Blackened Chicken Recipe

Upgrade boring chicken dinners with this easy Blackened Chicken Recipe! This simple Louisiana chicken always turns out phenomenal, thanks to our Cajun spice blend and a fool-proof cooking method for juicy, tender chicken breasts. It takes less than 30 minutes and is absolutely delicious served with Cajun rice, stewed green beans, and house salad.

Bonus Alert | Our blackened seasoning uses spices you probably have in your cabinet, and this chicken recipe is beyond easy to prepare: season the chicken, sear, and bake. And, if you're looking for more dinners to add to your recipe rotation, check out our chicken recipe archives!

Why This Recipe WORKS!

There's nothing I despise more come mealtime than dry, boring chicken breasts. This recipe was designed for home cooks of any skill level to easily transform chicken into a juicy, Cajun masterpiece.

(If Cajun recipes are some of your family's favorites, you can't sleep on the classic red beans and rice or dirty rice!)

Blackened seasoning takes just minutes to make and is next-level delicious; just add spices to a bowl and mix, and our pan-to-oven cooking method is the secret to flawlessly cooked blackened chicken every single time.

5 Helpful Tips to Get Started

• Remove the Chill | Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before searing. This promotes even cooking and prevents the meat from seizing up.
• Remove Moisture | Pat the breasts dry before seasoning. This helps the oil and seasoning to stick.
• Bake Time | Many factors can affect protein cooking times, one of which is the size of the breast. Temp the chicken prior to going in the oven. If after the pan sear the chicken breast reads 135°F or higher, bake for about 8 minutes. If 134°F or lower, bake longer—closer to 14 minutes.
• Using a Thermometer | A meat thermometer will help you determine not only how long your chicken should cook in the oven but also when it is completely finished cooking and safe to eat.
• Rest After Cooking | Allow the chicken to rest before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute in the breast, making for a juicier bite.

These steps will save you from ever serving dry chicken again.

Quick and easy to make, this recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner entree or as a flavorful hit of protein atop just about any salad! This blackened chicken recipe is also versatile. You can get creative and top jambalaya pasta with it or Cajun chicken alfredo.

What is Blackened Chicken?

One of the most popular Cajun dishes may be shrimp and grits, but I'd be willing to bet blackened chicken is right up there with it. Blackened chicken is a popular Cajun dish in which chicken breasts are coated in blackened seasoning and pan-seared. The same method and seasoning are used for seasoning the shrimp for dishes like Cajun shrimp pasta!

Contrary to what many might believe, blackened food is not cooked until it's burnt; it's just well seasoned. Fun fact: The amount of red spice in the blend actually gives blackened food that deep, dark, black coloring.

What's in Blackened Seasoning?

A great blackened chicken recipe comes down to 2 simple things:  (1) a fool-proof cooking method and (2) the seasoning. We'll get to the cooking part later, but for now, let's focus on the seasoning. 

Blackening seasoning is spicy and smoky and adds a great deal of flavor to any type of protein it comes into contact with. We also use this spice blend for our blackened shrimp. The spice mix consists of:

• 2 ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• 1 ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

If you want to bypass mixing your own blackened seasoning and opt for an easy(ier) button, store-bought Cajun seasoning mixes like Magic Seasoning or Zatarain’s are great, too.

How Do You Make Blackened Chicken?

Make the Blackened Seasoning | Add the spices and dried herbs to a small bowl and stir to combine. 

Prep + Season | Pat the breasts dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and ensure a good sear. Then, drizzle them with oil and sprinkle the blackened seasoning over them. Rub it in to adhere, and don't worry if all of it doesn't stick.

This recipe only calls for oil, no butter. If you are a stickler, however, for the rules of Cajun cuisine, try using a half-and-half mixture of melted, unsalted butter and oil. This way, you'll get the flavor of the butter and high smoke point of the oil.

Pan-Sear the Chicken | Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet (or large fry pan) over medium-high heat and allow it to come to temperature. Sear each breast for 2 ½ to 3 minutes on the first side, then flip and sear 1 to 2 minutes more. Do not overcrowd the pan; sear in batches as needed. 

Finish in the Oven | If your pan is not large enough to house all of the chicken with a little space in between each breast, transfer it to a baking dish. Then, bake for 20 minutes at 350°F (or until the internal temperature registers 165°F).

HOT TIP: As you can see, the pan does not cook the chicken all the way through. It needs to reach 165°F before it can be safely eaten. Starting on the stovetop helps you to lock in those spices, but finishing the cook in the oven esures the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Rest, Serve, + Enjoy! | Allow it to rest about 5 minutes before serving or slicing, and enjoy! 

Chicken Recipes to TRY NEXT!

• Fried Chicken Breast
• Stuffed Chicken Breast
• Lemon Pepper Chicken
• Monterey Chicken