Blackened Air Fryer Cajun Chicken Breast (37g Protein)
Juicy chicken breasts coated in a homemade Cajun spice blend and air fried until deeply blackened on the outside — 37g of protein per serving, ready in 23 minutes, and the kind of chicken that works on salads, in tacos, over rice, or straight off the cutting board.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 198kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 4 chicken breasts
- avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Mix the spice blend. Combine all spices in a small bowl and stir together. Set aside.
- Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towel — this is the step that makes the spices stick instead of sliding off. Dry surface + oil spray + pressed-in spices = the blackened crust you're going for. Spray both sides with avocado oil.
- Season generously. Press the Cajun spice blend onto both sides of each breast, making sure the spices are really worked into the surface rather than just sitting on top. Use all of it.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 3–5 minutes.
- Air fry at 375°F for 20–25 minutes, flipping at the halfway mark. At the flip, press the spices back onto the top side if any have loosened — they'll have darkened significantly on the bottom, which is exactly right.
- Check for 165°F. The outside will be very dark — almost black — and that's correct. Use a meat thermometer at the thickest point to confirm 165°F. Pull each breast as it hits temperature rather than waiting for all of them.
- Rest 5 minutes before slicing. Resting is especially important with blackened chicken because the crust seals in the juices — cut too soon and they run out. Rest, then slice against the grain.
- For chicken strips instead of whole breasts: Cut into strips before seasoning, cook at 380°F for 8–10 minutes, no flip needed. Strips are the meal prep version — faster, more surface area for seasoning, easier to portion.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 198kcal | Protein: 37g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 89mg