This Homemade Cajun Seasoning is smoky, savory, and has just the right amount of heat. It's the blend we reach for constantly - on shrimp, chicken, in creamy pastas, soups, you name it. Making your own means you control the spice level and skip the sodium overload that comes with store-bought versions. Mix it up in five minutes, store it in your pantry, and you'll never run out of ways to use it! 🔥

Green bowl filled with different seasonings to make a Cajun spice mix blend with garlic, thyme, onions, dried chilis, and small bowls around a large bowl.

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This DIY Cajun Seasoning Recipe Beats Store-Bought Every Time ✨

Once you make your own Cajun seasoning, you won't go back. Most store-bought blends are loaded with salt - sometimes it's the first ingredient - which makes it nearly impossible to control the seasoning in your dish. And since we're big on FLAVOR, we want to be able to add a lot of seasoning without making everything too salty! This version puts flavor first, with a blend of smoked paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, and plenty of cayenne for that signature Louisiana kick. 🌶️

Chamere didn't really learn to cook until later in life - growing up, he made a lot of box mix jambalaya and dirty rice for himself. 😂 But going to grandma's? That man could EAT. Her food always has a little bit of that Louisiana flair, and that shaped his palate.

My dad also lived in Baton Rouge for years, so visiting him meant a lot of good food, too. Coming back home to the snowy Midwest always left us homesick for those flavors - so we started making our own Cajun and Creole food from scratch. Over the years, we've been underwhelmed by most store-bought seasonings (and hated all the added salt!), so we created this blend. Now it's the base for so many of our favorites, like our Cajun chicken alfredo or Louisiana style seafood boil!

Making your own also means you can adjust the heat. We like ours with a solid kick, but if you're feeding kids or spice-sensitive eaters, just dial back the cayenne.

Cajun vs. Creole - what's the difference? Traditional Cajun seasoning is pepper-forward with lots of heat, while Creole seasoning is more herb-heavy and milder. Our blend takes the best of both - plenty of cayenne kick plus aromatic oregano and thyme. Use it anywhere you'd reach for either one! 🌶️🧄🌿

🌶️ Cajun Spice Blend Ingredients

Just a handful of pantry spices you probably already have! This makes about ¾ cup - enough to last you through plenty of recipes.

Ingredients to make cajun seasoning mix laid out and labeled to denote each ingredient.

💡 Pro tip: Buy spices in bulk at Costco or online - it saves money and you'll always be ready to mix up a fresh batch!

How to Make Homemade Cajun Spice Mix ✨

Seriously, this could not be easier. Five minutes (or less!), one bowl, done.

Blend of savory, smoky, and spicy seasonings in a green bowl surrounded by fresh herbs, candles, and aromatics.

Step 1: Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and white pepper to a medium bowl.

🌶️ Adjust the heat to your taste! We use 1½ tablespoons of cayenne for a blend with real kick. For a milder, family-friendly version, dial it back to 1 tablespoon or even ¾ tablespoon.

💡 Why white pepper? It adds a subtle, earthy heat that builds in the background - different from black pepper's sharper bite. Using both gives the blend more depth! If you don't have white pepper, just use the full tablespoon of black pepper instead.

Hand stirring a seasoning mixture in a green bowl with a wooden and silver spoon.

Step 2: Mix everything together until fully combined. That's it!

🧂 Want to add salt? We keep ours salt-free so we can control the seasoning in each dish, but if you prefer an all-in-one blend, add 1-2 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Start with 1 tablespoon and adjust to your taste. If using another type of salt, use half the amount; they're saltier!

Transfer to an airtight container or spice jar. Store in a cool, dark place (your spice cabinet is perfect) or use right away in your favorite recipes!

Bowl of seasoning stirred surrounded by garlic, onions, thyme, and a candle.

What to Use Cajun Seasoning On 🍲

We use this blend constantly. It's the base for our Cajun butter shrimp and grits, our hot baked Cajun crawfish dip, and this New Orleans bbq shrimp. It's also incredible stirred into soups like our ham beans and collard greens soup, or sprinkled on chicken and shrimp before pan-searing. We love it on our copycat Wingstop Cajun fried corn!

Basically, it works well with anything where we want that smoky Louisiana flavor. On roasted vegetables, fries, mixed into mayo for a quick dipping sauce, or even popcorn.

Shrimp seasoned in Cajun seasoning and oil on a baking sheet.

💡How much seasoning to use? Start with about 1 tablespoon per pound of protein, or 1-2 tablespoons for soups and stews, and adjust to taste!

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