Blackened Chicken Breasts

By Kia Damon

Published May 28, 2024

Blackened Chicken Breasts
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(2,107)
Comments
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Blackening is a technique that should live in the repertoire of every home cook. With a heavy- bottomed skillet and a Cajun-style spice blend, you can take proteins like shrimp, fish, scallops and the chicken breasts in this recipe and flip them into something flavorful, delicious and juicy. Most grocery store chicken breasts are large, so slicing the chicken in half horizontally ensures they cook quickly and more evenly. Blackened chicken can stand alone as a main or it can sit atop a large, leafy salad with Caesar dressing or a creamy, Cajun pasta. When cooking this recipe, be aware of the inevitable smokiness that comes with searing at such high heat. Consider opening a window and turning the overhead fan on before getting started — nothing upends the cooking process quite like smoke alarms. Store any leftover chicken in the fridge for up to three days and upgrade your breakfast or lunch (think western-style omelets, breakfast burritos and chicken salad).

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1tablespoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal (or 1¾ teaspoons coarse kosher salt)
  • 1tablespoon smoked paprika
  • ½tablespoon dried thyme
  • ½tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½tablespoon garlic powder
  • ½tablespoon onion powder
  • 1teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 2boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1½ to 2 pounds (see Tip)
  • 2tablespoons vegetable oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

318 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 45 grams protein; 490 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the blackening seasoning: In a small bowl, combine the salt, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder and cayenne.

  2. Step 2

    Carefully slice the chicken breasts horizontally in half, then pat dry with a paper towel. Thoroughly coat all sides with the blackening seasoning and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Drizzle oil into a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully place the chicken in the pan and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Watch out for any oil splattering and popping out of the pan. Cook until the seasoning literally darkens. After 5 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Turn off the heat and leave the pan tented with aluminum foil for 5 minutes (this will help the chicken continue cooking from the residual heat without drying out). Remove the foil, then let the chicken rest for at least 2 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    When ready to serve, slice the chicken on a bias into ½-inch pieces. Serve immediately.

Tip
  • About 30 minutes before prepping, remove the chicken from the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,107 user ratings
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Comments

Chris B.

Made this tonight & halved & sliced a boneless breast lengthwise. Poured just enough canola oil into a small Corning French white quiche dish & baked for 15 minutes at 350°. I served it with this sauce: Cajun Mayo Dipping Sauce: I halved all amounts of sauce. 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme 1/8 teaspoon paprika 1/8 teaspoon salt pinch of dried oregano

Erika

We made this tonight, as written, except that we plopped it straight on our gas grill, no pans or griddles. It blackened perfectly and was sill moist. Our chicken breasts were relatively thin so we didn’t need to slice or pound them out. I will say - I love salt- but this was incredible salty and we did use kosher salt. I would definitely make this again but would cut the salt in half.

Chris B.

I put together the blackening seasoning for future use. It makes 1/4 Cup of spices & I dated the jar.

Trish

Thanks for the suggestions Chris! The baked version of the chicken was great. Also made your sauce and used it as a dressing for a homemade version of SG’s chicken pesto parm salad - really good!

AB

My normally picky five and seven year old kids devour this every time- such a quick, easy dinner! I've used chicken thighs interchangeably with breasts in this recipe and my family enjoys the chicken thighs a bit more. I've also tried it both on the stovetop and the oven, and while the stovetop option is messier, it definitely made for a more flavorful char. Oh, and saute some spinach in the leftover drippings in the pan after cooking the chicken for a yummy, easy side!

Abby

I cheated and used a pre-made Cajun spice mix and added thyme and mustard powder. I also threw in a dash of hot curry powder. Amazing. So so good. I served it with a creamy tangy lemon-garlic-basil sauce (couple of spoons of sour cream, juice of half a lemon, heaping spoonful of jarlic, basil chiffonade, little olive oil from a marinated goat cheese I had on hand). My SO said it was one of my favorite meals I’ve ever made. And it was sooo fast and easy

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