Blackened chicken with pico de gallo is juicy, spiced chicken seared in a hot skillet and finished in the oven, then topped with fresh homemade salsa. It sounds like a restaurant dish but it takes 22 minutes and uses one cast iron pan. I make this on weeknights when I want something that feels like more effort than it actually was.
The blackening spice rub gives the chicken a crust you can hear when you cut into it. The pico de gallo is cold, bright, and full of lime and cilantro. If you want to switch it up, my pineapple pico de gallo is a little sweeter and just as fresh. One is all heat and crunch, the other is cold and fresh. They belong on the same plate.
Why This Blackened Chicken Works
The skillet has to be smoking hot before the chicken goes in. Five full minutes of heat on high. If the pan is not hot enough, the spice rub steams instead of sears and you get a gray crust instead of a dark one.
Butter goes on the chicken before the spices because dry meat in a dry pan burns the spices without browning them. The butter gives the rub something to cling to and helps that crust develop.
The spice rub is paprika, cayenne, salt, thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Every one of them earns its spot. Paprika gives the color. Cayenne brings the heat. Thyme rounds it out with something earthy. White pepper hits the back of the throat instead of the front, so the heat sneaks up.
The oven finishes what the skillet started. Searing gives you the crust. Baking at 450 degrees cooks the chicken through without drying it out. Twelve minutes for an average breast. Less if you pound them thin first.
What to Serve with Blackened Chicken
This chicken goes with rice, black beans, sliced avocado, or warm tortillas. It also works sliced over a salad with extra pico as the dressing. Leftovers hold up well for lunch the next day.
More Chicken Recipes
Check out my blackened chicken and bean salsa for another way to use this spice rub. My blackened chicken tacos turn the same recipe into a taco night.
📖 Recipe
Blackened Chicken with Pico de Gallo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts - boneless, skinless
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon butter
- Pico de Gallo
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F
- Pound chicken breasts if need to thin them.
- In a small bowl, add together the paprika, salt, cayenne, dried thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Set aside.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or a thick-bottomed skillet on the stove on high heat. Let it heat for about 5 minutes.
- Melt 2 tablespoon of butter and dip each side of the chicken breasts into the butter and cover well.
- Sprinkle the spices on both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Once the skillet is hot, sear each side of the chicken breasts for 30 seconds.
- Lay the seared chicken breasts on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the Pico de Gallo according to directions.
- After the chicken breasts are done cooking, take them out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil to keep the moisture in. Allow about 5 minutes.
- Top with fresh pico de gallo and serve.
Notes
- Heat the skillet for a full five minutes on high before the chicken goes in. If the pan is not hot enough, the spice rub steams instead of sears.
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness so they cook at the same rate in the oven.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. If your skillet is too small, sear the chicken in batches so the pan temperature does not drop.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat gently so the chicken does not dry out.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
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Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
