This homemade Cajun Seasoning recipe is the perfect blend of zesty, spicy, savory flavors that are sure to kick any dish up a delicious notch.
Do you guys have a jar of Cajun seasoning in your spice drawer right now?
If not, grab your measuring spoons and let’s make a quick batch homemade! Cajun seasoning has long been one of my go-to faves for amping up everything from chicken to seafood, veggies to potatoes, soups to stir-frys, dips to dippers, roasting in the oven or on the grill — you name it. It’s one of those brilliant spice blends that works well with just about everything. And this particular bold, zesty, and homemade Cajun seasoning blend is my all-time fave.
It only takes a few minutes to make, and I bet you already have the ingredients in your spice drawer.
Let’s do it!
Cajun Seasoning Recipe | 1-Minute Video
What Is Cajun Seasoning?
Alright but first, let’s back up a sec. Exactly what is Cajun seasoning, you might ask? It’s a rustic seasoning blend that hails from Louisiana, the home of delicious Cajun cuisine. Everyone tends to have their own spin on it, but in general, it’s a spicy blend featuring lots of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, pepper and oregano. Various other seasonings can be added to taste. I’ve also included salt in my blend, so that you can use the seasoning on its own. But you’re welcome to leave the salt out if you would prefer to add it separately to taste.
Cajun Seasoning Ingredients:
My homemade Cajun seasoning recipe calls for:
- paprika (I prefer using smoked paprika)
- kosher salt
- garlic powder
- ground black pepper
- ground white pepper
- onion powder
- dried oregano
- cayenne
- thyme
How To Make Cajun Seasoning:
To make Cajun seasoning, simply mix all of the spices up in a jar and cover with a lid. Then the seasoning blend should keep for up to 1 year.
How To Use Homemade Cajun Seasoning:
Stay tuned, because I have a yummy new Cajun recipe coming on the blog tomorrow, which would be a fantastic way to take this seasoning for a first test run. I also regularly use it to season everything from jambalaya to roasted sheet pan dinners to stir-frys, soups, kabobs and more. It especially pairs well with:
- Proteins: Chicken, fish, shellfish, pork, steak and tofu.
- Veggies: Especially roasted or in stir-fries. Also, Cajun seasoning is fantastic on all kinds of potatoes (baked, roasted, fries, etc
- Dips: It’s delicious stirred into everything from hummus, queso, spinach artichoke dip…even guacamole!
- Breads and crackers: It’s delicious sprinkled onto flatbread, pita chips, or various other kinds of breads.
A few particular recipes I would recommend include:
- Jambalaya
- Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Casserole
- Jambalaya Soup
- The BEST Stovetop Mac and Cheese (stir in an extra tablespoon or two!)
Have fun, play around with this seasoning, and I bet you’ll discover some new faves of your own! Enjoy!
Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons paprika (I prefer smoked paprika)
- 2 tablespoons fine kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or spice jar until evenly combined.
- Use immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 1 year.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
use this for gumbo (without the salt)! it was too spicy for everyone but me, but the spice calmed down after the gumbo cooled and reheated.
Absolutely perfect recipe, my family loved it in our creamy cajun pasta with shrimp. I added only a half a tbsp of cayenne because we’re such lightweights, and my family thought it was perfect. Thank you for providing this recipe.
10/10. made pasta with this seasoning and it was ALSO 10/10.
I just sent this recipe to my son in Canada. He says he can’t find cajun seasoning there.
Yep ~ another keeper from you! I used 2 T smoked 1 regular paprika. Didn’t have white pepper but it’s plenty spicy & I like spicy! Delicious! Then added 1 tsp ground cumin but think I prefer your version best. Thank you.
I halved the cayenne pepper and it is the right spice heat for us. Lovely
So glad I found this — it is hard to find blends without salt. Thanks!
Instead of thyme, I put in 2 T Italian seasoning (idea from another recipe). I was coughing and sneezing by the time I was done making it! Also, funny thing. I bought Cajun Seasoning 25 years ago and had hardly used it, but about 4 months ago, I made blackened Tilapia with Garlic Aioli for my family and everyone loved it, and they want me to make it every couple weeks. So we used the whole container of 25 year old seasoning in the last 4 months… and it made great blackened Tilapia!
So today we were making the same recipe and realized we didn’t have any more Cajun Seasoning… so I made this recipe. I would say that it was fabulous and worked as well or slightly better than the commercially made spice mix. Thank you! This filled my empty bottle and this time it will only last 4 months since we love this dish so much. For anyone interested… it’s super easy and delicious!
Blackened Tilapia Recipe, Preheat oven to 400 F. Serves 4
First make the aioli. If you’re in a hurry, an easy and still delicious recipe is to just add 2 medium minced garlic cloves per 2 oz mayo), but if you have more time, this is great:
Garlic Aioli
1/2 cup mayo
2 very large minced garlic clove or 4 medium
4 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Tilapia:1.5 pounds tilapia
Salt and pepper both sides.
Sprinkle ~ 1 1/2 T. cajun seasoning on fish… A light sprinkle will cover both sides.
Bake 13 minutes, check for doneness (cut a piece at fattest part to be sure it is white and flaky). Keep baking a little longer if it is not yet done. I usually end up baking it 15 minutes.
Bon apetit!
This is a Creole recipe, not Cajun, and I’ve not ever seen jalapeños in Creole Jambalaya before either. Neither Cajun Jambalaya or gumbo have tomatoes but Creole recipes do. Not to say that Creole recipes aren’t good because they can be, but it’s like calling Chop Suey Chinese when it is an American created food.
To clarify: Creole food is from the parishes (counties) around New Orleans and Cajun food is from the areas in South Central Louisiana west of the Mississippi.
Thank you..