl or plate. Season with blackening spices (smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne, dried basil, oregano and thyme). Rub the spice blend on well to make sure every nook and cranny is well-coated! Cover with plastic wrap and allow chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or up to overnight (if you are short on time you can skip this step, but I HIGHLY recommend it!). See Note 2.
- Cook: Heat a large skillet (a cast iron skillet or grill pan work great) over medium-high heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, place chicken breasts in the hot skillet. Cook, without touching the chicken until the first side is nicely browned (about 5 minutes). Flip the chicken and brown the other side. Again, try to avoid touching or moving the chicken around too much, if possible. Cook chicken for an additional 5 minutes on the second side OR until the internal temperature reaches 165°F when tested with a meat thermometer. If the chicken is getting too brown/black on either side, feel free to flip it back and forth to allow it to cook through in the middle but prevent it from burning on either side.
- Finish: Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes until cutting/serving. A squeeze of lime is delish over this chicken!
Notes
Note 1: In a pinch, a store-bought blackening seasoning will work! I have also used Cajun or Creole seasoning as well. I like making my own seasoning blend so I can control the amount of spice and salt.
Note 2: If you are just marinating the chicken for an hour or less, cover it and leave it out the the fridge (safe, per US Department of Agriculture). Allow the "chill" to come off the chicken helps it to cook quickly and evenly.
Nutrition is only an estimate based on the Very Well Fit Nutrition Calculator
Nutrition
Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 33gFat: 13.2gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 254mgPotassium: 302mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.2gCalcium: 22mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!