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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!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
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
Casserole Recipes
One Pot Cajun Pasta
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Cajun Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
How to Make Rotisserie Chicken
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Sheet Pan Clam Bake
Cajun Seasoning
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
- 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).
- 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.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
Thank you for providing the ingredients for Cajun seasoning! I only needed a small amount for a recipe of shrimp gumbo that I wanted to make on a snowy winter day, so simply used 1/4 teaspoon for each tablespoon of ingredient in the recipe and ended up the perfect amount for the recipe with only a small amount of extra to be sprinkled on for anyone who wanted additional seasoning.
Sounds amazing, Debbie! You’re welcome! – Meggan
I live in Mexico now, from north Carolina it’s hard to find Cajun seasoning here thanks for the recipe I look forward to trying it
You’re welcome, Ann! Take care! – Meggan
The real thang ya’ll!
Thanks, Don! – Meggan
Sounds great.
Love this recipe and breaks it down so it’s so easy and less stressful. They have it all laid out for you all you really have to do it just enjoy it because it’s like authentic fried green tomatoes remumoled sauce. Thank you so much for sharing this
Thanks Natalie, so glad you liked it! – Meggan