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.
RELATED: Easy Baked Pesto Chicken Recipe
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:
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Warm German Potato Salad
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Easy Fruit Salad Recipe
- Cucumber Salad Recipe
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.
More Easy Chicken Recipes,
Chicken Chow Mein Recipe (How to Make Chow Mein)
Chicken Curry Recipe; How to Make Chicken Curry
Easy Baked Buffalo Chicken Recipe
Easy Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs (Instant Pot)
If you try making this Blackened Chicken Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
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Blackened Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 large chicken breasts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the spices in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- Dry each chicken breast with a paper towel. Transfer the chicken breasts to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with three tablespoons of melted butter Thoroughly coat each chicken breast with the prepared seasoning. If your chicken breasts are really cold, the butter will start to solidify - that's ok. Just do your best to thoroughly coat your chicken in the prepared spice mix.
- When ready to cook, heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil. When hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes on each side. Immediately transfer each chicken breast to your prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and finish cooking - approximately 10-14 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F.
- Remove chicken from the oven, tent with foil, and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Jessica's Notes
- If you notice a lot of spices leftover in the bottom of your skillet after you've seared the chicken, use a rubber spatula to scrape it out and scoop it on top of your chicken breasts before baking.
- Keep leftovers stored in a sealed container and in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- This recipe is gluten-free and keto approved.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, omit the butter and use olive oil in its place.
Nutrition
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
