Blackened Chicken Cutlets

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Blackened Chicken Cutlets

Blackening refers to coating quick-cooking proteins in a robust Cajun spice blend and flash-cooking them in a ripping-hot cast-iron skillet until the fat and spices smoke and char but don't completely burn. It's usually a smoky business, but it can be well controlled with a few tweaks. Pounding the cutlets very thin (⅓ inch thick) helped them cook through quickly, so there was little time for the fat and spices to burn. Arranging them in the pan so that they covered as much of its surface as possible prevented hot spots from forming in the gaps and overheating the fat and juices. Keeping the amount of butter (which smokes readily in a high-heat application such as this) to just 3 tablespoons total also kept the smoke to a minimum. For robust spice flavor, it helped to dredge the moist cutlets directly in the spice rub rather than “glue” it to the chicken with melted butter; this helped the spices stick to—rather than melt off—the meat during cooking. Adding smoked paprika to the spice mix enhanced its smoky profile.

Servings:

Calories: 110kcal

Author: Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients

1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons pepper
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 6- to 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces, divided

Instructions

Make the spice rub:

Combine smoked paprika, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, oregano, thyme, and cayenne in wide, shallow bowl.

Prepare the cutlets:

Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet.
Wad up paper towel and place within reach of stove.
Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, halve chicken breast crosswise, then cut thicker half in half horizontally, creating 3 cutlets of similar thickness.
Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to even ⅓-inch thickness.
Working with 1 cutlet at a time, dredge thoroughly in spice mixture, pressing to adhere, then shake off excess. Place cutlets in single layer on second rimmed baking sheet.

Cook the cutlets and serve:

Heat oil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until just smoking.
Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet, then tilt skillet or spread butter with flexible spatula until it coats skillet evenly.
Add 6 cutlets to skillet, press on each firmly with spatula, and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes.
Using tongs, flip cutlets.
Press cutlets against skillet with spatula and cook for 1 minute.
Slide skillet off heat (leave burner on) and transfer cutlets to prepared wire rack.
Grab paper towel with tongs and wipe out skillet to remove any debris.
Return skillet to heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and repeat with remaining cutlets.
Let cutlets rest for 3 minutes on rack and serve.

Notes

We prefer a 12-inch cast-iron skillet here, but a heavy-bottomed stainless-steel or well-seasoned carbon-steel skillet will also work. Avoid nonstick cookware due to the high cooking temperature.
This cooking method will produce a modest amount of smoke, so turn on your exhaust fan or crack open a window prior to cooking.
If your chicken breasts weigh more than 8 ounces each, add 15 seconds to the cooking time after the cutlets have been flipped.
We developed this recipe using Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using Morton kosher salt, which is denser, use only 2¼ teaspoons.
For a less spicy dish, use only ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Nutrition