Mia Patel
Blackening chicken is a simple yet flavorful technique where the chicken is coated in a bold Cajun spice blend and cooked over high heat, creating a dark, flavorful crust while keeping the inside juicy and tender. To blacken chicken in a cast iron skillet, start by patting the chicken dry with paper towels. Next, brush the chicken with vegetable oil or canola oil, or spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the spice blend, using your hands to spread the seasonings evenly. Heat oil in the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it is smoking hot. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side until the chicken is blackened and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and cover with foil, allowing the chicken to rest before serving.
How to Blacken Chicken in a Black Iron Skillet
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Chicken | Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets |
| Chicken Preparation | Pat dry with paper towels, brush with oil, and coat with seasoning |
| Seasoning | Smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, oregano, salt, sugar, dry mustard |
| Skillet Type | Cast iron skillet or heavy-bottom skillet |
| Skillet Preparation | Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until smoking |
| Cooking Time | 2-5 minutes on each side, or until browned/blackened and cooked through |
| Resting Time | 2-10 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
- Prepare the chicken: pat dry, slice, and pound to an even thickness
- Make the spice rub: combine spices in a bowl or bag
- Coat the chicken: sprinkle and spread the spice rub on the chicken
- Heat the skillet: heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat
- Cook the chicken: place the chicken in the skillet and cook until blackened
Prepare the chicken: pat dry, slice, and pound to an even thickness
Preparing the chicken is a crucial step in the blackening process. Start by patting the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. This step ensures that the chicken is not too moist before cooking, which can affect the blackening process.
Next, carefully slice the chicken breasts horizontally in half. This step is especially important if you're using large chicken breasts, as it helps them cook more quickly and evenly. Place each chicken breast half in a plastic bag and use a meat mallet to pound it to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. If you're using chicken tenderloins, simply press them to the same thickness with your palm.
Now your chicken is ready for the blackening seasoning. You can either brush the chicken breasts with vegetable oil or canola oil, or spray them with cooking spray, before applying the seasoning. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over both sides of the chicken and use your hands to spread it evenly.
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Make the spice rub: combine spices in a bowl or bag
To make the perfect blackened chicken, you'll need to combine your chosen spices in a bowl or bag. This is a great way to make a bold Cajun spice blend.
Firstly, decide on your spices. You can use a pre-made Cajun or blackened seasoning, or make your own. A simple blend might include paprika, cayenne, cumin, thyme, onion powder, white pepper, and salt. You can also add black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and dried mustard. For a slightly different flavour profile, add sugar, or use smoked paprika. You can also add chili powder.
Once you've decided on your spices, combine them in a small bowl and stir well to mix. Alternatively, place them in a sealable sandwich bag and shake to combine. You can then store any leftover spice rub in a glass jar or airtight container for future use.
The next step is to pat your chicken dry with paper towels and brush with oil or spray with cooking spray. Then, sprinkle the spice rub evenly over both sides of the chicken, pressing gently so it sticks.
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Coat the chicken: sprinkle and spread the spice rub on the chicken
To coat the chicken, you can either sprinkle the spice rub over the chicken or dip the chicken in the rub. If you're sprinkling, ensure you cover both sides of the chicken evenly and then press gently so that the rub sticks. If you're dipping, dip the chicken in melted butter or oil, coating both sides evenly, and then place the chicken on a plate and sprinkle the blackened seasoning over both sides.
You can make your own spice rub by mixing together spices like smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, oregano, and salt. You can also add sugar, white pepper, cumin, or chili powder. If you don't want to make your own, you can use a store-bought Cajun or Savory Cajun seasoning.
Before coating the chicken with the spice rub, you should pat the chicken dry with paper towels. You can also brush or spray the chicken with a little vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or cooking spray.
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Heat the skillet: heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat
To blacken chicken in a cast iron skillet, you'll need to heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Here's a step-by-step guide to achieving the perfect temperature for blackening chicken:
Heating the Skillet:
- Start by choosing the right type of oil. Canola oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, or any oil with a high smoke point is recommended.
- Heat a small amount of oil in your cast iron skillet. You only need enough to coat the surface of the pan.
- Place the skillet on your stove and turn the heat to medium-high. This is the ideal temperature range for blackening chicken.
- Let the skillet heat up for several minutes. The exact time may vary depending on your stove and skillet, but aim for 3 to 5 minutes.
- You'll know the skillet is ready when the oil begins to shimmer. At this point, the oil should also be smoking slightly, indicating it has reached the ideal temperature for blackening.
Tips for Safety and Success:
- Be cautious of the smoke generated by the high-heat cooking method. It's recommended to turn on your kitchen fan and open windows before you begin cooking.
- Adjust the heat as needed. If your skillet starts to smoke excessively or the oil begins to burn, reduce the heat slightly.
- Use a splatter screen if you have one to prevent hot oil from splattering outside the skillet.
- Always use oven mitts or pot holders when handling a hot skillet to avoid burns.
- If you're new to blackening, it may take a few attempts to perfect the technique and find the right balance of heat and cooking time.
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Cook the chicken: place the chicken in the skillet and cook until blackened
To cook the chicken, first, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. You can use either a non-stick or cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet until it is smoking hot, about 3 to 5 minutes. You can add some oil to the skillet to help the chicken cook evenly and give it a beautiful blackened finish. When the oil begins to shimmer, it is ready for the chicken.
Next, place the chicken in the skillet. If you are using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally first to prevent them from becoming too large once cooked. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for 2 to 5 minutes without disturbing it. You may need to cook the chicken in batches depending on the size of your skillet. Watch out for any oil splattering and popping out of the pan.
After the chicken has developed a dark brown crust, flip it over and cook for another 1 to 3 minutes. The chicken is ready when it is golden brown (almost black) on both sides and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with a loose aluminum foil tent to rest for 10 minutes. This will help the chicken continue cooking from the residual heat without drying out.
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