Looking for a new way to enjoy chicken? Try this easy recipe for Blackened Chicken! Tender juicy breasts are coated in a smoky dry rub and charred over high heat to create the most delicious crispy coating. Perfect for weeknights, this dish is ready in just 30 minutes.
We all love the convenience of cooking chicken breasts, but they can sometimes be a little bit bland. Well, this recipe for blackened chicken is anything but boring!
Because it’s so simple and quick to make, this is a great recipe for busy nights. Not only does it taste amazing, but it’s also a healthy meal option!
Serve alongside a simple green salad or some roasted vegetables and you’ve got yourself a meal the whole family will love.
What is Blackened Chicken?
This cooking technique, popular in Cajun cuisine, can be used for chicken or fish. Cutlets are brushed with butter and seasoned with a mix of spices and seared in a very hot skillet until the spices char and blacken. It is then finished off in the oven.
The key to the bold flavor is the blackened chicken seasoning mix. It’s a combination of lots of different dried spices and herbs that give the chicken a Cajun flair. It’s not super spicy but there is some heat coming from the cayenne pepper.
The chicken breasts are halved lengthwise and pounded into cutlets so they’ll cook evenly and quickly. I use a meat mallet to pound the breasts, but if you don’t have one, you can use a rolling pin or a heavy skillet.
They’re then brushed with melted butter and seasoned generously. This is not the time to skimp on the flavor!
I recommend searing the cutlets in a cast iron pan. I use this Lodge cast iron pan. Cast iron heats up incredibly well and it also cooks everything evenly. You can also use a non-stick skillet, but I find I get the best results from cast iron.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This blackened chicken recipe is loaded with flavor and so quick to make. The outside is coated in crispy charred seasoning while the inside remains incredibly moist and tender.
Plus, you can easily double the recipe and use the leftovers all week long in salads, sandwiches, and soups!
key ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this Southern-inspired chicken!
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Use 3 large breasts and slice each one in half lengthwise and pound to an even thickness. You will end up with 6 thin cutlets.
- Blackened Seasoning: I make my own mix using paprika (smoked or regular), garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, oregano, white and black pepper, cayenne powder, and salt. You can even make a larger batch and store it in an airtight container along with the rest of your spices to use another time.
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter helps the spices stick to the chicken breast. If you’re avoiding dairy, you can substitute it with oil.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Blacken Chicken
Cooking this doesn’t take long at all. If you’re doubling the recipe or cooking for a crowd, hold the finished pieces in a warm oven until you’re ready to serve.
- Preheat. Turn the oven on to 350°F/180°C (160° C fan oven), and line 2 sheet pans with foil or parchment paper. Also, put your skillet over medium-high heat to warm up. It’s important for it to be hot when you add the chicken.
- Pound the chicken. Slice the breasts in half lengthwise and pound them to an even thickness. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
- Make the blackened seasoning mix. Combine the spices and dried herbs in a small bowl and set aside.
- Season the chicken. Use a pastry brush to brush the cutlets with melted butter on both sides. The butter helps the seasoning stick to the breasts. Generously season the chicken all over and place it on the prepared sheet pan.
- Sear. When the cast iron pan is screaming hot, add the remaining butter (or a little bit of vegetable oil), then lay the cutlets in the pan. (I do this in 2 batches, 3 cutlets at a time). Cook for 1 minute on one side then, using kitchen tongs, carefully flip them to the other side. You want to be careful not to completely burn the seasonings. Then transfer to the 2nd clean prepared sheet pan.
- Bake. Continue to cook them in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meat registers 165°F/74°C. A kitchen thermometer is fairly inexpensive and extremely useful to have on hand. Be careful not to overcook the chicken so it stays juicy.
- Rest. Allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices reabsorb into the meat, then slice and serve.
Tip!
Using chicken thighs instead? Make sure the thighs are boneless and skinless and that you cook them to an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.
Recipe Tips
- Pat the cutlets dry before brushing on the butter and sprinkling on the seasonings. Reducing the amount of moisture on the surface will ensure that it sears nicely instead of steaming it.
- Only flip the pieces once. They need to remain in place to allow the seasoning to blacken properly. If you constantly move them around, it will stick to the pan and the spices won’t sear well.
