This cajun seasoning recipe is so simple, you likely already have all the spices to make it in your pantry.
Recipe highlights
Cajun seasoning is super easy to make at home, and chances are that once you make your own, you will never want to go back to store-bought. It only takes minutes to make, and you will most likely already have all of these spices in your pantry. This seasoning is a great way to change up your regular recipes. Check out my archive of main dish recipes for lots of ideas to use this powerhouse of a spice blend.
Having grown up eating spicy, flavorful food and always making my own curry powder, I took to Cajun cuisine like a duck to water. But cajun cuisine isn’t just about spicy, peppery heat. It’s quite a bit more subtle than that.
What is cajun seasoning?
Originating from Louisiana, cajun seasoning is a simple blend of spices that perks up any dish that you use it in with its robust, peppery, zesty flavor profile. While cajun and creole food may seem the same and the words interchangeable to an outsider looking in, they are not quite the same. And unless you call Louisiana home, it might not even be something that bothers you.
How to make cajun seasoning
This easy homemade cajun seasoning that I’m sharing with you today is a simple blend of paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, crushed red pepper, thyme and oregano.
The combination of these spices make for a delicious, spicy and earthy spice mix. Plus, these herbs are so easy to find so you can make the spice blend easily at home, and you can customize it to your taste too.
You can of course use store-bought cajun seasoning, if you already have it in your pantry. But to me, this homemade seasoning tastes that much better, and of course it doesn’t have any MSG or any of the other synthetic stuff.
I’ve added my own little twist to it (cayenne pepper), to give it more punch, but you can substitute the cayenne pepper with more paprika, if you prefer a spice mix with less spice.
I used this easy homemade cajun seasoning (or cajun spice blend) to make this creamy cajun chicken and sausage pasta featuring, cajun-style blackened chicken and andouille sausage.
A flavorful, spicy, peppery dish that’s great for weeknight or weekend dinners. I’ve also made this juicy oven roasted turkey breast with the same cajun seasoning.
While homemade cajun seasonings may have small variations from family to family, this particular blend of spices is one I love, and always guarantees flavorful, smoky, spicy, zesty dishes!
And as you may notice, I don’t add any salt in this recipe, because I don’t like to add salt to my spice blends until I actually use it in a recipe.
This ensures that you can season your food to your liking when cooking with this cajun spice blend. But you’re more than welcome to add salt until you get the right combination when making this cajun seasoning at home, if you prefer.
I can safely say that this cajun spice mix is by far my favorite blend of cajun spices. I seem to want to put it on everything! This creamy chicken and sausage cajun pasta is just one example, and how about this blackened shrimp and avocado toast?
