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blackened chicken in cast iron skillet

Blackened Chicken Breasts

Tender chicken breasts seasoned with cajun blackening spices and pan-fried in a cast iron skillet for a delicious and bold flavored quick weeknight meal.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 147kcal
Author: Marwin Brown

Ingredients

  • 2 whole Chicken Breasts
  • 2 tablespoon Butter melted
  • 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon White Pepper (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
  • 2 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Cayenne
  • 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • 2 teaspoon Onion Powder

Instructions

  • Mix spices together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
  • Place your chicken breast between two pieces of wax paper and pound to an even thickness of ½ inch. This will enable you to easily cook your chicken to the desired doneness.
  • Rinse your chicken under running cold water and pat each chicken breast dry with paper towels and set aside.
  • Moisten chicken breast with ½ tablespoon melted butter and then generously apply blackened seasoning mixture on both sides, set aside.
  • Add remaining melted butter to cast iron skillet, and heat on high until skillet is sufficiently hot.
  • Add chicken breasts to the skillet (careful not to overcrowd the skillet), cook for 4 minutes. Turnover and cook for another 3 minutes. The chicken breast is done when its center has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 

Notes

  • Use a cast iron skillet if available. It retains heat well which helps get the color and texture right. You’ll essentially want a black spicy crust that provides big surface level flavor but also locks in the juiciness of the chicken
  • Blackening season blends vary depending on the cook/chef, however most consist of your typical cajun spices. You can make your own or use your favorite available commercial/store blend. There are some really good pre-made blends out there if you prefer not to make your own. 
  • One of the benefits of making your own seasoning mix is you can dial up/down the heat level. It’s just a matter of how much cayenne pepper you decide to use. Most pre-made are fairly mild.
  • If you have clarified butter or ghee available to you use in place of butter. It has a much higher smoke point. Smoke point refers to the temperature at which an oil starts to burn and smoke. Once oil gets past its smoke point it starts to taste burnt!
  • Boneless chicken breasts work best. They cook faster and remain pretty tender after high heat searing. Dark meat works better with longer cooking times.
  • Flatten your chicken breasts to ensure more even cooking as well as faster cook time. I place my breasts in a ziplock and pound with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or mallet. If you don’t have either, and heavy skillet works just fine.
  • Crank up the fan, cause there will be smoke!
  • Blackening season blends vary depending on the cook/chef, however most consist of your typical cajun spices. You can make your own or use your favorite available commercial/store blend. There are some really good pre-made blends out there if you prefer not to make your own. 

Nutrition

Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 3596mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1714IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
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