This Cajun seasoning mix combines the perfect balance of herbs and spices for a rich and rustic flavor that is sure to please everyone! It's an easy-to-make homemade spice blend that uses ingredients that you are likely to already have on hand, making every dish hearty, robust, and flavorful! It's perfect with beef, pork, chicken, seafood, pasta, and more!
Homemade Cajun Seasoning Mix
Cajun seasoning is a staple of Louisiana cooking and it's easy to see why! The rich blend of spicy, savory flavors adds a unique and zesty touch to any food!
While 'authentic' Cajun seasoning is really based on who's cooking, the mainstay ingredients are pretty much the same (and they're noted below in the ingredients section). The end result is a delightful blend of spices and herbs that add a wonderful seasoning to any dish!
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🥘 Cajun Seasoning Ingredients
While Cajun seasoning is easy to make, there are several ingredients that are considered staples to a good Cajun mix. Black pepper, salt, cayenne, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder are the base of any great Cajun spice blend.
- Paprika - 4 tablespoons of paprika. Both regular and smoked paprika work quite well in this spice blend.
- Cayenne Powder - 2 tablespoons of cayenne. This adds a lot of heat, feel free to experiment with this one! Dial up the heat with more cayenne, use less to tone down the heat, or omit it entirely if you're not feeling spicy.
- Garlic Powder -1 tablespoon of garlic powder. A tasty kick of that unique garlic flavor.
- Onion Powder - 1 tablespoon of onion powder. A great boost of sweet and savory onion adds depth of flavor.
- Dried Oregano - 1 tablespoon of dried oregano. (You can sub out the dried oregano and thyme for Italian seasoning too!) I love the earthy flavor of oregano, the sweet but spicy kick that it adds is perfect in this spice blend!
- Dried Thyme - 2 teaspoons of dried thyme. Another earthy herb, thyme adds a hint of both mint and lemon to the mix. Try adding some dried lemon zest or lemon pepper to boost this tasty herb!
- Salt (optional) - ½ tablespoon of salt. I typically use Kosher or a pink Himalayan salt but use whatever you have on hand.
- Pepper - ½ tablespoon of ground black pepper. White or black, course or ground all work for this spice blend. A combo of ground black pepper and white pepper is good too.
- Cumin - ½ teaspoon of cumin.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional) - ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Again, this adds a good amount of heat to the blend. Adjust for your preferences.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Cajun Seasoning
The instructions are really straightforward. The most important part of making your Cajun seasoning is to taste, experiment, and make it your own!
This recipe will yield about ¾ cup of seasoning, so you'll have plenty for now and later!
- Gather and measure. Gather all ingredients and measure them out into a small bowl (4 tablespoons of paprika, 2 tablespoons of cayenne, 1 tablespoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano, ½ tablespoon each of salt and pepper, 2 teaspoons of dried thyme, and ½ teaspoon of both cumin and red pepper flakes).
- Mix thoroughly. Mix the combined spices until evenly distributed.
- Use or store for later. Place any unused portion into an air-tight container for future use.
Use this seasoning mix in any of your favorite Cajun recipes! Try out some grilled Cajun alligator bites! Enjoy!
💭 Tips & Notes
- Shake, stir, or mix up the spice blend before use. Your ingredients may have settled during storage, so it's a great idea to give it a quick shake to get all of your spices evenly distributed throughout the seasoning mix.
- Adjust those flavors, if you love hot add more red pepper flakes and cayenne! Like it smoky? Use the smoked paprika!
- Experiment with hotter peppers if you want. Try some 7-pot chili powder, ghost peppers, or the newest super-hot pepper, Carolina reapers.
- Any salt works for this recipe, or if you prefer, you can omit the salt and just add it to your dish after it cooks. Omitting the salt in the seasoning blend means that you can control the amount of salt in future dishes more easily. This is a great bonus when you're working with recipe ingredients that are already salty!
🥡 Storing
To store your remaining Cajun spice blend, transfer it into a glass spice jar or airtight container.
Keep your seasoning in a cool, dark place, and for best results use the seasoning mix within 6 months. Even though spices technically last an extremely long time (years and years), all spices will lose their potency over time.
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❓ FAQ
No, they're not. While they hail from the same region, Creole seasoning uses more herbs and has French influences. Herbs and spices like basil, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and parsley are commonly used in Creole spice mixes.
Cajun seasoning incorporates more peppers into the mix. Spices like black pepper, white pepper, bell peppers, and cayenne. Take a look at my post on Cajun vs Creole.
While neither is meant to be 'hot' or particularly spicy, Cajun would incorporate more peppers in the ingredients.
Cajun seasoning typically uses spices such as cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes, which could contribute some heat. However, it is easy to customize your own homemade blend by adjusting how much cayenne or red pepper flakes you add!
😋 Bold Cajun Recipes
- Cajun Dipping Sauce - A zesty dipping sauce that can be added to sandwiches, used as dip, and more!
- Cajun Cabbage Stew - This tasty stew features sausage, cabbage, peppers, onions, and tons of flavor!
- Cajun Seafood Boil - Fantastic for entertaining, this seafood boil includes crawfish, shrimp, corn, sausage, potatoes, and more!
- Cajun Sausage Pasta - A one-pot pasta dish with a creamy and bold sauce!
- Cajun Fries - Zesty French fries that are perfect for snacking on!
- Cajun Shrimp - Tender and buttery shrimp that is ready to enjoy in only 10 minutes!
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📖 Recipe Card
Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
- 2 tablespoon cayenne powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon salt (optional, to taste)
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper (or a combo of ground black pepper and white pepper)
- 2 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Measure all of the ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and use or store.4 tablespoon paprika, 2 tablespoon cayenne powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, ½ tablespoon salt, ½ tablespoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Store remaining Cajun seasoning in an airtight spice jar or container. Shake before using.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- Shake, stir, or mix up the spice blend before use. Your ingredients may have settled during storage, so it's a great idea to give it a quick shake to get all of your spices evenly distributed throughout the seasoning mix.
- Adjust those flavors, if you love hot add more red pepper flakes and cayenne! Like it smoky? Use the smoked paprika!
- Experiment with hotter peppers if you want. Try some 7-pot chili powder, ghost peppers, or the newest super-hot pepper, Carolina reapers.
- Any salt works for this recipe, or if you prefer, you can omit the salt and just add it to your dish after it cooks. Omitting the salt in the seasoning blend means that you can control the amount of salt in future dishes more easily. This is a great bonus when you're working with recipe ingredients that are already salty!
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
nedim bajrami says
odlican!(excellent!)
Kevin says
This Cajun seasoning is delicious!
Christiane says
Merci. J'utilise ce mélange cajun dans mon jambalaya de Louisiane et c'est super bon
"Thank you. I use this Cajun blend in my Louisiana jambalaya and it's super good."
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Fantastique! Je suis ravie que l'assaisonnement vous plaise !
Fantastic! I'm so glad you enjoy the seasoning!