This is the Seafood Boil Seasoning that's always stocked in the pantry. It's bold, smoky, and heat-forward, built on two paprikas and a serious lineup of peppers, with thyme and a little ground coriander rounding everything out. Our favorite is that it's salt-free, so you stay in charge of exactly how seasoned your boils are without making them too salty. Make one jar, and you'll reach for it every time the pot comes out.
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This Cajun Style Seafood Boil Seasoning Is Our Favorite!🦐
Your seafood boil is only as good as your seafood boil sauce, and the sauce is only as good as your seasoning blend. 😉We built this blend for boils and everything around them. If you already keep our all-purpose Cajun seasoning on hand, think of this as its seafood-loving cousin: more paprika, more pepper dimensions, and that coriander note tuned for shellfish. It's salt-free, so you stay in charge of how seasoned everything ends up, which is a huge plus for us, cuz we can keep packing in flavor without worrying about things getting salty.
The two paprikas, smoked and sweet, give it a deep red-orange color and a smoky backbone, and a layered mix of cayenne, red pepper flakes, and black and white pepper brings heat that builds warm rather than sharp. Thyme leads the herbs, followed closely by oregano, and a little ground coriander adds a citrusy note that seafood loves.
It's the seasoning behind our Garlic Butter Seafood Boil Foil Packets for Two, and once you have a jar going, it works its way into weeknight shrimp and roasted potatoes, too.
The Spices That Go Into Cajun Seafood Seasoning ✨
Nothing here is hard to find, and most of it is probably in your cabinet already. The two paprikas are doing double duty for both color and flavor, and the coriander is the quiet secret weapon.
How to Make Cajun Seafood Boil Seasoning ✨
This could not be simpler. You are measuring, grinding one thing, and whisking. That is the whole job.
- Step 1: Start with the coriander. If you have whole seeds, add them to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
Grind them until you have a coarse powder.
On the corainder: We let some of our cilantro bolt and go to seed in the garden, then save those seeds for cooking, and grinding them fresh makes the citrusy note so much brighter. Whole coriander seeds keep for years in the pantry, so it's worth grinding just what you need as you go. Pre-ground coriander from the jar works perfectly well too, just give it a sniff first and make sure it still smells aromatic. You only need a bit, but it really rounds out the blend.
- Step 2: Add everything to a medium bowl: the smoked and sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cayenne, red pepper flakes, black and white pepper, and your ground coriander. If you want little green flecks for looks, add the optional dried parsley now. It is purely visual and adds no real flavor, so skip it without a second thought if you do not have it.
🌶️ Why two paprikas? Smoked paprika brings campfire depth, while sweet paprika brings the bright red color and a rounder, fruitier pepper flavor. It's tempting to just use extra of whichever one you have, but they do different jobs, and using both is what makes a pot of boil look as good as it tastes.
- Step 3: Mix together thoroughly, until the color is even and you cannot see distinct pockets of any one spice. Break up any little clumps of garlic or onion powder as you go so the blend pours and sprinkles cleanly later.
🌶️Give it a quick taste on a clean fingertip tells you everything: it should read smoky, herby, and warm with a clear pepper kick building behind it. This is the moment to dial the heat to your liking. If it is hotter than you want, the easiest fix is to make another small batch with half the cayenne and stir the two together. If you wish it had more punch, a little extra cayenne or red pepper flakes gets you there.
That's it! Ready to use. 😊
🧂Keep leftovers in the pantry! Funnel it into a clean, airtight jar. Stored somewhere cool and dark, it keeps its punch for about six months, though it is brightest and most aromatic in the first three. Give the jar a little shake before each use, since spice blends like to settle.
How to Use This Seafood Boil Seasoning🦀
This is where one jar earns its shelf space. Make a big batch and stir it into the water for a seafood boil so the shrimp, crab, corn, and potatoes soak it up from the inside. Bloom a spoonful in melted butter for a garlic butter seafood boil sauce to pour over everything at the table. Rub it onto shrimp before they hit a hot skillet, season a pot of dirty rice, or shake it over roasted potatoes and corn.
It's the seasoning we use on our Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil, too, when we want all those boil flavors with a fraction of the cleanup.
Because it is salt-free, you salt to taste as you cook and never end up with something that fights you.
If you're building out your spice cabinet, the rest of our Cajun and Creole recipes will put it to good use. We love hearing how people put theirs to work, whether it is a full backyard boil or just a quick Tuesday-night skillet of shrimp. 🤤
🌟Leave a Review!
If you make this Cajun seafood boil seasoning, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below with your rating for the recipe. Share with us by tagging us on Instagram! We love seeing your creations! 📸
📖 Recipe
Cajun Seafood Boil Seasoning (Salt Free!)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika or regular paprika
- 3 tablespoons garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper see notes for milder version
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
- 2 teaspoons white pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 to 2 teaspoons dried parsley optional, for visible green flecks
Instructions
- Grind the coriander (optional). If using whole coriander seeds, grind them fresh in a mortar and pestle until you have a coarse powder. Pre-ground coriander works too.1 teaspoon ground coriander
- Combine the spices. Add the smoked paprika, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, black pepper, white pepper, ground coriander, and optional parsley to a medium bowl.4 tablespoons smoked paprika, 3 tablespoons sweet paprika, 3 tablespoons garlic powder, 3 tablespoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons dried thyme, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper, 2 teaspoons white pepper, 1 to 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- Mix well. Whisk for about 30 seconds, until the color is even and there are no pockets of any one spice. Break up any clumps of garlic or onion powder as you go.
- Store. Transfer to an airtight container or spice jar. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
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Notes
- How much to use: Stir a few tablespoons into the water for a seafood boil, bloom a spoonful in melted butter for a pour-over sauce, or use about 1 tablespoon per pound of shrimp. Adjust to taste!
- Why salt-free: We keep ours without salt so we can control the seasoning in each recipe.
- Want to add salt? Add 1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt if you prefer an all-in-one seasoned blend. Start with 1 tablespoon and adjust to taste.
- Adjust the heat: Use 2 tablespoons of cayenne for a bold blend with real kick. For milder heat, reduce to 1½ tablespoons or 1 tablespoon. The red pepper flakes add another layer of heat, so cut those back too if you want it gentle.
- About the two paprikas: Smoked paprika brings campfire depth, and sweet paprika brings bright color and a rounder flavor. Using both is what gives the blend its deep red-orange color. In a pinch, regular paprika works in place of the sweet.
- No white pepper? Use 1½ tablespoons of black pepper instead.
- Fresh coriander: If you grow cilantro, let some bolt and go to seed, then grind the seeds fresh. The citrusy note is so much brighter and pairs beautifully with seafood.
- Storage: Keeps in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. The flavors are best within the first 3 months.
- Cajun vs. Creole: This blend leans Cajun, pepper-forward, and smoky, but works for either style. Use it anywhere you'd reach for a bold seafood seasoning.
- Try it in: our Garlic Butter Seafood Boil Foil Packets for Two, our Garlic Butter Seafood Boil Sauce, or our Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil!
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