Name: Blackened Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 3 tablespoon butter; 1 tablespoon oil; 4 large chicken breasts

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Quick and easy Blackened Chicken Recipe marinated and cooked in a delicious and flavorful homemade mix of seasonings and spices, seared, and baked to juicy perfection. A perfect addition to all your favorite side dishes it’s also gluten-free and keto-approved.

The Best Blackened Chicken Recipe

If you’re in the mood for super flavorful, super delicious, and super juicy chicken breasts, look no further because this easy blackened chicken recipe has your name written all over it.

Coated in seasonings then seared in a hot skillet before being baked in the oven, these easy and versatile chicken breasts take just 30 minutes cook, start to finish. Double the recipe and enjoy tossed in salads, creamy pasta, or wrapped in a large tortilla with all your favorite veggies.

What is Blackened Chicken?

At first glance, that blackened piece of chicken may look a whole lot like an over-cooked, perhaps even forgotten, cooking experiment performed by a toddler. It certainly looks burnt, but is it?

Fortunately, no.

Blackening is a well-known cooking technique used to prepare firm-fleshed fish and other meats such as chicken or steak and is often associated with Cajun cuisine. The process of blackening involves dipping chicken (or fish…or beef) in melted butter and coating in a flavorful blend of herbs and spices. It is then cooked in a hot pan, traditionally cast iron. The result is a wonderfully spiced piece of meat with a dark crust around the outside – a result of the cooked milk solids from the butter and charred spices.

Continue reading to learn more about cooking blackened chicken breasts.

RELATED: How to Cook Chicken Breasts

Blackened Chicken Seasoning

paprika
salt
cayenne
cumin
dried thyme
white pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

This is one of my all-time favorite seasoning combinations. Sometimes I’ll add a little dried oregano or mild chili powder, but it’s pretty much perfect (assuming you love a little kick to your food). If you are sensitive to spicy foods, I highly recommend that you omit the cayenne.

RELATED: Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

For the full list and amounts of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

How to Make Blackened Chicken

For this blackened chicken recipe, we are cooking whole chicken breasts rather than pounded chicken cutlets or quick-cooking white fish. Because of this, we have to be more mindful of how long we leave the chicken breasts to cook over high heat in our cast iron skillet.

Don’t forget, we just want to sear the outside of our chicken breasts, not burn them. So, to prevent our chicken breasts from burning, we start by searing each side of our chicken breasts in a large cast-iron skillet and then finish cooking in the oven. This will also prevent your chicken breasts, which are naturally lower in fat, from drying out.

How to make blackened chicken breasts step-by-step:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You can leave your chicken breasts in your cast iron skillet rather than transfer them to a separate baking sheet, but for the sake of easier clean-up, I will almost always bake my chicken on a baking sheet.

2. Combine all the spices in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, omit the cayenne.

3. Dry each chicken breast with a paper towel and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Time permitting, allow your chicken breasts to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before drizzling with melted butter (it helps prevent the butter from immediately solidifying). Thoroughly coat your chicken breasts with the prepared seasoning.

4. To cook, heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil and allow it to get nice and hot before adding each chicken breast to the pan. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, before flipping and cooking the other side for 2-3 minutes maximum. Remove skillet from heat and immediately transfer chicken breasts to prepared baking sheet OR leave them in your skillet.

5. Transfer to the oven to finish cooking – approximately 10-14 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F. Remove from oven, carefully tent with a piece of foil and allow your chicken breasts to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

What to Serve with Blackened Chicken

It’s easy to turn this blackened chicken recipe into a complete meal. Here are a few of my favorite side dish options:

Got leftovers? Reheat gently and toss with your favorite green salad or creamy pasta. Speaking of leftovers, keep any leftover chicken breasts stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.