When you open your spice cabinet to make a delicious blackened dish only to find you are out of Cajun seasoning you are going to love how quick and easy it is to make our substitute for Cajun seasoning. We are combining paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and a few other ingredients to make this delicious homemade Creole seasoning in just a few minutes so you can get back to making your WHOLE LOTTA YUM Cajun-inspired dishes!
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Cajun Seasoning Substitute
Whether we are making up a batch of blackened chicken wings, a hearty dish of red beans and rice, or sitting down to a mouthwatering bowl of gumbo, the one thing all of these recipes need to be delicious and authentic is Cajun seasoning. But sometimes I need a quick, DIY Cajun seasoning substitute that tastes just like the real deal because once the cooking starts there just isn't time to run to the store.
Homemade Cajun seasoning is not the only spice combination we are making from scratch and we'd love to for you see just how easy it can be to make your own Italian season blend as well as this authentic blackened seasoning at home.
You can use our substitute for Cajun seasoning in any recipe that calls for this delicious seasoning blend, including our Cajun slow cooked kielbasa as well as Cajun dry rub wings.
Why You'll Love This!
- You can whip up a batch of our Cajun seasoning substitute in under 5-minutes.
- By making your own homemade Cajun seasoning blend you can easily control just how spicy the mixture is.
- With a blend of cayenne, paprika, garlic, onion, thyme, and more, our Cajun spice mix rivals the brands you know and love including McCormick, Zatarain's, Tony Chachere's, and Old Bay!
- Easily half or double the recipe depending on how often you are cooking up Creole-inspired foods.
Ingredient Notes
The key to an amazing spice mixture is to start with amazing spices. Be sure your individual spices, the thyme, oregano, cayenne, paprika, and others, still bursting with flavor before combining them into your substitute for Cajun seasoning.
- paprika - we use sweet paprika but you can use smoked paprika if you prefer
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- salt - fine sea salt
- black pepper - fresh ground when possible
- cayenne pepper - can be increased or decreased depending on how spicy or non-spicy you like your Cajun seasoning
- dried thyme
- dried oregano
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **
Step by Step Instructions
You can make your own homemade Cajuns seasoning blend in less than 5-minutes with our quick and easy recipe. Simply measure the correct amounts of each individual ingredient and then combine. Remember to store your Cajun seasoning substitute in a sealed container or jar.
Assemble
Add all of the dried herbs spices to a small bowl or jar and combine. Feel free to alter the amount of each ingredient slightly to create your own unique blend.
Store
We like to store all of our homemade seasonings in 4 oz mason jars with lids. Store it in a cool dark place at room temperature for up to a year.
Recipe Tips
- You can easily adapt your DIY Cajun seasoning to fit your unique tastes by increasing or decreasing the amount of each spice. For example, if you prefer a non-spicy Cajun seasoning blend, decrease the amount of cayenne pepper.
- Store your homemade spice blends in air-tight containers, such as lidded mason jars, for up to one year.
- Due to settling that may occur, stir or shake your Cajun seasoning replacement before each use.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe.
Common Questions
No, but the terms are often used interchangeably. Cajun seasoning is a popular flavoring from Louisiana that is used to season meats and seafood, as well as soups and stews.
Blackened is a cooking method that entails taking a Cajun-type rub and seasoning both sides of either chicken or seafood then searing it. You can use Cajun seasoning, both homemade and storebought, to make blackened chicken or seafood.
When stored in an airtight container, your dried spices will last for 6-12 months. They can be stored and used longer, but often will begin to lose their potency after a year.
More Spice Substitutes
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Substitute for Cajun Seasoning (Recipe + Swaps)
A homemade Cajun seasoning recipe that's a quick and easy DIY way to make Cajun spice when you run out and need it for your Creole cooking. Get our Cajun spice recipe AND easy substitutes you can use in a pinch!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt (fine sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine all spice mix ingredients.
- Pour the Cajun seasoning into a small airtight container with a lid like a 4 oz mason jar. Store it in a cool dark place at room temperature for up to a year.
Notes
If you like Cajun seasoning with lots of heat use 1 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper. or you can cut it back to ½ teaspoon.
We used sweet paprika but you can use smoked paprika if you prefer.
If you love to cook Cajun or Creole-inspired recipes, why not double the spice mix since it'll keep for up to a year.
Use Cajun seasoning as a blackened seasoning to coat prawns, crab legs, or chicken wings, use it red beans and rice, gumbo, for a seafood boil, sprinkle the Cajun seasoning recipe over fries or boiled peanuts, or add it to any recipe to give it a spicy kick.
Nutrition Information
Yield 18 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 6Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 236mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
The nutrional information is just an estimate and was calculated by an automated calculator. If you're on a restricted health program please manually calculate this information using the brands of ingredients you have since brands can vary.
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