Homemade Cajun Seasoning
This Cajun seasoning mix is one of my absolute go-to seasonings. I keep this in a spice shaker in my pantry at all times. Here are a few dishes where I use it:
- Cajun seared salmon
- Chili
- Dirty rice
- Etouffee
- Steak
- Tacos
- Barbecue
You can find dozens of Cajun seasoning recipes online. This one is likely different than most you’ll find as it does not include salt; in most applications, I prefer to add salt separately so I can control it a bit more. There are two other things to know about this seasoning:
- This is more savory than hot. You can increase or decrease the cayenne pepper to suit your heat tolerance.
- Use this anywhere you want to add some savory elements, not just Cajun/Creole dishes.
The easiest way I’ve found to assemble this is to lay out a large piece of parchment paper, add all the ingredients to it, and then gently fold the paper in half and pour into a spice shaker (see mine below). You can set the spice shaker in a large bowl to catch any spills as well.
And that’s it! Store in your pantry, and it’ll last at least six months before the flavor starts to fade a bit.
Riffs
- People usually think heat when they hear Cajun, but you can make this as hot or as mild as you’d like by increasing or decreasing the cayenne pepper.
- Adding crushed red pepper will also increase the heat and bring a different flavor as well.
- Add two tablespoons of brown sugar (I haven’t noticed a difference between light and dark here) to sweeten things up a bit.
- Again, I don’t add salt to this by default. For some applications (e.g. barbecue), I’ll add this seasoning to some salt and pepper to make my rub, but I still keep the no salt version on hand.
Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Paprika smoked if possible
- 2 tbsp Garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tbsp Onion powder
- 1 tbsp Cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Oregano dried
- 1 tbsp Thyme dried
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together. Add to a spice canister and store in a cool, dry place.