Cajun, Chicken, Protein

Blackened Chicken Breast

Posted by OkayChef on

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2Tbsp Chili Powder
  • 2Tbsp Cumin Powder
  • 1Tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1Tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/4tsp cayenne powder (optional)
  • 2tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
  • Vegetable Oil (For shallow frying)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Prep chicken breasts, trim excess fat, cut in half lengthwise and pat dry.
  3. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine spices and mix thoroughly. Drop chicken breasts, one at a time, into spice mixture. Press the spices into the meat to get a healthy coating of spice.
  4. Heat a drizzle of oil over high heat. Once oil is blisteringly hot, drop chicken breast into pan and cook until spices are charred (about 2 minutes). Flip breast and repeat on other side.
  5. Wipe out burnt spices from pan, add another drizzle of oil and repeat searing process with remaining chicken.
  6. Place blackened chicken on a baking sheet (optionally on a baking rack to improve crispness) and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Let chicken rest 15 minutes, then slice into thin strips.

Notes:
Using high heat and oil produces the tasty blackened spice crust on the chicken.
Do NOT skip wiping the blackened spices out of your pan between chicken breasts! Unless you have a very powerful oven hood exhaust fan, you WILL set off your smoke detector.
Using a baking rack in your sheet tray is optional, but will greatly improve the crispiness of the chicken.