Cajun recipes
Blackened chicken: grill, skillet, or air fryer
Peppery, deeply browned chicken starts with even thickness and the right heat. Choose the grill, skillet, or air fryer, and cook each piece to 165°F.
Acadian Kitchens
Blackened chicken: grill, skillet, or air fryer
- Serves
- 4
- Choose your method
- Grill · skillet · air fryer
- Cook to
- 165°F, then rest 5 minutes
Choose your blackened chicken method
Cajun's Choice Blackened Seasoning gives these 4 chicken breasts a peppery, deep reddish-brown crust. Dry, evenly thick chicken helps that crust brown while the center cooks evenly to 165°F.
- Grill: Choose it for outdoor cooking and grill marks, with a lower, indirect-heat zone ready if the crust darkens first.
- Skillet: Choose it for a deeply browned crust and close heat control.
- Air fryer: Choose it for indoor cooking and a lighter crust; keep the chicken in one uncrowded layer.
Cooking time is a guide. Chicken thickness, starting temperature, grill heat, pan weight, and air-fryer model change the pace. Use a food thermometer in the thickest part of each piece to decide when it is ready.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 to 8 ounces each
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Cajun's Choice Blackened Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon neutral high-heat oil for coating, plus an additional 1/2 tablespoon if using the skillet and more for the grill grates if grilling
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Sliced green onion or chopped parsley, optional
For more even cooking, pound the thickest part of each breast to about 1/2 inch or slice larger breasts horizontally into cutlets. Taste the cooked chicken before adding salt; the seasoning already contains salt.
Start with dry, evenly thick chicken
- Dry and season. Pat the chicken dry. Pound or slice to an even thickness, rub with 1 tablespoon oil, and coat both sides evenly with seasoning.
- Set up a clean finish. Set out a clean plate and an instant-read thermometer.
Grill, skillet, or air fry
Grill
- Set up two heat zones. Heat a clean grill to medium-high, about 425°F, and keep a cooler zone of lower or indirect heat available.
- Brown the first side. Oil the grates and cook seasoned chicken over direct heat for 4 to 5 minutes until browned and released.
- Turn and control the crust. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Move the chicken to the lower, indirect-heat zone if the seasoning darkens too quickly.
- Check, rest, and serve. Move each piece to a clean plate when its thickest part reaches 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with lemon and optional herbs.
Skillet
- Ventilate and preheat. Open a window or turn on the vent hood. Heat a large cast-iron or heavy stainless-steel skillet over medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the additional 1/2 tablespoon oil.
- Give the chicken room. Cook with space between pieces for 4 to 5 minutes, then turn when the first side is deep reddish brown and releases without tearing. Work in two batches if the skillet is crowded.
- Control the heat. Reduce to medium if the seasoning darkens faster than the center cooks. Continue 4 to 6 minutes, checking the thickest part of each piece with a thermometer. If a thick piece browns too quickly, finish it in an oven-safe skillet in a 350°F oven until the center reaches 165°F.
- Rest before serving. Move each piece to a clean plate when its thickest part reaches 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with lemon and optional herbs.
Air fryer
- Preheat if needed. Preheat to 375°F if the manufacturer recommends it. Arrange chicken in one layer with space around each piece.
- Turn and check early. Air-fry 10 to 14 minutes, turning halfway through and checking early.
- Rest before serving. Move each piece to a clean plate when its thickest part reaches 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with lemon and optional herbs.
Dry chicken and an uncrowded basket help the air-fryer crust; expect it to be lighter than a skillet crust.
Chill and reheat the leftovers
Refrigerate cooked chicken within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Use within 3 to 4 days and reheat leftovers to 165°F.
Pair the peppery crust with a fresh side
Serve blackened chicken with Cajun corn on the cob for seasoned butter and crisp-tender kernels, or add a crisp green salad, rice, or roasted vegetables. The Cajun grilling and tailgating guide can help build the full spread.
Control the crust and switch the cut
What makes chicken blackened instead of burned?
Look for a deep reddish-brown crust that smells peppery and toasted. If the seasoning turns flat black or smells acrid before the center is cooked, lower the heat.
Can I use boneless, skinless thighs?
Yes. Their uneven shape can change the timing, so cook to 165°F in the thickest part.
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