Homemade Blackened Seasoning

Blackened seasoning is all the spice without too much heat! This seasoning has a delicious, mouthwatering, Cajun taste that will take your food to the next level!

This homemade spice is so quick and easy, you can whip some up right now to make sure that you never go without it! It can be used in so many recipes! In fact, if you love cajun food, be sure to try this Blackened Chicken, Grilled Blackened Salmon Tacos, and One Pan Southwest Blackened Cajun Chicken.

Blackened Seasoning Recipe

If you love Cajon food but want to know the difference between all of the spices, I am here to help you! There are usually 3 different spices that are used for Cajun cooking. Cajun Seasoning, blackened Seasoning, and Creole seasoning. Cajun seasoning will be your spiciest option with the most amount of heat. Creole seasoning is a mixture of herbs that is mild in heat. Blackened seasoning falls directly in the middle! It still offers a little bit of heat but a whole lot of taste! It definitely is a “WOW” factor flavor and really takes your food to the next level!

Known for its foods that have so much mouthwatering flavor, this spice hails from New Orleans! You are probably most familiar with tasting blackened seasoning on shrimp and seafood. But you can use this in so many recipes that I honestly can’t think of any vegetable or meat that you couldn’t put this on and make it better! I recommend doubling it and keeping it in your spice cupboard so that you always have it on hand! It will dazzle you with its magic and you will go crazy over all of the recipes that you add this to!

What You Need to Make Easy Blackened Seasoning

You probably already have all of these ingredients in your spice cupboard! That makes the decision of whether to whip this up or not an easy yes! This recipe is simple and takes 5 minutes from start to finish. When you are done, you will have yourself a delicious, versatile spice that can be used in so many recipes! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

Paprika: This balances out the heat in the dish!
Onion and garlic powder: You need both for this to taste amazing so don’t try and just use one and not the other!
Cayenne pepper: Add or take away the cayenne pepper depending on if you want more or less heat!
Thyme, basil and oregano: These dried herbs add depth to this seasoning.
Salt and pepper: These really bring out the other flavors and blend everything together.

Let’s Make Homemade Blackened Seasoning!

Set aside 5 minutes and you will have an amazing blackened seasoning mix right at your fingertips! And you won’t even have to go to the store! This saves money and let’s be honest… homemade is always better!

Mix: Combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, thyme, basil, oregano, pepper and salt. Store in an air tight container.

Different Ways to Make Blackened Seasoning

Homemade spices are my very favorite because you have complete control over your end result! You can change up the heat level, make it taste more earthy, and also make how much you need or want! Here are a couple of tips for changing things up with this blackened seasoning to make it fit your needs!

Cayenne: This is the spice in the recipe that is going to really bring on the heat. If you love it, add a little bit at a time until the heat reaches your desired level. If you don’t love heat, put less in!
Paprika: If you want to make this a little bit unique, use smoked paprika instead! It will really pack some smokey flavor into this spice making it especially good for meats and seafoods!
Cajon recipes: This seasoning is pretty interchangable with Cajun seasoning so if you have a recipe that calls for that and you don’t have it then you can use this instead! And vice versa!

Close up of blackened seasoning with a wooden spoon.

How to Store Leftover Blackened Seasoning in a Jar

Storing this blackened seasoning the right way will be the key to its freshness! You should always store this in an airtight container. Make sure the container isn’t too big because you don’t want a lot of air in there with the seasoning. You can use a leftover spice jar or order some new empty ones and make a bunch of homemade spices at once! You should properly label your jar with the name of the spice and the date that you made it. It will last in your cupboard or drawer (make sure it’s in a cool, dry space) for about 1-2 years!