This flavorful Homemade Cajun Seasoning recipe is made with paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and herbs. It is great with chicken, fish, shrimp, and more. You’ll want to add it to everything!
A blend of zesty, spicy, and bold flavors, after you try this homemade cajun seasoning, you’re never going to go back to store-bought seasoning again! It comes together quickly with a few pantry staples. This seasoning blend adds a punch to any recipe, from proteins to side dishes.
Today I’m sharing with you this easy and quick to make homemade Cajun Seasoning, which is a great way to bring more flavor to your chicken, fish, pasta, and shrimp meals. I know you can buy your Cajun seasoning at any grocery store, but if you have lots of spices and herbs in your pantry, why not make it yourself, right?
You can make a large batch of this homemade Cajun seasoning blend, store it in a mason jar, and keep it in your pantry or spice drawer so you can use it whenever you need Cajun seasoning. You’ll add only ingredients you like and avoid any processed filler ingredients.
Cajun cuisine is known to use many ingredients in its cooking, such as garlic, bell peppers, onions, celery, and bay leaves. All these ingredients are super flavorful and great in any recipe. One of my favorite creations from the Cajun cuisine is the Cajun spice mixture, which is a seasoning blend (spice mix) that comes from Louisiana.
Some of my favourite recipes to make with this cajun spice are my Black Bean Mango Salad, Cajun Shrimp Skewers, and Cajun Salmon with Strawberry Salsa.
- Paprika — You can use regular, smoked, or sweet paprika for Cajun seasoning.
- Garlic powder — Make sure you are using garlic powder and not garlic salt.
- Cayenne pepper — You can increase or decrease the heat of homemade Cajun seasoning with more or less cayenne pepper
- Salt — You can add salt to the seasoning or omit it entirely and season all your recipes to taste if you prefer.
- Dried herbs — I use dried oregano and dried thyme. In a pinch, you can use one or the other, or use Italian seasoning or basil.
- Ground black pepper — I find freshly cracked black pepper to be more flavourful.
- Onion powder — Again, make sure you use onion powder and not onion salt or flakes.
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Store in a glass or plastic container with a lid.
Don't Forget
Always store the homemade Cajun seasoning in an airtight container so it does not get stale.
- The Cajun seasoning is only as fresh as your seasoning. It will last as long as standard spices, but if you’re mixing your homemade Cajun seasoning with older spices, your mix may not be as fresh for as long.
- Ground spices and dried spices are not the same. For example, ground thyme is more concentrated than dried thyme. This recipe uses dried spices, so you’ll have to adjust the measurement of spices used if you substitute.
- Store the homemade Cajun seasoning mix covered in a dark, cool place, out of direct sunlight.
- Adjust this spice perfect blend as much as you’d like to fit your tastes! Don’t feel like you need to follow the measurements exactly.
- This recipe is so easy to make, and the only equipment you’ll need is a set of measuring spoons.
Homemade Cajun seasoning has a bold, spicy flavor with a savory and smoky taste. You can make this spice blend as spicy or mild as you prefer by adjusting the cayenne.
You can! While I recommend you don’t triple the seasoning, you can if you plan on using a ton of Cajun seasoning! I like to make a small batch so it doesn’t go stale before I can use it all.
This spice blend makes around 24 tablespoons worth of homemade Cajun seasoning.
Remember, you don’t have to only use this in recipes requiring Cajun seasoning. Feel free to add it to other recipes to give them a kick of spice, like this Sweet Potato Chicken Soup Recipe or Italian Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash.
Recipes To Use Cajun Seasoning
Cajun Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme optional
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together until combine well. Store in a glass or plastic container with a lid.
Notes
- You can adjust the cayenne pepper to change how spicy the homemade Cajun seasoning is.
- The seasoning is only as fresh as the spices you use to make the mixture.
- To store: Keep the seasoning in an airtight container in a cool dark place.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I love recipes like this! A definite necessity 🙂
This is not Cajun seasoning. We don’t put thyme or oregano, and many of us are grossed out by it. Just call this your spicy seasoning please. If you want to make a Cajun seasoning, use only salt, red pepper, black pepper, and garlic.
I can’t wait to make this recipe
hope you like it!
Where’s the Red Pepper Flakes you say it’s made with?
It was a typo!
I made this tonight for my dinner (was air frying some salmon fillets). The only thing I did differently was substituting Chipotle pepper for the cayenne. I found it quite tasty though a tad salty for my liking. Next time I make a batch I think I’ll cut the salt to 1 & 1/2 tsp. Used by the way, a smoked paprika.
Yes please cut the salt according to your taste. The amount on the recipe card is just a suggestion. Glad you like this recipe.
Used this on chicken. It was delicious!
Yes it works great on chicken 😉