Cajun Spice Mix

Cajun spice mix is a Louisiana seasoning that packs a punch when it comes to flavors. The delicious (and mildly spicy) seasoning lends itself to so many wonderful dishes — like pastas, shrimp, chicken, fish, and much, much more.

If you've never made your own Cajun spice mix at home, just know that not only are you missing out on great flavors — you're also missing out on savings. That's right, homemade Cajun seasoning tastes better and it's cheaper than store-bought! Do you need any more reasons to try this recipe?

What Is Cajun Seasoning?

Cajun seasoning hails from Louisiana, which is home to Cajun cuisine. The cuisine is a wonderful blend of Native American, West African, Caribbean, and French cooking styles.

Cajun seasoning is a blend of spices that create a spicy, earthy, and sometimes smoky flavor.

What Is In Cajun Spice Mix?

Typical Cajun seasonings (including store-bought like Slap Ya Mama and Tony Chachere's) are made with black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. For different flavors, some Cajun spice mixes include salt, mustard powder, chile peppers, or cumin.

This spice mix also includes oregano and thyme, which you don't normally see in Cajun spice mixes — those are typically found in Creole spice mixes.

Cajun Seasoning vs. Creole Seasoning

Creole cuisine, which also originated in Louisiana, is a mixture of African, Italian, French, Portuguese, and Spanish cooking styles. So, typically has more herbs than Cajun seasoning.

Creole seasoning is made with black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, thyme, basil, and oregano. Sometimes, you might find bay leaves, rosemary, or parsley in it too. So, Creole seasoning has a light spicy kick, but it has more aromatics to balance it out than Cajun seasoning does.

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Cajun Seasoning vs. Blackened Seasoning

can be described as a mixture between Cajun seasoning and Creole seasoning. It's quite spicy (from the cayenne or chili powder), but it also contains aromatic herbs (like oregano, thyme, and basil).

Blackened seasoning is also different from Cajun seasoning in the way it's used. The term "blackened" doesn't really have anything to do with the seasoning itself, but in the way the food is prepared.

The protein, like fish, shrimp, or chicken, is drenched in butter, then heavily coated in blackened seasoning and seared. The blackened seasoning will create a blackened crust on the outside of the food after a few minutes of cooking.

How to Make Homemade Cajun Spice Mix

Making homemade spice mixes is so easy, there's really no excuse not to do it! Simply stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined, then store in an airtight container or jar.

How to Use Homemade Cajun Spice Mix

Cajun seasoning is great on protein, like chicken, fish, shrimp, and steak, but it's also delicious in pasta dishes, rice, and stuffed peppers. If you don't know where to start, try one of these mouthwatering Cajun recipes.

Need more inspiration? Check out our entire collection of .

How to Store Homemade Cajun Spice Mix

Store homemade Cajun seasoning in an airtight container or jar in a cool, dry place (like a spice cabinet or pantry). The spice mix will stay fresh for up to one year.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Needed Cajun seasoning for a recipe. My grocery store had none. I happened to have all the spices for this recipe in my pantry. Whoo hoo! A real cost saver too," says .

"Perfect substitute! I just made a recipe of Cajun Sausage Pasta tonight which called for Cajun Seasoning (which I don't have) and I used this recipe and the dish was delicious!!! I didn't add the red pepper flakes because my kids probably wouldn't eat it and I did slightly less cayenne for the same reason and it had JUST enough bite for us," according to .

"This is great for anything you want to be Cajun. I love to have my own homemade Cajun seasoning so I can leave out the salt. This one comes out perfect," raves .

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