Blackened Chicken
Blackened chicken has a bold, spicy, Creole flavor that pairs well with your favorite salads and pastas. Ready in less than 30 minutes, this simple recipe is perfect for weeknights and days you don’t want to spend a lot of time fussing in the kitchen.
Blackened chicken is the perfect comfort food when added to all things alfredo including the most popular recipe on our site, Keto Chicken Alfredo Casserole (if you want a broccoli version try this) …yum!!
It’s also an amazing addition to a southwest salad accompanied by creamy southwest dressing. It’s a healthy low carb, high protein lunch or dinner idea that I could eat 5 days a week.
What I like best is how quick and easy it is to make. Just add some homemade blackened seasoning (sometimes called blackening spice) to your chicken and then “blacken” in a pan and finish in the oven or throw it on the grill and you have dinner ready in less than 30 minutes.
We love chicken recipes paired with homemade seasonings. Make sure to try our harissa chicken, oven baked chicken fajitas , and curry chicken salad too!
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What is Blackening?
Blackening is a cooking technique that crosses Creole and Cajun methods. The process often involves coating fish, chicken, or other proteins in a small amount of butter and then rubbing them with a blackening spice blend.
The blend often has spices like thyme, chili powder, paprika, oregano, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, or onion powder.
The name “blackening” comes from the fact that the spices typically darken as they cook.
You often grill or pan sear blackened foods. But you may find recipes that use other cooking methods.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need for the recipe:
- Chicken breast– You can use full, halved, or cubed breasts.
- Butter – This is to coat the chicken and provide an extra layer of flavor.
- Blackened seasoning – You can use a store bought, but we recommend using our homemade, super easy seasoning blend.
- Vegetable oil – You could use another oil with a high smoke point to avoid it getting too smokey as they cook.
Instructions
Follow these easy steps to make blackened chicken to serve with your salad, rice, pasta, or other favorite sides.
Step 1 – Prep the chicken. Lightly brush each breast with 1 teaspoon of melted butter each. Next, sprinkle approximately 2 teaspoons of blackened seasoning over each breast and rub it in so it forms an even coating.
Step 2 – Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook, turning the meat over after 2-3 minutes (once it begins to blacken) and cooking the other side until it too starts to blacken.
Step 3 – Bake. Once the chicken is blackened move the skillet to the oven and cook at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Don’t worry when the spices on the chicken turn black, they are supposed to! It is not burned. The spices turn black as they cook, hence the name “blackened.”
Grilling Blackened Chicken
To grill, start by preparing the grill so that the flames are to one side. This allows you to cook the chicken over indirect heat.
Heat the grill to 450 degrees F.
Once heated, place the chicken breasts away from the flames to cook them with indirect heat and close the lid.
Grill for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts. Finished chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
We recommend using an instant read thermometer to check the temp on the grill to be sure its ready.
Tips for Cooking
Follow these simple tips when cooking the chicken breasts:
- Blackened seasoning will turn the chicken dark as it cooks. Don’t panic! It’s not burnt! In fact, that’s exactly what is supposed to happen.
- It can get a little smokey as it cooks, so be prepared. We like to open a window or run the exhaust fan over the stove to keep the smoke from building too much when cooking inside.
- We highly recommend cutting thick chicken breasts in half to make them thinner so they don’t have to cook as long.
- For easy cooking, you can try cubing the chicken and tossing the pieces in the seasoning. The smaller pieces will cook faster and you won’t like burn them.
How to Make it Ahead of Time
You can easily make this chicken ahead for an quick meal when you are short on time. To do this, simply follow the instructions to cook the chicken and then allow it to cool completely.
Once it is cooled, you can store it in a sealed bag or container for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. It makes a great addition to salads, rice, or pasta.
Looking for More Easy Chicken Recipes?
- Za’atar Chicken with Yogurt Sauce
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Curry Chicken Salad
- Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
- Harissa Chicken
- Cornflake Chicken
- More Chicken Recipes…
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Blackened Chicken
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Chicken breast, 2 six ounce pieces
- 2 teaspoons Butter, melted
- 4 teaspoons Blackened seasoning, divided
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fr.
- Lightly brush chicken breast with 1 teaspoon of melted butter each.
- Sprinkle approximately 2 teaspoons of blackened seasoning over each chicken breast and rub so it coats the chicken.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Once the pan is really hot add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Do not flip the chicken over until the side facing down has started to blacken.
- Once your chicken is blackened move the skillet into the oven and let it cook at 350 degrees F for approximately 10-15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Notes
Nutrition
