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Summary
The cajun spice blend that is the key to perfect blackened chicken and fish.
The issue with most blackened seasonings you find today, aside from the spices being old and tasteless, is that they add salt and pepper to their mix, so it is easy to under/over salt your proteins and the black pepper loses all its aromatic magic. Our version is the perfect blend designed for you to salt and pepper your food first, so you get perfect seasoning every time. Heat levels are present but mild, tolerable for most toddlers. If you want a good kick, just up the cayenne to fit your preferences.
25
Grams5
minutes6
kcal5
minutesThe cajun spice blend that is the key to perfect blackened chicken and fish.
Ingredients
7 g 1 tbsp paprika
5 g ½ tbsp garlic granules
2.5 g 1 tsp onion granules
0.4 g ½ tsp dried thyme
0.2 g ½ tsp dried oregano
0.5 g ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
Directions
Before We Start
Adjusting heat levels: For a no-heat version, skip the cayenne pepper. If you want it hotter, double the amount. Our recipe is on the milder side to make it palatable for most people.Mix the Spices
In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic granules, onion granules, thyme, oregano, and cayenne. Whisk until evenly combined.
Store
Funnel into an airtight jar, label, and date. Store up to 1 month for peak flavor.Use
To use the spice blend, lightly coat fish, chicken, or vegetables with a high-heat neutral oil like avocado oil, salt and pepper both sides of the meat then sprinkle the blackened seasoning (cajun seasoning) evenly on both sides of the food. We recommend 1 tsp per serving (such as 1 fillet or chicken breast). Pat the seasoning into the food.
To cook, use a generous amount of oil at a medium-high heat to develop a nice crust without burning it. Finish with melted, cold, unsalted butter.
See our blackened chicken recipe and blackened fish recipes for more details.
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Additional Details About This Recipe
Is blackened seasoning the same as cajun seasoning and creole seasoning?
They’re not technically the same, but they’re closely related and often used interchangeably—which is why we generally refer to ours as a Cajun seasoning as well. We rarely use anything other than our blackened seasoning blend as our Cajun spice mix.
From an ingredient standpoint, the differences come down to balance, not purpose:
- Blackened seasoning is heavy on paprika with some dried herbs. It is designed to form a blackened crust with a little heat.
- Cajun seasoning uses the same core spices but with a more even balance between the ground peppers, garlic, and onion, and is typically light in herbs.
- Creole seasoning includes that same pepper base but consistently adds dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, and basil. It has the most dried herbs.
Because the foundational spices are the same, all three can be used interchangeably in most cooking. The difference is simply how pepper-forward or herb-forward the blend is.
Why no salt and black pepper in the blend?
Leaving out salt lets you season proteins separately so you don’t under/over salt it. Black pepper has certain aromatic compounds that dissipate after a short time. Black pepper is most flavorful freshly cracked, so it should not be added to a spice blend directly unless you plan to use all of it immediately.
Why not smoked paprika?
Regular paprika is ideal because of the cooking method. Smoked paprika tends to burn easier and develop more acrid bitter notes.
How spicy will it be?
Mild-medium. Double the cayenne for true heat lovers.
Nutritional Facts (per teaspoon)
Values are approximate and based on the weighted average of ground spices.
- Calories: 6
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Sodium: 0 mg