WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

    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.

    ATK

    Ingredients

    • 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1½ teaspoons paprika
    • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ¾ teaspoon pepper
    • ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ¼–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces

    Instructions

    1. Combine smoked paprika, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, oregano, thyme, and cayenne in wide, shallow bowl. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Wad up paper towel and place within reach of stove.
    2. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, halve chicken breast crosswise, then cut thick 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Heat oil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add butter to skillet, then tilt skillet or spread butter with flexible spatula until it coats skillet evenly. Add all 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 and transfer cutlets to prepared wire rack. Let cutlets rest for 3 minutes on rack and serve.

    Notes

    Before you Begin

    We prefer using 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, 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 1⅛ teaspoons. For a less spicy dish, use only ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.  

    MAKE EVEN CUTLETS

    A chicken breast has a thick end and a thin end, so it can be tricky to turn it into uniform cutlets. This method makes it easy. Halve chicken breast crosswise. Halve thicker piece horizontally. Place cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to ⅓-inch thickness.