Expertise the daring flavors and juicy perfection of blackened hen! This straightforward recipe comes collectively in minutes for a flavor-packed dinner thought. It’s nice as is or served on sandwiches, salads, tacos, and extra!
Right here’s a trick each residence cook dinner ought to know: the best way to make blackened hen! This culinary magic transforms atypical hen breasts into taste powerhouses with a smoky depth and a touch of warmth. This recipe enables you to to create a restaurant-worthy dish within the consolation of your individual residence, which works by itself with rice, on a sandwich, or lower into strips to high a salad or for tacos. It’s endlessly versatile, making it one in all our high hen recipes to make at residence.
What’s blackening?
Blackening is a method of cooking meat or fish in a forged iron skillet with a particular mix of Cajun-style spices till the skin is crispy and blackened. This system was popularized by movie star Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme of Louisiana. He created a recipe for blackened redfish in a 1980’s cookbook that grew to become an prompt hit. Since then, blackening has change into a well-liked approach used with totally different meat and fish, generally hen, salmon and shrimp.
Fundamental steps for blackened hen
Blackened hen takes about quarter-hour to make, making it a improbable fast and straightforward dinner thought. The clear up does take a couple of minutes, nevertheless it’s price it! Listed below are the essential steps for the method (or leap to the recipe beneath)
- Butterfly the hen by slicing the breasts in half. Rooster cutlets are the quickest and tastiest solution to cook dinner a hen breast.
- Pat the hen dry and add blackened seasoning. This recipe makes use of a simplified model of our basic blackened seasoning for fast and straightforward prep.
- Sear the hen for 4 to five minutes per aspect. A stainless-steel or forged iron pan get the perfect sear on the meat: keep away from utilizing a non-stick pan. Prepare dinner on medium excessive warmth till it’s cooked by means of and at 165°F when measured with a meals thermometer.
Ideas for butterflying the hen
This blackened hen recipe makes use of hen cutlets, or butterflied hen breasts, as a result of it makes for the juiciest, most well-seasoned piece of meat. Rooster breasts are sometimes very thick, making them tough to cook dinner evenly. Slicing the hen breast in half horizontally (butterflying it) makes thinner items that cook dinner faster and extra evenly, are simpler to eat, and are higher seasoned. You should buy a hen breast already butterflied, which is marked on the bundle as butterflied or “cutlets”. When you purchase common hen breasts, you possibly can butterfly them your self:
- Place your hand excessive of the hen breast. Use a pointy knife to rigorously slice the breast horizontally, leaving the sting intact so it may open up like a ebook.
- Unfold the hen breast, then lower alongside the fold to separate the 2 halves (every half is a cutlet).
Methods to serve blackened hen
Blackened hen works nicely with a number of aspect dishes, however it’s also extremely versatile! Add it to salads, tacos, sandwiches and extra for infinite variations. Listed below are a number of methods we prefer to serve it:
Learn how to clear your pan after blackening
After making blackened hen, you’ll discover that the pan has a stunning blackened char as nicely. Don’t fear, it’s a;; a part of the enjoyable! Right here are some things to notice about cleansing your pan:
- Clear it proper after consuming. You possibly can eat your meals first, in fact! However don’t go away it for hours or in a single day or the black crust will solidify, making it a lot more durable to scrub.
- “Deglaze” the pan with water. Deglazing the pan is a cooking approach the place you add wine or one other liquid to loosen the browned bits from the underside of the pan. You should utilize it for cleansing too! Merely place water within the pan and warmth it on a burner over medium warmth. When the blackened bits begin to loosen, scrape them off gently with a wood spoon or silicon spatula.
- Use a non-toxic kitchen cleaner. When you have bits which are actually caught, we like to make use of a cleaner like Bon Ami.
Extra blackened recipes
Blackening works as a cooking approach for a lot of totally different proteins, from fish to shellfish. Listed below are a number of extra blackened recipes to attempt:
Description
Expertise the daring flavors and juicy perfection of blackened hen! This straightforward recipe comes collectively in minutes for a flavor-packed dinner thought. It’s nice as is or served on sandwiches, salads, tacos, and extra!
- 2 boneless skinless hen breasts (1 to 1 1/2 pound, natural if doable), butterflied or cutlets
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or candy paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pat the hen dry with a paper towel. If it’s not already butterflied or in cutlets, slice it in half horizontally to make 4 items.
- Season the hen with salt, utilizing 1 teaspoon for 1 pound hen and as much as 1 ½ teaspoons for 1 ½ kilos.
- In a small bowl, combine collectively the smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, black pepper, celery seed, and cayenne. Sprinkle the hen on each side with the seasoning combine.
- Add the olive oil to a big stainless-steel or forged iron skillet* and warmth over medium warmth. Add the hen and cook dinner till browned and the seasoning is beginning to blacken, about 4 to five minutes per aspect. When the interior temperature is 165°F or the middle is not pink, take away to a plate and relaxation for 3 minutes earlier than serving. (See the part above on the best way to clear your pan after blackening.)
Notes
*You’ll get the perfect sear from a stainless-steel or forged iron skillet; keep away from non-stick surfaces.
- Class: Essential Dish
- Technique: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Rooster
- Weight-reduction plan: Gluten Free
Key phrases: Blackened hen
