Blackened chicken is a popular dish in New Orleans and Cajun cuisine that involves coating chicken pieces with a spice blend called blackening seasoning before searing them in a cast iron skillet. But what exactly does “blackened” mean when it comes to food, and how did this dish come about? Let’s take a closer look at the history and meaning behind blackened chicken.
The Origins of Blackened Chicken
The technique of blackening foods actually originated in the early 1980s with Chef Paul Prudhomme at his famous New Orleans restaurant K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. Prudhomme was experimenting with traditional Cajun cooking methods and came up with a recipe for blackened redfish, which soon became his signature dish.
To make it, he would coat redfish fillets in melted butter, dredge them in a blend of spices like thyme, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, then cook the fish in a ripping hot cast iron skillet until it developed a charred, blackened crust on the outside. The result was fish that was crispy and flavorful on the outside, moist and tender inside. This dish brought the concept of “blackened” food into the mainstream culinary world.
Soon after, Prudhomme started applying the blackening technique to other proteins like chicken, which resulted in popular menu items like blackened chicken breasts While redfish put blackened food on the map, versatile and affordable chicken helped the cooking method spread beyond Louisiana into home kitchens and restaurants nationwide
What Does Blackening Do to Chicken?
When chicken is blackened, the spice blend and high heat work together to produce some remarkable transformations in the meat. Specifically:
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The chicken pieces take on a very dark, almost black coloring on the outside surfaces where the spices directly touch the meat. This is how it gets the name “blackened”
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The spices toast and become concentrated in flavor, taking on richness and depth. Raw spices taste quite dull, but when cooked they develop much bolder aroma and taste.
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The chicken skin gets extremely crispy from direct contact with the hot metal pan.
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The high heat also sears the outside of the chicken very rapidly, locking in juices so the interior stays tender and moist while the exterior gets crunchy.
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Butter helps facilitate the blackening effect and adds richness.
How to Make Blackened Chicken at Home
If you want to make your own blackened chicken, here is a quick overview of how to do it:
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Start with chicken parts like boneless breasts, thighs, or drumsticks. Skin-on, bone-in parts work best.
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Make a blackening seasoning by combining paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, salt, and thyme.
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Melt some butter. Dip the chicken in the melted butter to coat all sides.
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Dredge the buttered chicken in the blackening seasoning until fully coated.
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Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add a thin layer of oil.
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Cook the chicken pieces skin-side down for 2-3 minutes without moving them so they blacken.
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Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side. Continue cooking to desired doneness, about 165°F internal temperature.
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Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy your blackened chicken!
Part of the appeal of blackened chicken is that it delivers big, bold flavors with very little work involved. Use fresh spices and high-quality chicken for best results. The basic method works great with boneless chicken breasts, or experiment with different cuts like thighs. Serve with classic Cajun sides like dirty rice, beans, or peppers.
The Popularity and Evolution of Blackened Chicken
While Chef Paul Prudhomme is credited with bringing blackened cuisine to wider recognition, some food historians believe that charring or blackening meat and fish over open fire has much older roots in the American South and Caribbean. Nonetheless, Prudhomme’s blackened dishes sparked a major Cajun and Creole food trend in the 1980s that still hasn’t faded.
These days blackened chicken and fish can be found on menus nationwide, from high-end restaurants to casual bar and grills. Home cooks also embraced the simple but flavorful blackening technique. Over time, recipes evolved to include nuanced spice blends using ingredients like oregano, cumin, chili powder, coriander, and brown sugar.
So while classic blackened chicken will always have deep roots in Louisiana, this flexible cooking method continues to inspire new adaptations far beyond the bayou. It adds an iconic smoky char and bold zing to chicken that keeps fans coming back for more.
How To Make Blackened Chicken Recipe
The key to blackening is all in technique and confidence. Thats how Im going to teach you to make this recipe. Make sure you open a few windows because there will be a lot of smoke.
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I remember the first time I blackened chicken—it came out amazing! Then, the second time, not so much. Thats okay because it fits my cooking philosophy that you dont truly understand a technique until youve done it ten times.
Thats not to say each time will be perfect, but a valuable lesson.
Blackening anything is an art. If your heat is too high, youll end up with burnt food. If your heat is too low, youll have golden brown chicken. You need to have your heat at the right temperature to create a dark brown crusted chicken that tastes awesome without burning any spices.
With all my insider New Orleans knowledge, I will simplify blackening for you in this blog post.
Its best to make your seasonings at home, although you can find plenty of reliable ones. The base of any blackened seasoning should be kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cumin, sugar, or chili powder has never been included.
The options for what you can use the blackened seasoning on or what dishes you can add the chicken to are limitless.
Here are the ingredients youll need to make blackened chicken breasts.
The easiest thing to learn how to blacken is boneless skinless chicken breasts. Chicken cutlets work well too.
I could make a homemade blackening spice mix, but Savory Cajun seasoning has done all the heavy lifting.
Youre going to need quite a bit of melted unsalted butter.
Easy Cast Iron Blackened Chicken
FAQ
What does it mean if chicken is blackened?
What is blackened chicken? Blackened chicken is chicken coated in fat of some sort (oil or butter) with a mix of spices. The chicken is then cooked in a very hot pan. The seasonings become very dark and create a blackened crust around the meat. This way of cooking is associated with Cajun cuisine.
Why is it called blackened seasoning?
What is the difference between blackened chicken and grilled chicken?
Grilled chicken is made by cooking chicken on a grill or grill pan, no matter the seasonings. Blackened chicken refers to chicken that has a spice mixture applied on the outside, which gives it a dark look. It is often grilled, but can be cooked by other methods. It’s a popular method in Cajun and Creole cooking.
Is blackened chicken healthy?