Easy Blackened Chicken

This one-skillet Easy Blackened Chicken is just the ticket for those who like their chicken flavorful yet tender and juicy. This Cajun recipe is simple enough for the novice chef and is ready in about 20 minutes.  I love to serve it with Bacon Asparagus Cajun Pasta and Cauliflower Au Gratin.

I have always believed that I can never have too many good chicken recipes.  Chicken is easy on the budget, cooks up fast, and is so versatile.  This dish takes less than 20 minutes and it gives you delectable juicy flavorful chicken breasts.  Because of its ease and short cooking time, this is the perfect chicken recipe for busy families. Make it a super quick and simple meal and serve it with buttered angel hair pasta and a garden salad.

How do you make Blackened Chicken?

First, mix all your blackening spices together in a bowl or shake them up in a sandwich bag.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Then brush your chicken with a little vegetable oil or canola oil.  Alternatively, you can spray it with cooking spray. Now sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with the spices.  Use your hands to evenly spread the seasonings over the chicken.

Now heat a little bit of canola oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat until it is smoking. Cook until the chicken is golden brown (almost black) on both sides and cooked through.  Remove from the skillet and cover with a loose aluminum foil tent and let rest for 10 minutes.

How do you make Blackened Seasoning?

It really is amazingly simple and odds are pretty good that you already have these spices in your pantry. Simply grab a small bowl or better yet a sealable sandwich bag and mix the spices together.  These quantities are enough for this recipe but feel free to double, triple or quadruple this recipe for future use. Just store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (this is the hot one so you can tame it back if need be)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe notes and helpful tips for blackened chicken

• Use a Ziploc sandwich bag to mix your spices.  You can shake it to combine the spices and throw away the bag when you are done. Happiness equals no extra bowl and spoon to wash.
• These days chicken breasts are just huge so slice them in half lengthwise. They will still be a healthy portion and they cook more evenly.
• Let the chicken breasts come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the pan just until the oil begins to smoke.  Add the chicken and sear in those juices and spices.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through and browned.
• After cooking cover the chicken loosely with an aluminum foil tent and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power. 

Other chicken recipes to try!

Easy Blackened Chicken Recipe

This Cajun style blackened chicken recipe brings juicy flavorful tender chicken breasts to your table in under 20 minutes.

5 from 63 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: Cajun

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper this is the hot one, so you can tame it back if need be
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons canola oil

Instructions

• Combine the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper,  oregano, and salt in a Ziploc bag. Shake to combine.
• Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Brush chicken breasts lightly on both sides with oil or spray with baking spray. Use your hands to spread the seasonings evenly over the chicken.
• Heat one tablespoon of canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is smoking. Cook chicken until it is golden brown (almost black) on both sides and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet. Cover with a loose aluminum foil tent; let rest for 10 minutes.

Notes

• Use a Ziploc sandwich bag to mix your spices.  You can shake it to combine the spices and throw away the bag when you are done. Happiness equals no extra bowl and spoon to wash.
• These days chicken breasts are just huge so slice them in half lengthwise. They will still be a healthy portion and they cook more evenly.
• Let the chicken breasts come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the pan just until the oil begins to smoke.  Add the chicken and sear in those juices and spices.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through and browned.
• After cooking cover the chicken loosely with an aluminum foil tent and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power. 

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 577IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

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