Quick, easy, and healthy blackened chicken tenders to make a 10-minute meal in a hot skillet. Use our homemade blackening seasoning recipe or your favorite Cajun grocery store brand. It's a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!
Blackened chicken tenderloins are so easy!
When we need something for dinner that's quick, easy, delicious, and versatile, these Cajun-inspired, blackened chicken strips are always a great choice. Juicy, smokey, and slightly spicy, get dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes!
The blackened chicken tenders first gets coated in a blackened seasoning then pan seared in a skillet until cooked through. They're fantastic served on its own with a side of potatoes and vegetables, or you can serve it as part of a main dish meal like we did with our BBQ chicken sweet potato bowl.
For an extra decadent version, you can first coat the tenderloins in melted butter before adding the seasoning like we did with our popular baked chicken tenderloins.
What you'll need
These blackened chicken tenders need just 3 ingredients - chicken tenders, oil, and blackened seasoning!
- chicken tenderloins, about 7-8
- extra virgin olive oil or another type of neutral cooking oil
- blackened seasoning our recipe or store bought
Blackened seasoning
- 2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
How to pan fry blackened chicken in a skillet
Step 1. Brush the tenderloins with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then sprinkle the blackened on both sides. Press the seasoning into the chicken with clean fingertips to help it adhere to the meat and not fall off during cooking.
Step 2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet to medium-high and add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the chicken for 3 minutes on one side, or until the chicken starts to turn white on the edge and pull away from the pan.
Don’t flip or check the chicken until it's cooked for 3 minutes on the first side.
Step 3. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking it for about 3 more minutes, or when the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
Serve as a main dish or add to another recipe! Enjoy!
Jen's tips
- You can use our homemade blackened seasoning or your favorite store brand. Our homemade creole spice mix will make more than the blackened chicken strips recipe calls for. You can store the leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- This same process works for cooking white fish like cod, shrimp, salmon, or other chicken cutlets like chicken breast or cutlets.
- Instead of blackened seasoning, you can add other types of rubs like salt and pepper, a chicken rub, Ranch seasoning mix, no-salt seasoning, or any of your other favorites.
- We kept the seasoning mild on our homemade spice mix, feel free to increase the cayenne pepper if you want to increase the heat.
- Leftovers will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.
More Chicken Tenderloin Recipes
- Air fryer chicken tenderloin
- Pan fried chicken tenders
- How to cook chicken tenders
- Air fryer BBQ chicken tenders
- Instant Pot chicken tenders (from frozen)
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Recipe
Blackened Chicken Tenders in a Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins about 7-8
Blackened Seasoning
- 2 + tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or 1 tablespoon oil + 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 + tablespoon blackened seasoning homemade recipe or store bought
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ยฝ tablespoon garlic powder
- ยฝ tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon dried thyme
- ยผ teaspoon dried oregano
- ยผ-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine the blackening seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Brush the tenderloins with olive oil and then sprinkle the blackened on both sides. Press the seasoning into the chicken with clean fingertips to help it adhere to the meat and not fall off during cooking.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet to medium-high and add the remaining olive oil.
- Cook the chicken for 3 mins on one side or until the chicken starts to turn white on the edge and pull away from the pan.
- Don’t flip or check the chicken until it's cooked for 3 minutes on the first side.
- Flip the chicken over and continue cooking it for about 3 more minutes, or when the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
- Enjoy! Serve with a side of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and a green vegetable like broccoli, green beans, green salad, or coleslaw.
Notes
- You can substitute store-bought blackening seasoning instead of our homemade recipe.
- Leftover seasoning would also be great on white fish like cod, shrimp, salmon, or thin chicken cutlets.
- We kept the seasoning mild on our homemade spice mix, feel free to increase the cayenne pepper if you want to kick up the heat another notch.
- For an extra decadent recipe, dip the tenders in melted butter before coating the chicken with the seasoning.
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