Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Blackening seasoning is earthy, smoky, and spicy. Add it to chicken, seafood, and so many other dishes for a little extra oomph. It’s easy to make yourself so you can keep it on hand whenever you need it!
How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: small bowl
Servings: makes enough for up to 3 pounds of meat
Blackening seasoning is a flavorful blend of spices commonly used in Cajun and Creole cooking, and like one-pot Cajun chicken pasta and jambalaya, there is a LOT going on here. The flavor is smoky, spicy, and slightly earthy, making it perfect for adding depth and some deep south Louisiana character to a variety of proteins and dishes.
Blackening seasoning is traditionally used to prepare “blackened” dishes—usually fish or chicken that’s coated in the seasoning, then cooked until the exterior becomes dark, a little bit crisp, and absolutely irresistible. That said, this is also a seasoning blend you can use for other purposes too. (I share some ideas later in this post!)
More About Blackening Seasoning
A budget-friendly alternative to store-bought blends. Fancy jars of gourmet seasonings are so expensive for what they are! Don’t pay a premium when you can make them yourself. (After you make this blackening seasoning, try salmon seasoning and everything bagel seasoning, too.)
Make as much (or as little) as you need. This recipe can be scaled up or down depending on your needs. You can make a little bit for a single meal or make a big jar to keep on hand in the pantry.
Great for gifting. Spice blends are a great homemade gift! Pair blackening seasoning with other homemade seasonings for grilling like Cajun seasoning and BBQ rub.
Ingredient Notes
- Smoked paprika: This popular spice has an earthy base layer but what makes it a real standout is that smoky flavor. Make sure you buy “smoked” paprika, not plain paprika which doesn’t have the same flavor.
- Garlic and onion powders: I like to use garlic and onion powder for savory flavor without the bite of fresh. It’s simply dehydrated garlic or onion ground into a fine powder. Don’t confuse it with garlic salt or onion salt which are mostly salt and not much flavor.
- Kosher salt: Adding salt to the seasoning mix means that you probably won’t have to use additional salt when you’re using it in your cooking.
- Dried thyme and oregano: Thyme is a heavy-hitter in Cajun and Creole cuisine while oregano adds another herbaceous element.
- Cayenne pepper: You can adjust the amount to your liking, which is the advantage of making your own blackening seasoning!
- Ground black pepper: Freshly ground peppercorns will give you the best flavor.
Recipe Tip
For the boldest flavor, be sure your spices are fresh and aromatic. Spices lose their potency over time so if you open up your herb and spice jars and they’re not very fragrant, it might be time to replace them.
How to Use Blackening Seasoning
Making the blackening seasoning is easy—put it in a bowl or jar and mix everything together! After that comes the fun part: putting it to use. Here are some ideas:
- Chicken. The classic use for blackening seasoning is on chicken. Coat boneless, skinless chicken breasts with the seasoning and cook them in a skillet or on the grill. (Blackened chicken is excellent for chicken Alfredo.)
- Fish. This seasoning works well on any type of fish—salmon, tilapia, cod. Like chicken, you can pan-fry it, grill it, or air fry it.
- Shrimp. Toss shrimp in blackening seasoning and sauté in a skillet, or substitute it when you make easy shrimp tacos.
- Roasted Vegetables. Sprinkle blackening seasoning on potatoes, zucchini, or bell peppers before roasting in the oven for an extra layer of flavor.
- Marinade. Mix blackening seasoning with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and your choice of protein for a flavorful marinade. It would be great for grilled shrimp kabobs!
Store blackening seasoning in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. It will last beyond that point, but the flavor and aroma dulls with time.
More Seasoning Recipes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItBlackening Seasoning
Ingredients
- 8 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Combine all the spices in a small bowl or container and mix well.8 teaspoons smoked paprika, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, 3 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- To use: Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of blackening seasoning on 1 to 1 ½ pounds of meat before cooking.
- Store the spice blend in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Blackening seasoning is good on chicken, steak, catfish, salmon, and many other dishes!
- Yield: This recipe makes about ½ cup of seasoning, enough for about 3 pounds of meat, and the perfect amount to store in a spice jar. If you’d like to make more or less, use the serving adjuster at the top of the recipe. To make enough for 1 to 1 ½ pounds of meat, adjust servings to 12 (half batch).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
