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    Home » Recipes » Seasonings

    Homemade Cajun Seasoning

    Published: Aug 21, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

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    5 from 26 votes
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    My Homemade Cajun Seasoning is the perfect way to add bold flavor to chicken, seafood, veggies, and so much more. This homemade spice blend is easy to put together and makes a quick and reliable seasoning that will instantly elevate the flavor profile of any meal.

    Homemade Cajun seasoning in a jar with white label.

    Cajun spice, commonly used in cuisine originating in Louisiana, is a unique blend of warm and spicy ingredients. It’s the perfect way to add a kick of heat to veggies, potatoes, or your choice of protein.

    This recipe yields the best homemade Cajun seasoning with the ultimate balance of savory and zesty flavors. That said, it’s also easy to customize and tweak to your own preferences.

    If you don’t already have a store bought Cajun seasoning mix on hand, grab a bowl and all the necessary ingredients and find out how much better a homemade seasoning blend tastes, than the ones on your gorcer’s shelf.

    My homemade Cajun seasoning makes prep for my Grilled Cajun Chicken Wings an absolute breeze. You can also use it to easily add complex flavors to a simple side dish.

    Homemade Cajun seasoning on white deli paper

    However you choose to use it, my homemade Cajun seasoning blend is sure to delight fans of bold and spicy flavors. Add a bit of Louisiana flair to any dish!

    If you like making your own seasoning blends you’ll love my Homemade Taco Seasoning and Homemade Chili Seasoning.

    Table of Contents:

    • Ingredients for Homemade Cajun Seasoning
      • Made with Simple Ingredients
    • How to Make Homemade Cajun Seasoning
    • What Can I Make with DIY Cajun Seasoning?
    • Cajun Spice FAQs
    • More Recipes You’ll Love!
    • Homemade Cajun Seasoning
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Notes
      • Nutrition

    Ingredients for Homemade Cajun Seasoning

    ingredients to make recipe.

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Homemade Cajun Seasoning. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Made with Simple Ingredients

    • paprika – use sweet or smoked paprika depending on your personal preference
    • fine sea salt
    • garlic powder
    • black pepper
    • onion powder
    • dried oregano
    • cayenne
    • dried thyme

    Some Cajun spice blends include ingredients like white pepper, mustard powder, cumin, and chili powder. Feel free to experiment with adding these to see how they change the overall flavor.

    If you’re not as big a fan of spicy food, use less cayenne pepper. This is the main source of heat in Cajun spice.

    How to Make Homemade Cajun Seasoning

    Collage showing how to make recipe.
    • Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl.
    • Stir until well combined and use immediately or store in a cool, dry place.

    What Can I Make with DIY Cajun Seasoning?

    Blackened red snapper on a white plate with fruit salsa.

    You can use my easy recipe for homemade Cajun seasoning to prepare my Blackened Red Snapper with fruit salsa. This delicious dish is elegant enough to be served at your next dinner party, and easy enough to make for a busy weeknight dinner.

    blackened salmon in a large saute pan

    My Blackened Salmon Sliders with an Asian slaw is another example of deliciousness you can prepare my DYI Cajun spice. These tasty sandwiches combine tender salmon with a flavorful and crusty exterior with a homemade slaw and soft buns.

    For best results, store your homemade seasonings in glass jars with screw tops. Store them in a place that’s cool, dark, and dry. This Cajun spice will last for several months, though I suggest you start checking it for quality after about a month or so. After that, the flavor quality may depreciate over time.

    Cajun Spice FAQs

    What is Cajun spice made of?

    A typical Cajun seasoning combines paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme. Additional spices can be included to support and enhance the base flavors.

    Are Creole and Cajun spices the same?

    No, these two spice blends are distinct, though they have similarities. Creole seasoning does contain cayenne, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, but has a more herbal flavor with thyme, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, and parsley.

    Can I customize my Cajun spice?

    Absolutely. Start with the base recipe, but feel free to adjust quantities of ingredients until you have a result you’re pleased with. Add more heat by doubling the cayenne, or reduce the heat by halving it. Making your own homemade spice blend is a great way to ensure that the seasoning mix tastes exactly how you like it, every time.

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    Cajun seasoning in a jar with white label,.
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    5 from 26 votes

    Homemade Cajun Seasoning

    This Homemade Cajun Seasoning is the perfect way to infuse any dish with an instant kick of Louisiana flavor.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time0 minutes mins
    Total Time5 minutes mins
    Course: seasoning
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 16kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoon paprika sweet or smoked
    • 2 tablespoon fine sea salt
    • 2 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon onion powder
    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
    • 1 tablespoon cayenne
    • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
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    Instructions

    • Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.
    • Use immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 1 year.

    Notes

    • Keep your spice blend in an airtight container or a glass jar. Store it in a cool and dark place to extend freshness.
    • Feel free to adjust ingredient quantities to your taste.
    • Additional ingredients you may consider adding include white pepper, cumin, chili powder, and mustard powder.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 866mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 1058IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

    More Seasonings

    • Jar of homemade chili powder seasoning.
      Homemade Chili Seasoning
    • bottle of taco seasoning.
      Homemade Taco Seasoning

    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    My name is Dennis Littley or “Chef Dennis” as I’m known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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