Air fryer blackened chicken
With this air fryer blackened chicken, you don’t have to rely on Popeyes blackened chicken anymore. You can make this at home, it is so easy and everyone will be impressed with your cooking skills.
This way of cooking chicken is by far my husband’s favorite. It is juicy on the inside with a crispy crunchy crust. I love the technology of an Air fryer and ever since I have this gadget in my kitchen, I have abandoned my oven. There is a lot that can be made in an air fryer, from frozen food to vegetables, and even baked goodies. See more air fryer recipes I have made and enjoyed.
Why is it called blackened chicken?
While the term blackened may suggest the color black and you can’t imagine eating black burnt chicken in the name of blackened chicken right? Well, it’s called blackened due to the outer crust being browned from the mixture of butter and the dry seasoning of herbs and spices.
What does blackened chicken taste like?
It doesn’t taste like burned chicken, that’s for sure. It has a juicy taste with a touch of smoky flavor, it may have a crunchy crust, especially coming from an air fryer.
Ingredients needed
8 oz of chicken breast- In this recipe, I used in-bone chicken breast. You can use boneless chicken breast and you will get the same results.
1 tablespoon of olive oil/ melted butter– This will help keep the moisture locked inside while ensuring we get a crispy blackened crust.
Blackened seasoning. While you can get the seasoning at a store, you can also just mix what you already have in your kitchen. I have put together 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of oregano, and salt to taste.
How to make air fryer blackened chicken?
- Brush your chicken breast with olive oil or melted butter.
- Mix your seasoning in one small bowl.
- Dredge your chicken breast with the blackened seasoning.
- Put it in your air fryer baskets, first cook for 5 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 230 C then flip it over at 3 minutes.
- Now lower the heat to 180 C and let it cook for 15 minutes then flip it to cook for another 10 minutes.
- Use a digital thermometer to ensure your chicken reaches 165 C internal heat. Once it reaches that then you can let it cool down for a few minutes before serving.
Serving ideas
I enjoy this blackened chicken breast with my low-carb fried cauliflower rice and my family have with brown rice sometimes with potato fries.
You may also enjoy it with
- Mashed potatoes
- Green salad
- Roasted vegetables
Variations of blackened chicken in an air fryer
Air fryer blackened chicken breast- On this one, you will use breast portions, skinless and boneless. You will follow the same cooking instructions on this recipe. Cooking time may differ depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts that you use.
Air fryer blackened chicken tenders- You can make blackened chicken tenders in the air fryer also following this recipe. You can use any boneless and skinless cuts of the chicken. Cut them into even cuts to shape the chicken tenders and follow the same instructions. With chicken tenders, keep the cooking time between 12 to 15 minutes.
Air fryer blackened chicken strips- Chicken strips you just cut the chicken into long thin strips and follow the same instructions as blackened chicken tenders.
FAQ about blackened chicken
You can get blackened seasoning at your local grocery store or you can make it at home. The blackened seasoning consists of dried herbs and spices. You can mix paprika, oregano, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to get tasty seasoning. This is not limited to the list but you can go as far as your taste buds allow you.
Blackening the chicken is more about the technique of cooking rather than the seasoning. To blacken your chicken you need to brush it with olive oil or butter then dredge in your seasoning. You will put it on high heat to quickly blacken the crust of the chicken then turn down the heat to allow cooking on the inside.
Not necessarily. It looks burned but it’s actually juicy on the inside.
Yes definitely. In this recipe, I only used my air fryer.
I love to air fry most of my protein source, you may want to try these recipes as well if you enjoyed this air fryer blackened chicken breast.
Notes
If the chicken is not cooked yet within 30 minutes, you may cook it for additional 5 minutes on each side. Please keep an eye on it to ensure that it doesn’t get burnt.
Air fryer blackened chicken
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 8 oz Chicken breast
- 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Brush your chicken breast with olive oil or melted butter.
- Mix your seasoning in one small bowl.
- Dredge your chicken breast with the blackened seasoning.
- Put it in your air fryer baskets first cook for 5 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 230°C then flip it over at 3 minutes.
- Now lower the heat to 180°c and let it cook for 15 minutes then flip it then cook for another 10 minutes.
- Use a digital thermometer to ensure your chicken reaches 165°c internal heat. Once it reaches that then you can let it cool down for a few minutes before serving.
