Add bold flavor to your favorite dishes with this easy homemade blackened seasoning recipe! A perfect blend of smoky, spicy, and savory spices, this versatile mix is great for seasoning chicken, fish, shrimp, or even veggies.
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If you love stocking your pantry with homemade seasoning blends, be sure to try our favorite all-purpose seasoning (“house seasoning”) and this bbq rub, too!
Blackened Seasoning Adds Bold Flavor to Your Meal
Closely associated with Cajun cuisine, blackened seasoning has Creole influences as well. It was popularized by Chef Paul Prudhomme in the 1980s as part of his blackened fish technique, where protein (typically fish, chicken, or shrimp) is coated in the seasoning and then seared in a hot cast iron skillet. The blackened seasoning recipe is similar to a traditional Cajun seasoning, but typically has a smokier, spicier profile thanks to the smoked paprika and cayenne.
Making your own blackened seasoning blend at home offers a number of benefits. First, you can control the heat, adding as much or as little cayenne as your family prefers. It’s affordable, and you can make just enough for a meal or two without purchasing an entire bottle that might go bad before you have time to use it up. Best of all, the recipe is incredibly easy, only requires 4 pantry staples (plus salt and pepper), and is ready in about 5 minutes.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Smoked paprika is a hallmark of blackened seasoning. You won’t get an authentic flavor with regular sweet paprika.
- Cayenne gives the blackening spice its heat. If your family prefers a mild meal, decrease (or even omit) this ingredient. Similarly, you can add extra cayenne if you want it really spicy.
- This recipe yields 4 teaspoons of seasoning, or enough for about 1 lb. of meat or seafood.
- Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe so that you have enough seasoning to store in your pantry for future meals.
How to Make this Blackening Seasoning Recipe
It only takes about 5 minutes to stir together these six simple ingredients: cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Use it right away for supper, or make extra to keep in your pantry or another cool, dark place for up to six months.
How to Use Blackened Seasoning
Blackened seasoning is very versatile! Use it for blackened chicken, blackened shrimp, or blackened fish like this easy blackened salmon. It’s great to rub on steak or pork chops before searing in a cast iron skillet. You might also like the seasoning on roasted veggies, or on grilled corn or corn on the cob in the oven. Try making blackened fish tacos, add the seasoning to a Cajun mac and cheese, add it to French fries or roasted potatoes for some extra kick, or sprinkle it on scrambled eggs, omelets, or a breakfast hash. While it’s less traditional, you can also use the seasoning mix to grill fish, poultry, pork, and beef.
Blackened Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (omit or decrease for a mild flavor)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl or jar. Cover or seal until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Swap out the smoked paprika and instead use sweet paprika for a milder, slightly sweeter taste. Similarly, you could increase the smoked paprika to 1 teaspoon for a bolder smoky taste. Add ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder for a rich, smoky heat.
- Use more or less cayenne depending on how spicy you like it.
- Include white pepper for a sharp, spicy bite.
- Add herbs like 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon dried thyme for a classic Cajun-style twist. A pinch of dried basil can enhance the depth of flavor.
- For a sweet-and-spicy profile, add ½ teaspoon brown sugar. A dash of cinnamon or allspice can create a more complex, warm spice blend.
- Create a more savory, umami flavor with ½ teaspoon onion powder for extra depth, ¼ teaspoon ground mustard for a subtle tang, or a pinch of ground celery seed for a unique earthy note.
More Cajun Recipes to Try
Cajun Shrimp Pasta Alfredo
40 minutes mins
Crockpot Gumbo with Chicken, Sausage, & Shrimp
4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Cajun Sausage Pasta
1 hour hr
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