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This homemade Cajun Seasoning blend is a tasty, versatile mix of common spices you probably already have on hand. Great on meats, pasta, veggies, and more!
Cajun Seasoning is a delicious spice blend made with common pantry spices that yo probably already have. It can be spicy or mild depending on much cayenne pepper you add.
It’s the same sort of spice blend that you se when you want something “blackened” such as Blackened Chicken or Blackened Salmon. But, it has the sort of universal appeal that lends itself to so many different dishes.
It shows up in several different New Orleans classics such as Cajun Chicken and Fried Green Tomatoes, but I also love to use it in unexpected ways. It gives a little kick to Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad and it’s great in Cajun Chicken Alfredo, a copycat from Chili’s and elsewhere.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Paprika: Both sweet and smoked paprika work here.
- Italian seasoning: To make your own, add 1 ½ teaspoons EACH of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. If you’re missing one, just leave it out.
- Salt: Add salt to taste (I like 2 tablespoons), or leave it out of the blend and salt your individual dishes as you go.
- Cayenne pepper: Dial the heat up or down with more or less cayenne pepper (omit it entirely if you don’t like spicy food).
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, thyme, and onion powder. Store in an airtight container.
Should I use a spice grinder?
I HIGHLY recommend using a spice grinder if you want the freshest flavors for your spice blends. They’re not too expensive and make a tremendous difference in your cooking! The KRUPS Fast Touch Electric Grinder is my favorite one because it’s powerful and easy to clean. You can get it at Walmart for $34.96 but I recommend a few others in my best spice grinder roundup!
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes ¾ cup seasoning.
- Storage: Store covered in a dark, cool place for up to 6 months.
- Marinade: To make a marinade for 2 pounds of steak, chicken, or pork, whisk together ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon or lime juice, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon seasoning. Marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. Pat meat dry before cooking.
- More Cajun flavors: Depending on what you are cooking, consider adding green bell peppers, onion, and celery (the “holy trinity”), okra, tomatoes, mint, parsley, and hot sauce (especially Tabasco). Pepper jelly is classic, too.
- Mardi Gras: Gearing up for Fat Tuesday? I’ve pulled together 30+ Mardi Gras Recipes to help you celebrate. Start with Crab Cakes with Remoulade, Fried Okra, or Hush Puppies served with a Muffaletta sandwich, Dirty Rice, a bowl of Red Beans and Rice, or Shrimp Étouffée. Finish your meal with a sweet treat such as Bananas Foster, a slice of King Cake, or some Pecan Pralines. Classic cocktail options include a Sazerac or a Hurricane cocktail.
Great recipes for Cajun seasoning
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Cajun Pasta
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
How to Make Rotisserie Chicken
Mardi Gras Recipes
Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Blackened Salmon
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Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons paprika (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (see note 2)
- 2 tablespoons Salt optional (see note 3)
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (see note 4)
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, thyme, and onion powder. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Paprika: Both sweet and smoked paprika work here.
- Italian seasoning: To make your own Italian Seasoning, in a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. of dried basil, 2 Tbsp. of dried oregano, 2 Tbsp. of dried rosemary, 2 Tbsp. of dried thyme, and 2 Tbsp. of dried marjoram. Store extra in an airtight container.
- Salt: Add salt to taste (I like 2 Tbsp.), or leave it out of the blend and salt your individual dishes as you go.
- Cayenne pepper: Dial the heat up or down with more or less cayenne pepper (omit it entirely if you don’t like spicy food).
- Yield: This recipe makes ¾ c. seasoning.
- Storage: Store covered in a dark, cool place for up to 6 months.
Awesome seasoning mix! Exactly what i was wanting. Used it to make blackened chicken Alfredo. Delicious! Made a large batch of seasoning so i can keep it on hand. Will definitely have this mix in my spice cabinet from now on.
I just made this last night, and I have to say… it was delicious!! And plenty of left overs for some yummy lunches throughout the week.
Thank you! 🙂
Good day,
You really feed me with good stuff. Please email me the any receipts you have. Cooking is my life.
Thanking you in advance.
Regards,
Alson Mabilu
But what goes into the ITALIAN seasoning??!!
This does!! 😀
https://cash-surge.live/italian-seasoning-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Thanks for the recipe! I’m I’m allergic to onions & such so it is hard to get anything prepared. Plus I like to mix things myself. Thanks again
I follow keto and after seeing that my Cajun seasoning had maltodextrin in it I needed to make my own. This worked perfectly in the gumbo I made tonight. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent recipe! Threw it together to add to some homemade jambalaya, and it turned out amazing. Made a few modifications (including an accidental extra spoonful of onion powder, oops!) but I’ll definitely have to make this again!
Oh no I don’t know If i put one or two Tablespoons of salt in unsure how to fix this can I add more at end and it will be ok ?
Hi Tiffany! Such a bummer! You can definitely add more at the end, or maybe you can find a way to sample how salty the blend is that you made. One idea you could try, if you wanted, would be to stir a small amount of the seasoning in to a small amount of olive oil and try dipping bread in to it. That will give you an idea of how salty it is. You could also assume it is VERY salty and just use a little bit on your meat or whatever you’re doing, and then add more salt once it’s cooked, just adding however much you want to the finished dish. Good luck!
The nutritional facts are insane!!!! I’m hoping that they’re incorrect.
Nutrition Facts
Serves 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 179
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3.7g 6%
Cholesterol 0g 0%
Sodium 13986.2mg 583%
Total Carbohydrate 39.5g 13%
Sugars 3.1g
Protein 7.9g 16%
Hi Zacha! YES! They are incorrect, they are showing the total information for the entire amount made. I will have to split it out into something more reasonable, it’s just hard to say what a serving is of this stuff. But yes. This is WRONG! Sorry about that. I will decide on a serving (1 tsp or whatever) and show what it is. So sorry about that!
Hi Zacha, I fixed the nutrition label. One serving is 1/4 teaspoon, here’s the new info. Thanks for pointing this out!
Serving Size 1/4 teaspoon
Serves 144
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0g 0%
Sodium 97.1mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 0.3g 0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 0.1g 0%
This is a great spice blend! I added a little more cayenne, to give it a little more love. This is a must have for my pantry.
I love blasting it with more cayenne!