Cajun Seasoning – Foodie and Wine

By Editor On Jun 15, 2024

Homemade Cajun Seasoning takes only 5 minutes to whip up and adds authentic Louisiana flavor to your favorite recipes.

This bold cajun spice mix can be easily customized to suit any spice level, making it perfect for adding a robust flavor to meats, seafood, and vegetables. It’s one of the top spice blends I utilize when cooking. I make a huge batch at once to last a few months.

What’s In Cajun Seasoning

This homemade Cajun seasoning recipe combines a fiery blend of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne, Italian Seasoning, and thyme to replicate your favorite store bought mix. It’s a fundamental ingredient for Southern Recipes and Louisiana cooking.

labeled photo of the ingredients needed to make cajun seasoning.

No Salt Version

One of the key reasons I prefer to make my own seasonings is to control the sodium level. Many of the popular Louisiana cajun seasoning brands, such as Old Bay and Tony Chachere’s contain off-the-chart sodium levels. In most cases, I prefer to half the amount of salt to please all food palettes in the house.

To make a no salt cajun seasoning, just omit it altogether. No other edits are required.

creole vs. cajun seasoning

Is Creole seasoning the same as Cajun seasoning? They’re close, but have a few differences.

Creole – Creole seasoning is more complex, incorporating a broader array of spices than Cajun seasoning. Creole seasoning includes these ingredients and expands its flavor profile with a variety of dried herbs, such as thyme, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, and basil.

Cajun – On the other hand, cajun seasoning primarily emphasizes ground peppers, such as red, black, and white peppers, along with garlic powder.

They can be used interchangeably in many recipes, such as Pastalaya, Blackened Chicken Alfredo and Southern Black Eyed Peas.

Bowl full of instant pot red beans and rice.

Uses

This cajun spice mix can be utilized in a ton of different recipes. Here’s a few of my favorite ways to use it:

Substitution Options

Creole seasoning can be used as a cajun substitute, however the flavor profile will be slightly different. To minimize the difference, I recommend adding a bit more cayenne pepper and garlic powder to increase the heat and intensity.

Variation and Tips

Is DIY cajun seasoning spicy? This Spice Mix, as with all cajun-based rubs, is spicy.
Extra Spicy- For an extra spicy mix, increase the amount of cayenne pepper or spike it with a bit of ghost pepper.
This homemade spice blend can be stored for up to 2 years in an airtight container.

More Spice Mix Recipes

Other recipes to custom blend to your preferred taste: Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Montreal Steak Seasoning, , Prime Rib Rub, Chicken Taco Seasoning, Bobby Flay’s Steak Rub, Texas Roadhouse Steak Seasoning, and our popular BBQ Rub.

Homemade Cajun Seasoning