Accidentally Blackened Chicken

Accidentally Blackened Chicken, the Recipe

I love it when I create delicious things by accident. I cannot even remember how I came up with this or by what miracle I was semi able to remember the method and ingredients I used well enough to duplicate. (Is my memory better than I remembered it to be ?) But I do know that it slowly evolved from something similar I once tried involving parmesan and oregano and of course garlic.  I felt so excited when, after making this recipe the second time, I realized this was actually something legit. It validated my concoction, knowing that others have come up with almost the exact same recipe I have.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

Paprika, approximately 2tsp per chicken breast 

Minced garlic, approximately 1 tsp per chicken breast (garlic powder can be subbed, but I feel like the undried form adds an unmatchable sweet/spicy layer of flavour to this recipe)

Oregano, approximately 1-2 tsp per chicken breast

Parsley, approximately 1-2 tsp per chicken breast 

Onion powder,  1/2 -1 tsp per chicken breast

Salt, a couple sprinkles per chicken breast 

Pepper, a couple sprinkles per chicken breast. (Me being the haphazard cook I amI usually forget to add this)

Chicken breasts, however many you choose to make 

Cooking oil, butter, or, best of all, bacon grease

Water

Cast iron skillet

Lid that fits on top of pan

1. Coat pan in a thin layer of whatever oil you decided to use. Place pan over medium to medium-high heat. 
2. Rub chicken with a light layer of oil. You can do this with a brush or your fingers, or you can use my lazy girl method: rub the chicken breast around on the already oiled pan so it gets a tiny bit of oil. it doesn’t have to be much, just enough so at least some of the spices will stick. 
3. Now put the spices on the chicken. You can mix all the spices and roll the chicken in the mixture, or you can use another one of my lazy girl shortcuts: rub one side of chicken with garlic, then sprinkle the other spices over top, one at a time. Flip the chicken over and repeat with the other side. I do this whole process with the chicken sitting in the pan, so all the excess spices end up at the bottom of the pan. This is a good thing. The end result should be some caramelized spices left on the bottom of the pan
4. Sear chicken on one side until deep brown; flip and repeat with the other side. Once both sides of the chicken are beautifully browned, add water to the pan (so there’s about an inch of water sitting in the pan), cover the pan with a lid  and turn down heat. Let cook for 10-15 minutes, Then uncover and leave it to simmer until water evaporates; even if you’re not watching it, you can usually tell that the water is gone by the crackling sound of the chicken starting to sizzle. Becos I don’t have a meat thermometer, I usually cut into the chicken to make sure it’s cooked through.
5. ReCover and Let the chicken cool for an amount of time. This step isn’t crucial, but it’s ideal. I think there’s maybe even a science behind it involving juices running back into the meat to making it moister, but don’t quote me on that. Once it’s cooled slightly, cut it into super thin slices. Or if you’re into eating whole chicken breasts, serve it that way. Don’t forget to scrape out the delish  caramelized spices left on the bottom of the pan along with the chicken itself.
6. Now eat it. Or hoard it. It tastes good even better cold for lunch the next day. Maybe you could even slice and freeze it for quick pastas, although this I haven’t tried myself. 
7. Ways to use it: 

BBQ chicken pizza.

Pasta.

Soup.

Sandwiches. with butternut squash.

Stir fries and spring roll fillings.

Bowls of many kinds.

Salads. Specifically chicken Caesar salad, my fave. Can be made into:

Wraps.

Tacos. This makes really delish tacos. Believe me.

Also Other things that I haven’t thought of or have forgotten or don’t know about.