Homemade Cajun Seasoning Recipe

Spice up your life (and your dinner) with this bold, zesty homemade Cajun seasoning recipe that packs just the right amount of kick! It’s smoky, savory, and a little spicy, the perfect blend for jazzing up everything from shrimp and chicken to veggies and fries.

For more homemade spice blends, make my Pot Roast Seasoning and Chicken taco seasoning! 

I’m a huge proponent of making my own spice blends. It’s a quick way to customize flavors to you own liking.

This homemade cajun seasoning recipe combines common spices that you likely already have in your kitchen and tastes better, fresher, and is more flavorful than store-bought mixes. And I stand 10 toes down on that! 

I’m no stranger to cajun cooking, so you know that I live for bold flavor. This blend of spices provides a nice punch of flavor that goes with just about any dish!

You can use it in a multitude of my cajun recipes but it’s also good on french fries with a dash of hot sauce or even cajun chicken and rice or crab legs.

So open up your spice drawer, let’s make your favorite seasoning blend! 

Spices You’ll Need 

(quantities listed in the recipe card below)

• Smoked Paprika gives the seasoning its deep red color, a sweet-smoky backbone, and that earthy warmth you expect in Cajun spice blends. It also helps balance the heat from the peppers.
• Seasoned Salt provides the salty foundation that ties the flavors together and enhances every other spice in the mix. It adds a great depth of flavor that you don’t get from a kosher salt or iodized salt etc. 
• Onion Powder adds a subtle sweetness that balances out all of the other flavors.
• Garlic Powder brings that punchy, savory flavor that Cajun food is famous for, working as a strong aromatic backbone alongside onion powder.
• Cayenne Pepper the main source of heat, giving that fiery kick. The amount controls the spice level of the mix. Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper this to your liking depending on how hot you want your cajun spice mix to be.
• White Pepper and Black Pepper – this combination is a great way to pack in the heat without being overly spicy. The black pepper is more subtle while white pepper adds a earthy flavor and slightly floral undertone.
• Oregano contributes an herby, slightly peppery bitterness that balances the smokiness and spice. It’s a key flavor note in Cajun and Creole seasoning.
• Dried Thyme is a subtle, woodsy herb that plays well with oregano and basil to create that signature Southern herbal note.
• Basil adds freshness, softening the sharpness s of the bolder spices.

Substitutions and Variations 

• Add as much cayenne pepper as you can handle! If you don’t like hot and spicy food, start with a 1/2 tsp and increase. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take it away once its added! This is your own seasoning, customize it to your heat level.
•  Low sodium option – omit the seasoned salt entirely so that you can control the amount of salt in your food.
• If you don’t have smoked paprika, use sweet or regular paprika. 
• Add lemon zest – this adds tons of flavor and goes really well with the dried herbs. This isn’t traditional in Cajun cuisine but it is delicious! 
• If you don’t have white pepper, just add more black pepper instead in equal amounts.

How to Make Cajun Seasoning 

Combine smoked paprika, seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper (or black pepper), oregano, dried thyme, and basil in a small bowl. Mix together and add to an airtight container. Store in at room temperature in a dark place (spice cabinet) for up to 6 months. 

How To Use Homemade Cajun Seasoning 

I put this homemade seasoning blend on EVERYTHING. Not even kidding. I use it in my seafood gumbo, chicken and sausage gumbo, cajun seafood boil, shrimp creole, cajun shrimp and grits, and even hot honey chicken wings.

If you’re making a quick weeknight dinner, sprinkle a little of the blend for more flavor. If you’re marinating something like in my buttermilk fried chicken, adding a tablespoon also amps up the flavor which really seeps into every bite! 

Best part, you can add this to any savory dish and it’ll add a spicy kick. There’s so many delicious ways to enjoy this blend! 

Tips

• For optimal flavor, use fresh spices! 
• Use a spice grinder to mix everything together for a more uniform texture. 
• Store It Right! Keep in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place. Avoid storing near the stove, the heat and light make spices fade faster.

Recipe FAQs

More Homemade Seasoning Blends

Thanksgiving

Pot Roast Seasoning

Main Course

Chicken Taco Seasoning

Main Course

Homemade Blackened Seasoning

Desserts

Pumpkin Pie Spice