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This homemade Cajun seasoning recipe is the perfect blend of spices and dried herbs to add a Cajun kick to your favorite dishes. This seasoning is great for chicken, fish, pork, beef, or veggies. Cajun seasoning is a pantry staple, and it's easier (and tastier) to make your own!
I love Cajun cuisine, and use Cajun seasoning in a lot of my recipes (try Cajun Crab Stuffed Salmon, Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese, Cajun Salmon Alfredo Pasta) so I decided to make my own version. Of course you can buy Cajun seasoning at the grocery store, but homemade is always better! This will be a great addition to your spice cabinet.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Super easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Making homemade seasonings is always better!
- Perfect level of spiciness.
- Great even if you don’t love spicy food - you can adjust the spiciness!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
For this cajun spice mix, you will need the following dried herbs and spices:
Paprika - I like using regular paprika, but you could also submit for a smoked paprika.
Salt - For this recipe (and most of the recipes on this site) I use Sherpa pink Himalayan extra fine grain salt.
Garlic powder - Not the same as garlic salt!
Cayenne pepper - This is where most of the heat comes from in this recipe. If you don’t like it spicy, then use less cayenne pepper. You can adjust the level of heat to your personal preference.
Dried oregano - A heavily used herb in Cajun and Creole cooking.
Ground thyme - If you can only find dried thyme, use double the amount.
Fresh cracked black pepper - Freshly cracked is always better.
White pepper - Similar in flavor to black pepper but more pungent and spicy, so use it sparingly in your cooking.
Other spices: garlic powder, and dried basil.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make
Making your own Cajun seasoning mix is super easy. Just measure out all the ingredients, and add to an airtight container. Shake up the spices until well mixed and it's ready to use! These 4 ounce spice jars are the perfect size for 1 batch, but you can use whatever you have.
Store this homemade Cajun seasoning blend in an airtight jar and store in a dry place. You can use a small mason jar or a spice jar.
If you like this recipe, try my homemade blackening seasoning recipe! It is so good in Crispy Blackened Chicken Wings and Easy Cajun Blackened Shrimp.
How to use Cajun seasoning
So how to use your homemade Cajun seasoning mix? There are so many different ways - you can put it on pretty much anything! Us Cajuns are known for our flavorful food, and adding this simple blend of spices to your dishes can really kick things up to the next level!
I crafted this Cajun spice mix to be the perfect level of saltiness and spiciness. You can use this on chicken, pork, fish, or beef.
Use one tablespoon of Cajun seasoning for every one pound of protein (chicken, fish, pork, or beef)
One of my favorite ways to use it is to jazz up boring chicken breasts. Pat your chicken breasts dry and add to a plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning for every 1 pound of chicken and shake up the bag until the spice mix is evenly distributed. Now the chicken is ready for cooking. Check out this guide to cooking perfect juicy chicken breasts every time.
You can also use this easy homemade Cajun seasoning on veggies! Try it on simple steamed broccoli, sauteéd green beans, and roasted potatoes.
Some more ideas:
- Add Cajun shrimp to this Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce.
- Use it to make turkey sandwiches with this Sous Vide Cajun Turkey Breast.
- Add a spicy kick to Roasted Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts.
- Spice up perfectly juicy chicken breasts.
- Use it to season Sautéed Sweet Potatoes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference between my two recipes is that blackening seasoning contains sugar which helps the food get that “blackening” effect. Both contain a similar mix of spices, but Cajun seasoning is a little spicier.
This cajun seasoning recipe has been formulated to be the perfect amount of saltiness and spiciness when used with a 1:1 ratio. Use 1 tablespoon of seasoning for every 1 pound of chicken.
Related recipes
Now that you’ve made your own homemade Cajun seasoning recipe, put it to good use! Here are some of my favorite recipes using Cajun seasoning.
- Homemade Cajun Ranch
- Cajun Salmon Alfredo Pasta
- Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
- Cajun Crab Stuffed Salmon
- Spicy Cajun Garlic Aioli
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The Best Homemade Cajun Seasoning Recipe
Equipment
- Spice jar
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt I use fine grain Himalayan pink sea salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Combine all seasonings together in an airtight container and shake until well combined. Store in a dry cool place.
Notes
Nutrition
About me
Hey good lookin', what ya got cookin'? I'm Lauren and I love to teach you how to make the good stuff, from scratch! I use fresh quality ingredients to create impressive but approachable restaurant worthy recipes.
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