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.
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. 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! © Little Sunny Kitchen
