Ace Kickstart® Blackened Chicken
★ Issue CMSC·25–007 · Published 23 Mar 2025
Blackenedchicken

Ace Kickstart® Blackened Chicken.

Sear thin chicken fast over high heat to seal in moisture and build a blackened spice crust

PREP 10 min
COOK 15 min
TOTAL 25m min
SERVES 5 people
HEAT mild
BLEND RATING 5.0 33 reviews · Ace Kickstart®
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You'll need
12-inch cast iron skilletInstant-read thermometerTongs

Sear thin chicken fast over high heat to seal in moisture and build a blackened spice crust

Ingredients

FOR THE BLACKENED CHICKEN:

  • 2 pounds chicken tenders (or pounded thin butterflied, boneless-skinless chicken breasts)
  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil
  • Ace Kickstart®

Method

  1. 01

    Heat your cooking surface

    5 min

    Get your Blackstone, grill, or thick-bottomed skillet screaming hot on high heat. You need serious temperature to blacken the spiced crust fast and lock in those juices.

  2. 02

    Oil and coat the chicken

    3 min

    Toss your dried chicken tenders or pounded-thin breasts with about a teaspoon of avocado oil in a mixing bowl—just enough for a super-thin, even coat. Lay them on a sheet, sprinkle Ace Kickstart® generously on one side, flip with tongs, and season the other side the same way.

  3. 03

    Blacken the chicken

    10 min

    Lay the seasoned chicken on your hot cooking surface and cover it. Check every 5 minutes by peeking at the bottom; you're looking for a dark, caramelized crust that tells you flavor is building fast.

  4. 04

    Flip and finish cooking

    5 min

    When the first side shows a good blackened crust, flip the chicken and cook the other side until it matches. Toward the end, poke the thickest part with a thermometer—it's done at 165°F with clear juices running out.

  5. 05

    Rest and serve

    2 min

    Pull the chicken off heat and let it sit a minute so the meat stays tender when you bite into it. The spiced crust stays crispy and the inside stays juicy.

From Mike's Notebook

01

Pound your chicken to even thickness so it cooks through before the spice crust burns.

02

Let your skillet rip hot before the oil hits—you need that sear to happen in under two minutes.

03

Don't move the chicken once it hits the pan; the char needs undisturbed contact with the iron.

Nutrition

210 Calories / serving
43 gProtein
4 gTotal Fat
1 gSat. Fat
0 gCarbs
0 gFiber
0 gSugars
180 mgSodium

Estimated · 1 serving · calculated from the ingredient list, not lab-tested.

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