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Home » Recipes » Seasonings

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Published: Aug 21, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

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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.
Table of Contents:
  • Audio Player
  • Ingredients for Homemade Cajun Seasoning
  • How to Make Homemade Cajun Seasoning
  • What Can I Make with DIY Cajun Seasoning?
  • Cajun Spice FAQs
  • More Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Audio Player



 

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, Poultry Seasoning, and Homemade Chili Seasoning.

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,.

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Chef Dennis Littley
This Homemade Cajun Seasoning is the perfect way to infuse any dish with an instant kick of Louisiana flavor.
5 from 27 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Listen to the Post
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 0 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course seasoning
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 16 kcal

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

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: 16kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 866mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 1058IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 27 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. DeeRay Garcia says

    January 01, 2024 at 10:24 pm

    5 stars
    Great taste with his recipe

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      January 02, 2024 at 5:41 am

      I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my seasoning.

      Reply


My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. 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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