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This homemade Cajun Seasoning blend is a tasty, versatile mix of common spices you probably already have on hand. Great on meats, pasta, veggies, and more!

Cajun seasoning spices on a white plate.
Table of Contents
  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Cajun Seasoning Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Cajun seasoning spices on a white plate.

Ingredient notes

  • Paprika: Both sweet and smoked paprika work here.
  • Italian seasoning: To make your own, add 1 ½ teaspoons EACH of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. If you’re missing one, just leave it out.
  • Salt: Add salt to taste (I like 2 tablespoons), or leave it out of the blend and salt your individual dishes as you go.
  • Cayenne pepper: Dial the heat up or down with more or less cayenne pepper (omit it entirely if you don’t like spicy food).

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, thyme, and onion powder. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes ¾ cup seasoning.
  • Storage: Store covered in a dark, cool place for up to 6 months.
  • Marinade: To make a marinade for 2 pounds of steak, chicken, or pork, whisk together ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon or lime juice, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and and 1 tablespoon seasoning. Marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. Pat meat dry before cooking.
  • More Cajun flavors: Depending on what you are cooking, consider adding green bell peppers, onion, and celery (the “holy trinity”), okra, tomatoes, mint, parsley, and hot sauce (especially Tabasco). Pepper jelly is classic, too.

Great recipes for Cajun seasoning

Cajun seasoning spices on a white plate.

Cajun Seasoning

This homemade Cajun Seasoning blend is a tasty, versatile mix of common spices you probably already have on hand. Great on meats, pasta, veggies, and more!
5 from 27 votes
ReviewPin0Print
Prep Time 1 min
Total Time 1 min
Servings 36 servings (1 teaspoon each)
Course Pantry
Cuisine American
Calories 5

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons paprika (see note 1)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (see note 2)
  • 2 tablespoons Salt optional (see note 3)
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (see note 4)
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, thyme, and onion powder. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Paprika: Both sweet and smoked paprika work here.
  2. Italian seasoning: To make your own, add 1 ½ teaspoons EACH of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. If you’re missing one, just leave it out.
  3. Salt: Add salt to taste (I like 2 tablespoons), or leave it out of the blend and salt your individual dishes as you go.
  4. Cayenne pepper: Dial the heat up or down with more or less cayenne pepper (omit it entirely if you don’t like spicy food).
  5. Yield: This recipe makes ¾ cup seasoning.
  6. Storage: Store covered in a dark, cool place for up to 6 months.
  7. Marinade: To make a marinade for 2 pounds of steak, chicken, or pork, whisk together ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon or lime juice, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and and 1 tablespoon seasoning. Marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. Pat meat dry before cooking.
  8. More Cajun flavors: Depending on what you are cooking, consider adding green bell peppers, onion, and celery (the “holy trinity”), okra, tomatoes, mint, parsley, and hot sauce (especially Tabasco). Pepper jelly is classic, too.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tspCalories: 5kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 389mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 354IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
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Comments

  1. I read through the comments and I want to have a taste of the Cajun seasoning in my meal, but my country is a tropical West Africa country. We don’t have oregano, paprika and marjoram. What else can I do?

    Reply

    1. Hi Adaobi, thank you for your question! I would see what is locally available to you to substitute those flavors. For example, is there a chili powder that is smoky and mild available locally that would be similar to paprika? And for the Italian seasoning ingredients, if you can’t replace them, omit them! The other flavors- basil, rosemary, and thyme, are each flavorful on their own. I hope this helps! Enjoy – Meggan

  2. Looking forward to using this tonight in my homemade red beans and rice. Discovered the Cajun seasoning I had bought from the store added “natural smoke flavor” which I find to be very unpleasant – huge disappointment. Glad I caught it and made this in a pinch!

    Reply

  8. Scrumptious! I followed the recipe exactly (well, ok, I did use only a teaspoon of cayenne pepper) and my creamy cajun chicken dish tasted superb. Thank you for the cajun seasoning recipe.

    Reply

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