Blackened Chicken Thighs
These blackened chicken thighs are crispy, tender, and ready in under 20 minutes. We'll toss them in a homemade seasoning mix and blacken them in the cast iron for a flavorful protein for any meal!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 432kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Blackening seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon paprika smoked or sweet
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper leave out if sensitive to heat
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Chicken:
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil for the pan
Instructions
- Stir all the seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Add the chicken thighs to a medium-sized bowl. Pour the butter over the top, and then the seasonings. Toss to coat.
- Heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil.
- Lay the thighs in the hot skillet. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side without moving them, until a dark, blackened crust forms. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175° F.
- Move to a plate and rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Thighs are the forgiving choice here. They stay juicy even with that hard sear, so they are a lot harder to dry out than a breast.
- Turn the vent on high or cook outside. Blackening makes real smoke, and that is exactly how the crust forms.
- Do not move the thighs once they are down. That undisturbed contact with the iron is what builds the crust.
- Don't skip the 5-minute rest before you cut and eat the chicken. Resting your meat allows the juices to redistribute instead of running out onto the cutting board, so your chicken will be juicier.
- To make this meal even faster, I like to make a big batch of the seasoning mix and keep it in my spice cabinet. When you're ready to use it, just measure out 3 tablespoons of the mix.