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The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Blackening is both a spice blend and a technique born from Louisiana Cajun cuisine. These days, you can find recipes for a host of blackened dishes, from salmon to chicken to even tofu, and the technique as usually practiced is considered quick, easy, and weeknight-friendly. The original dish is a different story.
The History of Blackening
You may not know the name Paul Prudhomme, but you’ve probably heard of the Cajun holy trinity, blackened fish, and turducken. We have the late Chef Prudhomme to thank. A culinary pioneer who introduced the US to Cajun cuisine, Prudhomme’s legacy is a nationwide appreciation for dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffee.
While he didn’t invent those dishes, he most certainly invented the concept of blackening, and it all started with redfish. Unlike the home cook-friendly versions of this dish we know today, the version Prudhomme cooked at his restaurant, the now-shuttered K Paul’s, was distinctly a restaurant dish.
Blackening is a Restaurant Technique
In the cookbook, “Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen,” his blackened redfish recipe starts with the instruction, “Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat until it is beyond the smoking stage and you see white ash in the skillet bottom (the skillet cannot be too hot for this dish), at least 10 minutes.”
To put it bluntly, there’s a reason we don’t practice this method at home. Your kitchen would immediately fill with smoke, and your cast iron skillet would need to be reseasoned. Ambitious cooks could try this method outdoors over a propane stove or even a grill, but that takes it right out of the “weeknight dinner” category. The original method is intended to be performed beneath the roaring hood fans of a restaurant kitchen.
How We Make Blackened Chicken Home Cook-Friendly
This version of the dish uses much less extreme heat but a spice blend very similar to Prudhomme’s original. It’s got some zing from cayenne, but the heat isn’t overpowering and is balanced out with mild paprika, onion and garlic powder, and dried thyme.
Because this is intended to be a quick-cooking dish, we cut chicken breasts into two thinner pieces that will cook in mere minutes. The advantage to this approach is that the chicken stays perfectly moist and tender, but the outside develops a dark crust of spices. While turning on your exhaust fan (if you have one) is a good idea, you don’t need to worry about smoking up your house.
Tips for Making Blackened Chicken
- Use all the spice blend—Don’t be shy! Coat the chicken generously with the spice blend. You shouldn’t have any left over.
- Wipe out the skillet—You’ll be cooking the chicken in two to three batches depending on the size of your skillet. Use a paper towel to wipe out the skillet between batches so any spice residue left behind doesn’t burn.
- Pound the chicken for even cooking—Chicken breasts are so thick that they don’t cook evenly or quickly in a skillet. This is why our recipe has you cut the chicken breasts in half, then pound them to an even thickness. It means a little more work on the front end, but the result is chicken that cooks extremely quickly and stays juicy.
Serving Blackened Chicken
This heavily-spiced chicken goes well with a mild-mannered starchy side dish like mashed potatoes or rice. Round out the meal with something green, such as steamed broccoli, sauteed green beans, or a simple green salad.
Make Ahead
The Cajun spice blend can be made up to a week ahead of time. You can also prepare the chicken breasts up to two days in advance. Keep them tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to cook them.
"I loved this spice blend. It’s very well balanced, well-seasoned, and just the right amount of heat for a lingering tingle without feeling like your mouth is on fire. Three mins per side yielded perfectly cooked chicken, nicely blackened on the outside yet still juicy and moist inside." —The Spruce Eats Test Kitchen
Ingredients
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4 teaspoons sweet paprika
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4 teaspoons dried thyme
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2 teaspoons onion powder
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2 teaspoons garlic powder
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1 teaspoon fine salt
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3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
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4 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
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2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
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Lemon wedges, for serving
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
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Whisk together 4 teaspoons sweet paprika, 4 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon fine salt, 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper in a small bowl until evenly combined.
The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
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Slice each of 4 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts horizontally through the center to create 2 thinner breasts (8 total). Working with half of a breast at a time, cover in a layer of plastic wrap and pound each to about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with remaining breasts.
The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
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Pat chicken breasts dry, and evenly coat in the prepared seasoning.
The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
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Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until the oil shimmers. Working in batches, cook the chicken, flipping once, until cooked through and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers at least 155 F, about 3 minutes per side.
The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
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Transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Wipe out the skillet, then repeat with remaining oil and chicken. Serve with lemon wedges.
How To Store
Let chicken cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a nonstick skillet over medium until warm throughout.
Feeling Adventurous? Try This:
You can follow the same method in the recipe above, substituting 1/4 cup of any of the following for the spice blend (make sure to add salt if the blend is salt-free):
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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393 | Calories |
17g | Fat |
5g | Carbs |
54g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 393 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 17g | 22% |
Saturated Fat 3g | 13% |
Cholesterol 145mg | 48% |
Sodium 659mg | 29% |
Total Carbohydrate 5g | 2% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 6% |
Total Sugars 0g | |
Protein 54g | |
Vitamin C 1mg | 6% |
Calcium 61mg | 5% |
Iron 4mg | 22% |
Potassium 540mg | 11% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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