This DIY Cajun seasoning uses a blend of spices and herbs to strike the perfect balance of heat, salt, and floral notes. Packing tons of flavor, this simple 8-igredient homemade spice blend brings bold taste to any meal.
Making your seasoning from scratch means you can tailor the salt and spice level to your own taste and use high quality ingredients to really bring the flavor! You’ll catch me making my own Old Bay Seasoning for these exact reasons!
As a busy mom who loves bold flavor, having homemade seasoning blends on hand to use in my cooking is one of my secret weapons! This Cajun seasoning brings the heat in so many dishes, great on everything from seafood to vegetables.
Cajun Seasoning Ingredient Highlights
You can use ground black pepper, or you can freshly grate black pepper, but it’s best to keep it pretty fine.
I typically use regular paprika, but you can also use smoked paprika if you want to add a little bit of that smoky flavor to your seasoning blend.
Substitutes for Cajun Seasoning
Creole seasoning and Cajun seasoning can be used interchangeably. They’re very similar, with the former being heavier on the herbs and the latter heavier on the spice.
Outside of Creole Seasoning, Old Bay Seasoning, Blackened Seasoning, and Taco Seasoning are all good alternatives for Cajun seasoning in a pinch.
If you’re just looking for a quick and easy substitute for Cajun seasoning, and don’t want to get out all 8 ingredients to whip up this homemade version, you can get away with a simple 3-ingredient blend as a substitute.
Simply mix together paprika, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Depending on how much seasoning you need for your recipe, and how much heat you want, you can tailor this rough and ready seasoning blend to your taste.
As far as the ratios go, you can use an even amount of paprika and onion powder, then add as much cayenne pepper as you’d like.
Tips for the Best Homemade Cajun Seasoning
Tailor the Seasoning to Your Taste
The ratios in the recipe provided will get you a standard Cajun seasoning blend with a moderate spice level and minimum amount of salt.
For less spice, reduce the amount of black pepper or cayenne pepper. For more heat, add more! And if you know you like your seasoning a little heavy on the salt, add more.
If you’re a fan of Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning and want to emulate that, you’ll definitely want to add extra salt and cayenne pepper.
How I Store My Homemade Seasoning Blend
You can store your homemade Cajun Seasoning in any sealed jar or airtight container. I love to keep mine in a labeled glass spice jar (as pictured) that matches my other herbs and spices.
The most important thing is to keep it sealed so you can keep moisture out. Keeping your spice blend dry will make it last longer and keep it from forming any clumps.
Your seasoning should be kept at room temperature in a dry environment. Under these conditions, it will last up to 2 years (depending on the age of each individual spice you use to make your blend).
How I Use Cajun Seasoning
Cajun seasoning strikes a beautiful balance of salty, spicy, and herbaceous. It adds a punch of flavor to any dish!
While you can just add Cajun seasoning to any meat or vegetable and get a tasty dish, there are some iconic dishes that are nothing without it! Here are some of my favorites:
DIY Homemade Cajun Seasoning
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
- Whisk (optional)
- Glass Spice Jars with Labels (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Add the paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to a shallow bowl.2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Use a whisk or fork to combine, making sure there are on lumps or clumps.
- Transfer to a glass spice jar, Tupperware, or small container to store for up to 2 years!
Pro Tips
- Looking for delicious dishes to utilize your homemade Cajun seasoning? Check out this Cajun Salmon and Grits and Cajun Mahi-Mahi Sandwich.
Video
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