20 Min Blackened Chicken w/ Pan Sauce

Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (butterflied or pounded even)
• Olive oil, to coat

Blackening seasoning

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (to taste)
• Salt + black pepper

Pan sauce

• 2 tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or a pinch of garlic seasoning)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• Fresh basil, sliced, to finish

Directions

• Stir the blackening spices together in a small bowl.
• Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, then season thoroughly on both sides with the spice blend.
• Sear front side down in a very hot (cast iron) skillet until well blackened, a few minutes.
• Transfer the skillet to a hot oven and finish for about 10 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165F. Rest.
• In the same pan, make a quick sauce: sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, chicken stock and cream, simmered until slightly thickened, then stir in the parmesan.
• Slice the chicken, spoon the pan sauce over, and finish with fresh basil.

NOTE: quick weeknight dinner, on the table in about 20 minutes. Method reconstructed from the video; exact spice amounts are on the creator's blog. From Lauren Nagel on Instagram.