Spicy and bold, blackened chicken elevates the humble chicken breast into a wonderfully flavorful dish. Simply rub with spices, sauté briefly, and bake!
This oven-baked blackened chicken recipe has become one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken breast.
When I started eating a healthier diet, I ate a lot of chicken breast. I found a way to make juicy baked chicken breast, and I made it often. It’s easy, affordable, and convenient. As time went by, my preferences changed. I now prefer fattier cuts of chicken, such as baked chicken thighs and oven baked chicken wings.
Still, once in a while I buy chicken breast at the grocery store. Chicken breast can be boring, but when it’s blackened, it’s anything but! Spicy and bold, blackened chicken is delicious when hot, but leftovers are just as good when cold, sliced and served over mixed greens.
But is blackening healthy?
It’s true that blackening walks a fine line between “done” and “burned.” And it’s also true that charred, burned foods should not be consumed regularly. According to an article from Harvard Medical School, people should avoid eating burned or charred foods frequently or in large quantities.
Since I don’t serve blackened food to my family more than once a month (I simply have so many more recipes that I like to make!), I don’t worry about it too much. Especially since I make this blackened chicken in the oven, so it doesn’t get super charred, as you can see in the photos.
But if you do worry, then certainly the basic recipe mentioned above for baked chicken breast is a gentler way of cooking chicken than blackening.
How to serve blackened chicken?
With anything! It’s a very versatile main course. I often serve it with cauliflower steaks, with caramelized shallots, or with okra stew.
What about leftovers?
You can keep leftovers of this blackened chicken in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3 days. If you reheat them, do so very gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power. I prefer to use the leftovers cold, thinly sliced, as a salad topping the next day for my lunch.
Blackened Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 lb. raw weight)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the paprika, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and cayenne.
- Brush the chicken breasts with the oil on both sides, then sprinkle both sides with the seasoning mixture, pressing with your fingers to help the coating adhere.
- Heat a well-seasoned, large cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken breasts. Cook 30 seconds on each side to blacken, then place the skillet in the oven to finish cooking, 10-12 minutes. Chicken is done when no longer pink in the center, when juices run clear when pierced with a fork, and when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
- Remove the blackened chicken breasts to a platter, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
