--- title: "Blacken: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Blackening coats fish or meat in butter and a spicy herb rub, then sears it in a very hot cast iron pan until the spices form a dark, flavorful crust." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/blacken" --- # Blacken Blackening coats fish or meat in butter and a spicy herb rub, then sears it in a very hot cast iron pan until the spices form a dark, flavorful crust. Also called Blackened, Blackening. To blacken is to dip fish or meat in melted butter, coat it with a mix of paprika, dried herbs and pepper, and cook it in a very hot [cast iron](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/cast-iron) pan. The spices and milk solids toast into a dark, almost black crust. The food is not burned. The color comes from the browned spices, and the inside stays moist. ## How to do it 1. Use thin, even pieces: fish fillets about 2 cm (¾ inch) thick, chicken breasts pounded flat, or steaks. 2. Mix the rub: paprika, cayenne, black and white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme and oregano, and salt. 3. Open a window and turn on the extractor fan. This makes a lot of smoke. Many cooks do it outdoors on a grill side burner. 4. Heat a dry cast iron pan over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until very hot. 5. Dip each piece in melted butter, then press it into the rub on both sides. 6. Lay it in the pan. Cook fish about 2 minutes per side, without moving it, until the crust is dark and the inside is just opaque. ## How to tell it is done The crust is a deep, even brown-black and smells of toasted spice, not acrid smoke. Fish flakes at the thickest part. Chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) inside. ## Why it works The very high heat [sears](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sear) the surface before the inside overcooks. Butter carries the spices and browns with them, so the crust tastes nutty and smoky. Thin pieces finish cooking in the same few minutes the crust takes. ## Common mistakes * Using a nonstick pan. Coatings are not made for this heat. Use cast iron or carbon steel. * Using thick pieces. The crust burns before the middle cooks. * Too much fresh garlic or sugar in the rub. Both scorch and turn bitter. * A pan that is not hot enough. The spices go soggy instead of crisp. * Butter that burns. Whole butter has a low [smoke point](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/smoke-point); [clarified butter](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/clarified-butter) holds up better. ## Where it comes from Blackening was made popular in the 1980s by Louisiana Cajun cooking, starting with blackened redfish. ## Blacken recipes 8 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/blackened-scallops-1-4.jpg)Blackened Scallops with Horseradish Saucewww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/blackened-scallops-with-horseradish-sauce/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/blackened-salmon-with-mango-salsa.jpg)Blackened Salmon with Mango Salsawww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/blackened-salmon-with-mango-salsa/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Blackened-Chicken-Fiesta-Salad.jpg)Blackened Chicken Fiesta Saladwww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/blackened-chicken-fiesta-salad/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/BlackenedFishTacos-2.jpg)Blackened Fish Tacos with Cabbage Mango Slawwww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/blackened-fish-tacos-with-cabbage-mango/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2024/08/blackened-chicken-hero-01.jpg)Blackened Chickenwww.onceuponachef.com · 50 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/blackened-chicken-skillet-grill-or-grill-pan.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/blackened-salmon-skewers-3-2.jpg)Blackened Grilled Salmon Skewerswww.skinnytaste.com · 90 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/blackened-grilled-salmon-skewers/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/07/blackened-tilapia.jpg)Blackened Tilapiawww.onceuponachef.com · 15 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/blackened-tilapia.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2020/10/Sheet-Pan-Blackened-Salmon-scaled.jpg)Sheet Pan Blackened Salmon with Garlicky Kalewww.onceuponachef.com · 30 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/sheet-pan-blackened-salmon-with-garlicky-kale.html) ## Related terms * [SearSearing browns the surface of meat or fish in a very hot pan to build a deep, flavorful crust. It adds flavor but does not seal in juices.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sear) * [Cast ironCast iron is heavy iron cookware that holds heat for hard searing and turns nonstick when seasoned. Here is how to cook in it and clean it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/cast-iron) * [Smoke pointThe smoke point is the temperature at which an oil or fat starts to smoke and break down. It tells you which fats suit searing and frying.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/smoke-point) * [CharCharring cooks food over intense heat until parts of the surface turn black and blistered, adding smoky flavor to peppers, corn, onions and meat.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/char) * [Clarified butterClarified butter is butter with the water and milk solids removed. It can fry at high heat without burning and keeps longer. How to make it at home.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/clarified-butter) [More in dry-heat cooking](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/dry-heat-cooking)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)