There’s no shame in buying seasonings off the shelf, but when it comes to blends, you can almost always make your own with what you have in your spice cabinet. This Homemade Cajun Seasoning only requires eight dry spices you likely have on hand. It’s the perfect way to spice up any dish!
Use it with some of my favorite Creole-inspired recipes like my Cajun Chicken Pasta Bake, Creamy Shrimp and Grits, and my Easy Red Beans and Rice!
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Homemade Cajun Seasoning
If making your own seasonings sounds intimidating, it shouldn’t! While it may seem easier to just buy them at the grocery store or online, it’s super simple to make your own at home, starting with this Homemade Cajun Seasoning. All you need is eight pantry staples you likely keep in stock — paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Plus, making your own spice blends at home helps to control the amount of heat, salt, and sugar in them versus what you’d find on the shelf, which is often packed with unfamiliar ingredients and additives.
Just mix together, use as desired, and store in an airtight container. And the best part is you can easily double, triple, even quadruple this recipe so you always have cajun seasoning on-hand for dishes like my Blackened Salmon, One-Pan Mexican Pasta, and Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges.
What Is Cajun Seasoning?
This rustic spice blend hails from the heart of Cajun and Creole cuisine — Louisiana — although it’s also popular to use in Low country or Gullah recipes from Charleston and even Hispanic recipes. Most people and brands tend to have their own version of it, especially when it comes to the amount of heat in it, but common ingredients you’ll find in all variations include paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and oregano.
I included salt in my recipe, but you can leave it our if you’re looking to reduce your sodium intake. I also prefer smoked paprika to regular paprika because of the warm, woodsy flavors it adds to the spice blend, but use whatever you have on and.
what you’ll need:
For this cajun seasoning recipe, all you need is:
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I prefer smoked)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
How To Make Homemade Cajun Seasoning
- Simply add all of the spices to a small bowl, and stir or whisk to combine. That’s it! Use in one of your favorite recipes or label and store it in an airtight container for up to one year. You’ll never have to buy pre-made Cajun seasoning again!
- Make this recipe even simpler by adding all of the ingredients to a mason jar, seal it tightly with a lid, give it a good shake, and store as-is!
How To Use Cajun Seasoning
Cajun Seasoning is one of my all-time favorite flavor profiles. It’s the perfect blend of savory, spicy, and zesty flavors that will take any dish to the next level! And it’s an all-purpose seasoning. You can use it in everything from meats and pasta to dips and veggies. It pairs particularly well with the following:
- Protein: Coat chicken, fish, shellfish, pork, steak, and even tofu with a few shakes of this Homemade Cajun Seasoning.
- Veggies and Sides: Especially roasted veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, baked sweet potato fries, asparagus. Also goes well with sides like quinoa and baked mac and cheese.
- Soups: This seasoning would be a great addition to soup recipes like my Stuffed Pepper Soup, Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup with Couscous, and Slow Cooker Tortellini Sausage and Kale Soup.
- Dips: Like my Baked BLT Dip, and even my homemade ranch recipe.
- Crunchy Snacks: Like my Homemade Tortilla Chips or Spicy Pita Chips.
storage instructions
Store your homemade cajun seasoning in an airtight container or in a spice jar for up to one year in your pantry!
recipes that use homemade cajun seasoning
Homemade Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all of the seasoning to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Use in one of your favorite recipes or label and store it in an airtight container for up to 1 year!
Nutrition Information
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