Blackened Chicken + Fresh Mango Salsa is a natural flavor combination, packing a punch of sweet and savory in every bite. Plus, if you use our Badass Blackened Seasoning, you can make the heat mild or wild and it’s super easy to make too!
Whether you like a little or a lot of spice our blackened seasoning pairs perfectly with chicken, fish, seafood, and even tofu. Yes, we’ve tried it with tofu and went back for seconds! Couple that with some Fresh Mango Salsa and it’s truly a winning end of summer dish.

Plus, with mangoes in season all year long you can whip up this tropical dish anytime of the year.

No, it’s more smokey than fiery. Make it your own! Our recipe is a terrific guide to steer you to that magic flavor but you can easily adjust the heat by adding less Cayenne. Cut the amount in half or by a quarter if you prefer. Remember recipes are guidelines and you’re in charge of adjusting them to suit your taste. Now back to the Chicken!!
How to Blacken Chicken Correctly
- Preheat the Oven to 375°F/190°C: We start on a fiery hot stove top and end in the oven, with a short 5-minute rest afterwards. Which allows the juices, that have been driven to the center of the meat to redistribute and make for an ultra juicy chicken breast!
- Chicken Prep: Dry chicken breasts with a paper towel and rub with olive oil all over. Liberally sprinkle with Badass Blackened Seasoning and gently pat to make sure the seasoning properly adheres to the chicken. Place the breasts on a plate and allow them to sit for 5 minutes to allow the seasoning to bond to the breasts.


The Pan: Meanwhile, heat a cast iron pan over a high flame, allowing it to become smokin’ hot! Ultimately you want a cast iron pan but if you don’t have one then use a heavy bottomed pan, at least tri-ply, they do in a pinch but don’t hold heat as well. If you’re looking for affordable cast iron, visit your local thrift shops you may get lucky!

Breast Side Down First: Add the Blackened Seasoned Chicken breast side down and allow it to brown for approximately 5 minutes. If the pan becomes too hot and smells like the chicken may be burning then reduce the heat as needed. You need high heat to properly blacken the chicken. (You’ll see I’m cooking one at a time, to give them room to brown and not steam).

Chef’s Tip: Use all of your senses when cooking. Just because a recipe tells you to cook over high heat doesn’t mean you necessarily need to stay on blazing high heat the entire time. If you believe something is cooking to fast or to high then turn it down a little at a time till you find the sweet spot. Not all stoves, pans and equipment perform the same way, so be sure to adjust with each recipe.
Flip: Check to make sure the breasts are browned and flip to the other side to brown. If you are browning in stages, then move the browned breast to a plate and finish blackening the rest of your chicken.

The Oven: Return the chicken to the pan and place into the preheated oven, bake for 35-45 minutes until you reach an internal temperature of 160°F/71°C. Depending on the size of the breasts adjust the cooking time accordingly. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Plating: You can debone the chicken if desired, plate and spoon Fresh Mango Salsa over the top and serve with a side of rice if desired.

How to Handle Raw Chicken
- Never wash chicken: Spray-back from the faucet is the easiest way to spread any bacteria that may be on the poultry. If you want to remove excess moisture from the bird, then dab it with paper towels and promptly throw away the towels.
- Avoid cross-contamination: Never use anything that has come in contact with raw chicken on cooked foods without washing completely first. Including hands, cutting boards, dishes, kitchen utensils, and towels.
- If using marinades: Never use a marinade that poultry has been soaking in, as a basting sauce when cooking. This is another form of cross-contamination.
- Storage: Cover raw chicken tightly and store on the bottom rack in the fridge sitting on a tray or plate to catch any juices that may drip.
- Use antibacterial spray: Clean all surfaces in your kitchen that have come in contact with raw poultry with an antibacterial cleaner such as Clorox Kitchen Spray (this is not an advertisement).
- Check for doneness: Other than slicing into chicken the only way to tell if your bird is done is to use a digital thermometer. Pierce into the thickest part of the meat and check for a reading over 165°F/75°C. Be sure to avoid the bone as that will increase temp.
- If you believe meat has spoiled: If you sense that chicken or any meat for that matter may be bad, such as a foul smell or slimy consistency, then throw it out! Trust your senses in the kitchen every single time. Even if it means opting for pizza delivery!

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How to Make Blackened Chicken + Mango Salsa
Blackened Chicken + Fresh Mango Salsa is a natural flavor combination. It packs a punch of sweet and savory in every bite. Plus, if you use our Badass Blackened Seasoning, you can make the heat mild or wild and it's super easy to make too!
- 2 chicken breasts, bone-in skin-on
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Badass Blackened Seasoning, find recipe above
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cups Fresh Mango Salsa, find recipe above
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Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C
-
Dry chicken breasts with a paper towel and rub with olive oil all over, liberally sprinkle with Badass Blackened Seasoning and gently pat to make sure the seasoning properly adheres to the chicken. Place the breasts on a plate and allow them to sit for 5 minutes to allow the seasoning to bond to the chicken breasts.
-
Meanwhile, heat the cast iron pan over a high flame, then toss in the butter...
-
Add the Blackened Seasoned Chicken breast side down and allow it to brown for approximately 5 minutes. If the pan becomes too hot and smells like the chicken may be burning then reduce the heat as needed. You need high heat to properly blacken the chicken. (You'll see I'm cooking one at a time, to give them room to brown and not steam).
-
Check to make sure the breasts are browned and flip to the other side to brown. If you are browning in stages, then move the browned breast to a plate and finish blackening the rest of your chicken.
-
Return the chicken to the pan (if needed) and place into the preheated oven, bake for 35-45 minutes until you reach an internal temperature of 160°F/71°C. Depending on the size of the breasts adjust the cooking time accordingly. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
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You can debone the chicken if desired, plate and spoon Fresh Mango Salsa over the top and serve with a side of rice if desired.
- Prep time is approximate and does include making Badass Blackend Seasoning or Fresh Mango Salsa, but both are eay to make and well worth the effort. You can easily prep and make the salsa while the chicken cooks.
We don’t do boring chicken! Check out our other flavor packed chicken dinner recipes, easy and sure to please. Chicken Thai Lettuce Wraps are healthy and ohhh so flavorful!


Here’s a Chicken Recipe I can almost guarantee you’ve never had (and if you have then you know how good it is) Chicken Pierre is our Most Pinned Chicken Recipe thinly sliced chicken breast, swimming a sweet tomato sauce, ladled over Jasmine rice and WOW it’s AMAZING!
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8 comments
I can’t handle much spice so I love fruits with spicy food. This mango salsa sounds so delicious!
Hey, Kim! Our Badass Blackened Seasoning is actually quite smokey in flavor as opposed to spicy and the Mango Salsa pairs so well with it, thanks so much so glad that you like it! 🙂
This looks amazing, I am going to add it to our next meal plan as I know it will be a big hit in our house. Thanks for linking up to Foodie Friday 🙂
So glad that you are going to make this please be sure to share your results with us, Paula!! 🙂
This sounds delicious! I love chicken, but tofu would be great. Never would have thought about that.
I love chicken too, Colleen, but it’s always nice to have options for our veggie friends too! 🙂
I think I m actually most excited for that blackened rub!! I ve never tried that before at home. Looks delicious!!
Thank you, Fotodor! You can use it on so many dishes too 🙂