Blackened Chicken
Awesome on top of some alfredo noodles. I like to add a little cracked pepper on the noodles
Awesome on top of some alfredo noodles. I like to add a little cracked pepper on the noodles
- Carbohydrate 0.544839453125 g
- Cholesterol 68.44 mg
- Fat 1.575571484375 g
- Fiber 0.308546104617417 g
- Protein 27.3693965625 g
- Saturated Fat 0.4095564140625 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (119g)
- Sodium 78.5868697916667 mg
- Sugar 0.236293348507583 g
- Trans Fat 0.403817328125 g
- Calories 133 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes until it is smoking hot.
- Mix together the paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Oil the chicken breasts with cooking spray on both sides, then coat the chicken breasts evenly with the spice mixture.
- Place the chicken in the hot pan, and cook for 1 minute. Turn, and cook 1 minute on other side. Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes.
Should the spices go directly onto the dry meat or should the surface be lubricated first? Using fresh whole herbs versus dried pantry staples fundamentally alters how this crust forms under high heat. Fresh herbs contain moisture that steams the meat instead of searing, which ruins the blackened crust. Dried thyme, ground cumin, and powdered aromatics bind evenly without introducing excess water.
- Heat an ungreased cast iron skillet over high heat for a full five minutes until smoking hot before adding the protein.
- Coat the chicken evenly with cooking spray rather than liquid oil to prevent excessive flare-ups in a smoking pan.
- Finish the cooking process in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 5 minutes until the internal juices run clear.
Heavy cast iron is ideal for retaining thermal energy, though a thick carbon steel pan functions similarly if cast iron is unavailable. Proper ventilation is essential when searing spices at high temperatures.