- Don’t forget to open your windows and turn on your extractor fan as there may be some smoke as the spices sizzle!
Storing Tips
You can store blackened chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I love eating this chicken cold in salads and sandwiches the next day, but you can also reheat it. To reheat, put the chicken on a microwavable plate and heat in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
If you don’t have a microwave, grab a skillet, add a little oil to the pan, and reheat the chicken over medium-low heat until it’s warm.
What To Serve With
There are so many options for side dishes to serve alongside your blackened chicken. With chicken’s mild flavor, basically, anything goes!
- Mashed potatoes are a classic choice and some crisp blanched asparagus on the side would make a great balanced meal.
- Mexican rice or dirty rice also pairs well with the charred flavors of the chicken.
- Of course, you can never go wrong with a fresh green salad for a lighter meal.
How to Use Leftovers
One of the great things about this recipe is that you can enjoy the leftovers throughout the week. I love to slice the chicken and serve it for lunch in my chicken fajita bowl or my chicken pesto sandwich.
It’s also perfect for shredding and throwing into my tex-mex salad and my chicken enchilada soup.
Chicken nachos also work really well with cubed chunks of blackened chicken.
More Easy Chicken Recipes To Try
Mexican Chicken Marinade
Yogurt Marinated Chicken
Chipotle Chicken (Copycat Recipe)
Honey Garlic Chicken
Recipe FAQs
The seasoning mix has some cayenne pepper in it which has a little bit of heat. You can ease off on the cayenne if you prefer or add a touch more if you like spice!
The outside is coated in spices and then cooked in a very hot pan which chars the spices giving them a blackened look. The chicken itself is not burnt and is very tender and juicy.
A cast iron skillet works great for cooking because it can withstand the high heat required and it also cooks them evenly. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, any large, heavy-bottomed skillet will work.
Similar to when you cook all chicken breasts, you will want the internal temperature of the meat to read 165°F/74°C on a kitchen thermometer. There should be no traces of pink on or in the chicken.
Save this recipe for the next time you have a craving for some extra flavor! A new chicken recipe for dinner is never a bad idea. Pin it for more people to enjoy too!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Blackened Chicken
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced into 6 thin cutlets and pounded to even thickness
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or regular
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ stick (57 g) unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
- Preheat a cast iron pan as you prep the chicken (slice the chicken breasts lengthwise into halves, and pound them to an even thickness).
- Make the seasoning mix, in a small bowl combine the paprika with garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the chicken cutlets with melted butter on both sides, then generously season them with the seasoning mix, and transfer them to the prepared sheet pan.
- When the cast iron pan is screaming hot, add the remaining butter (or a little bit of vegetable oil), then lay the chicken (I do this in 2 batches, 3 cutlets at a time). Cook for 1 minute on each side. You want to be careful not to completely burn the seasonings. Then transfer to the 2nd clean prepared sheet pan.
- Continue to cook the chicken in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken registers 165°F/74°C. Be careful not to overcook the chicken so it stays juicy.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice and serve over rice, in tacos, salads… with a squeeze of fresh lime juice!
Notes:
- Pat the cutlets dry before brushing on the butter and sprinkling on the seasonings. Reducing the amount of moisture on the surface will ensure that it sears nicely instead of steaming it.
- Only flip the pieces once. They need to remain in place to allow the seasoning to blacken properly. If you constantly move them around, it will stick to the pan and the spices won’t sear well.
- Don’t forget to open your windows and turn on your extractor fan as there may be some smoke as the spices sizzle!
- Storing: You can store blackened chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Winona T says
Such a great recipe! This came out just perfect. Everyone loved it. I made a salad for mine!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you, Winona! That’s so wonderful to hear!
Sharina says
We had this blackened chickend last night and it was crowd favorite! The chicken was so tender and juicy, plus it was bursting with flavors. Such a keeper!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
That makes me so happy to hear, Sharina! Thank you for the amazing review!
Sarah Skaggs says
I used to get this Blackened Chicken Cajun Pasta at Chili’s when I was younger, then they took it off the menu. This was sooo good, way better than Chili’s – haha. I’m going to make it with pasta next! Thank you.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you for the kind review, Sarah! I’m so glad you found this recipe and enjoyed it!