Blackened Chili Chicken Tenders

About

There are many things you can do with this ultimate easy Keto recipe. White meat chicken tenders are coated in a special blend of spices that will make you salivate. You’ll taste lime, garlic, and a little heat for just the right amount of umami. After you cook your chicken tenders, you can eat them as-is for simple lean protein with one or two Keto side dishes. You can also incorporate the finished chicken tenders into a more elaborate Keto meal, such as wrapping it in a Keto spinach tortilla with your favorite toppings. If you need a quick snack, eat just one chicken tender with a little Keto dipping sauce, like a cheese sauce or homemade mayonnaise. You can even chop the chicken tenders to add them to Keto tacos, salads, or casseroles.

How Do You Blacken Meat?

Blackened meat is black from the seasoning on the outside actually burning in your pan. The reason it tastes so good is that it’s not the meat that’s really burnt but all those toasted spices. To achieve this, you need to cook your meat on really high heat. This ensures the outside will be blackened while the tender meat inside is just cooked through instead of dried out. You can rub oil into your meat to tenderize it, but don’t add any oil to your bare pan. The spices need to have direct contact with the high heat to blacken properly.

Types Of Pans You Can Use

You can blacken chicken or other meats in just about any non-stick pan. If you own a cast-iron pan, this will always be your best option for the best final product. However, if you’re not looking to spend extra time in the kitchen maintaining a cast-iron skillet, there’s nothing to worry about. Make sure your non-stick pan hasn’t lost any of its coating from dishwashers or hard scrubbing. Especially when you’re cooking food until the spices burn, you don’t want to risk losing all that hard work when they refuse to release from your pan.

Ingredients

12 oz chicken breast boneless skinless raw
½ teaspoon olive or extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon classico seasoning chili lemon with lime
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into strips or tender-sized pieces. If you’re able to buy your raw chicken pre-cut as tenders, this will shorten your prep time significantly. Pat the tenders dry with a paper towel and add them to a small mixing bowl. Toss the tenders in olive oil first until they’re coated. Then, season the chicken with all spices listed. If your chili powder seasoning does not include salt, you may wish to include an additional pinch of salt when seasoning the chicken.
At your discretion, you may choose to marinate the chicken for 1-2 hours in your refrigerator. Because of the salt in your seasonings, this will tenderize the chicken for more tender pieces later. However, you can continue directly on to cooking if you’re in a pinch for time. Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat without any extra oil. Once the pan is hot, place the chicken tenders in it.
Let the chicken tenders cook on one side undisturbed until the spices blacken and naturally release from the pan. Flip the tenders over and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook undisturbed once again until the spices blacken on the other side and the chicken is cooked through. You can adjust the heat as necessary to avoid burning your pan. Let the cooked tenders rest for 5 minutes before eating.