Marianne Martinez
Blackened chicken is a quick and easy dish to make at home. It involves coating chicken in a spice rub and cooking it in a hot pan, grill, or oven. The spice rub typically includes paprika, cayenne, cumin, thyme, onion powder, and salt, but you can adjust the spices to your taste. Blackened chicken can be served in a variety of ways, such as in a salad, burrito bowl, or with pasta. It can also be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to Pan Blacken Chicken
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Chicken breasts, vegetable oil, avocado oil, canola oil, salt, paprika, cayenne, cumin, thyme, onion powder, white pepper, oregano, garlic powder, dry mustard, sugar |
| Preparation | Slice chicken breasts horizontally, pat dry, rub with oil, coat with seasoning |
| Cooking | Preheat oil in skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side, rest for 10-15 minutes |
| Serving Suggestions | Salad, burrito bowl, pasta |
| Storage | Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the chicken
Once you've chosen your cut of chicken, it's important to bring it to room temperature before cooking. Leave it out for about 30 minutes to take the chill off. While the chicken is coming to room temperature, you can prepare your seasoning. A Cajun or Creole spice blend is traditional for blackening, featuring paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, and other spices. You can make your own blend or use a store-bought option.
The next step is to pat the chicken dry with paper towels and then coat it generously with the seasoning blend. Make sure to get an even coating all over the chicken. At this point, you can also drizzle or rub a bit of oil on the chicken, which will help with the cooking process and add to the crispy crust. Canola oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, or another high smoke point oil are good choices.
If you're not using a skillet, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whether you're using a skillet or cooking the chicken directly on a preheated grill, make sure your cooking surface is nice and hot before adding the chicken. Place the chicken on the hot surface and cook for a short time, usually around 2 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken. You're looking for a nice blackened crust and a juicy interior.
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Making the seasoning
Blackened chicken is a quick and easy meal to make at home, with plenty of room for customisation. The key to blackened chicken is the seasoning, which can be adjusted to suit your taste preferences.
To make the seasoning, you can mix together a variety of spices such as paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, dry mustard, white pepper, black pepper, and salt. You can also add in some chili powder and sugar if you like a little extra heat and sweetness. Adjust the amounts of each spice to your liking, and feel free to leave out any spices that you don't enjoy.
If you want to follow a more traditional Cajun-style seasoning, focus on spices like paprika, cayenne, thyme, and onion powder. You can also purchase pre-made Cajun or Creole seasoning blends, which can be used as-is or customised with additional spices.
Once you've decided on your spices, mix them together in a small bowl. You can then rub this spice blend onto your chicken, ensuring that all sides are evenly coated. If you're using chicken breasts, you may want to slice them in half horizontally first, to ensure they cook evenly and thoroughly.
After your chicken is coated in the spice blend, you can cook it in a variety of ways—in the oven, on a skillet, or on a grill.
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Cooking methods
Blackened chicken is a quick and easy dish to make at home. It can be cooked in a skillet, on a grill, or in a grill pan. The oven can also be used to finish the dish.
Preparation
First, gather all your ingredients. If you're using chicken breasts, slice them horizontally in half to ensure they cook evenly and quickly. Then, pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Next, mix your chosen spices. A typical blend might include paprika, cayenne, cumin, thyme, onion powder, white pepper, and salt. You can also add garlic powder, oregano, dry mustard, sugar, and chili powder. Alternatively, you could use a store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning.
Cooking
If you're using a skillet, heat a little vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or another oil with a high smoke point in the pan over medium to medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until darkened and cooked through. The outside should be blackened, and the inside should be juicy. The internal temperature should be 165°F.
If you're using a grill, place the chicken on the grill and cook for a similar amount of time. You can also put the chicken straight onto a gas grill without using a pan.
Resting
After cooking, cover the chicken loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This helps the chicken retain its moisture and finish cooking.
Storage
Blackened chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it before serving.
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Resting and storing
While it's resting, the chicken will continue to cook from residual heat, so it's important to let it rest before slicing or serving. You can use this time to prepare any sides or sauces to accompany your meal.
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Blackened chicken can be stored for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave at reduced power.
Additionally, blackened chicken can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving. Simply reheat it before serving to your desired temperature. This makes it a convenient option for meal prep or for those with busy schedules.
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Serving suggestions
Blackened chicken is a versatile dish that can be served in a variety of ways. Here are some serving suggestions to get you started:
Salads
Blackened chicken is a great addition to salads. You can dice or slice the chicken and add it to your favourite salad recipe, or try it with a simple salad such as a cucumber and tomato salad, arugula salad, or creamy cucumber salad. It also goes well with grain bowls or quinoa salad.
Burrito Bowls
Create a delicious burrito bowl by adding blackened chicken as the protein. You can include other ingredients such as cilantro lime rice, roasted corn, avocado, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
Pasta
Blackened chicken pairs well with pasta dishes. Try serving it with buttered angel hair pasta, or for a Cajun-style meal, pair it with bacon asparagus Cajun pasta.
Sides
When serving blackened chicken as the main dish, you can accompany it with a variety of side dishes. Cauliflower au gratin, roasted vegetables, or grilled asparagus are all great options.
Sauces
To enhance the flavour of your blackened chicken, consider serving it with a dipping sauce or condiment. Cajun mayo, made with mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, and other spices, is a tasty option. You can also serve it with a side of gravy or your favourite sauce.
Resting and Storage
Before serving, it is important to let the blackened chicken rest for a few minutes, loosely covered with foil, to retain moisture and ensure even cooking. Leftover blackened chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days and reheated in the microwave at reduced power.
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Frequently asked questions
Heat a little 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. While the skillet is heating, mix a seasoning blend of paprika, cayenne, cumin, thyme, onion powder, white pepper, and salt. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, rub with oil, and coat the chicken with the seasoning blend. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until darkened and cooked through.
You should let the chicken rest for at least 2 minutes. Cover the chicken loosely with an aluminum foil tent and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
Yes, blackened chicken can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Simply cook and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then reheat before serving.
