Homemade Blackened Seasoning Recipe for Bold, Cajun Flavor

This homemade blackened seasoning is quick to make, sugar-free, gluten-free, and made from simple, natural spices—unlike many commercial blends.

It brings savory, smoky, and mildly spicy notes to any dish. Use it on vegetables, poultry, beef, pork, or seafood. The blend is easy to adjust to your preferred heat and salt level.

How to Customize the Blackened Seasoning

This version is fairly mild, but you can easily tweak it. A few simple adjustments:

• Reduce or omit the salt for a low-sodium option.
• Add ½–1 teaspoon more cayenne if you want more heat.

How to Use Blackened Seasoning

This blend is ideal for blackening fish, chicken, or shrimp. For about 1 pound of protein, coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and use 1½–2 tablespoons of seasoning.

Basic blackening method (fish example):

• Pat the fillets dry.
• Brush or rub with olive oil.
• Rub seasoning on both sides of the fillets.

• Heat a skillet—cast iron works best—over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter and let the pan get very hot.
• Cook fillets, flipping once halfway through, until cooked through and nicely seared.
• Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipes to Try It On

Make a batch of this seasoning and try it on a range of dishes. It works well as a sprinkle, dry rub, or stirred into sauces for extra smokiness and spice.

• Blackened Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos
• One-Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta (lighter version)
• Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp (stuffed with cheese and jalapeños)

Enjoy!

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Homemade Blackened Seasoning {Easy Homemade Recipe}

A simple, versatile blackened seasoning—sugar-free and gluten-free—perfect for vegetables, poultry, meats, and seafood.

4.82 from 27 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 5 tablespoons

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon thyme
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

• Mix all spices together thoroughly. Store in an airtight jar or container.

Notes

For 1 pound of fish, chicken, or meat: coat with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and use about 1½–2 tablespoons of blackened seasoning, rubbing it on both sides of fillets.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Cajun

Keyword: seasoning

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Watch the video to see how to use this seasoning to make blackened mahi-mahi fish tacos.

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