Best Blackened Seasoning

Welcome to the easiest Homemade blackening seasoning recipe you have ever made. This easy DIY spice blend is one you can use to bring variety to your easy lunches, weeknight suppers, meal prep, freezer meals and more.

This particularly homemade seasoning mix effortlessly blackens your fish, meat, pasta dishes and more so you can kick things up a notch by adding southern cajun flavor to your everyday dishes. #igotyourspiceback!!!

And what’s great about this spice blend is that you can easily adjust to suit your taste and/or to use what you’ve already got on hand.

Chef’s Tip => the smoked paprika is the ingredient that gives it so much flavor, so I don’t recommend swapping that out.

Related Link : 10 Minute Blackened Salmon.

This recipe (and all the tips shared) means you can skip the store-bought spice blends and make your own. It is so simple to make and there are no extra additives or msg in this. And you get to control the salt, spice and heat level. What you see is what you get. However, if store brought seasonings help you cook easier, then feel free to stick with those.

P.S. I really looooove using this homemade seasoning when making Blackened Salmon or Blackened Shrimp.

What Is Blackened Seasoning

Blackening seasoning is an easy-to-whip-up blend of spices, herbs and chili powder, similar to Creole Seasoning and Cajun Seasoning. The common ingredients are ones you already own in your spice cupboard – aka garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano and thyme and chili powder.

However, everyone has their own little variations. Sometimes I love adding basil or red pepper flakes. Use this as a base recipe, but feel free to adapt to your taste.

To make this, you simply pull out your ingredients, measure out a few tablespoons and whisk it all together to end up with a fabulous Homemade Blackened Seasoning. This takes under 10 minutes with no spice grinder needed. #easypeasy right?

Blackened vs Creole vs Cajun Seasoning

What is the difference between these? These are actually pretty similar and are used interchangeably. Cajun seasoning is generally more basic, with ground peppers and garlic powder.  Louisiana Creole seasoning has many more ingredients including a range of herbs like thyme and oregano. Blackened Mix is somewhere in between these two.

Related : Shrimp Creole.

Plus, just like my Easy Stone House Seasoning and Poultry Seasoning, it is super affordable and highly adaptable so you can mix and match herbs and spices to your taste.

What Is In Blackening Seasoning?

There are a few everyday ingredients in this DIY spice blend which include:

• smoked paprika
• dried oregano
• black pepper
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• salt flakes
• dried thyme
• dried oregano
• cayenne pepper

Note=> Full recipe and instructions further down in the recipe card.

How To Make Blackened Seasoning

1. Measure out all the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
2. Next, mix with a dry spatula or whisk.
3. Then transfer the seasoning into an airtight spice jar or a mason jar (if you make a large quantity).

Blackening Spice Tips

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of this homemade Blackening Seasoning.

• Sweeten it. After seasoning your food, sprinkle on some brown sugar to add a touch of sweetness and to help caramelize your food.
• Mix up the salt. You can use pink Himalayan salt, Kosher salt, or even the regular table variety. BUT you would need to adjust the ratios of the ingredients you use.
• Vary spices. Feel free to add a teaspoon more or less of the ingredients to your taste. Add-ons I have used include smashed coriander seeds and red pepper flakes. Delish!
• Awesome rub. This makes an awesome rub and works great on meats and fish, which you can then cook up in a skillet, Instant Pot, Air Fryer or oven.

• Grind into a powder. If you prefer you can add all the ingredients into a spice grinder and then grind into a powder.
• Make a big batch. Double or triple the recipe depending on how often you use this.
• Make a paste. Sometimes it is easier to mix the seasoning blend with some oil and make a paste before rubbing on meat, veggies, etc.
• Suitable for various diets. This is suitable for vegan, gluten-free, paleo, low carb, Keto, and Whole30 diets.

How To Use This Seasoning

I use it to flavor almost anything and everything. Some of the best uses are:

• A rub for meats and fish – this works great as a blackened fish rub as well as a rub for shrimps, pork, and steak.
• A marinade – mix with olive oil or canola oils to use as a marinade.
• Spiced the veggies – Sprinkle liberally over vegetables before roasting.
• Grill it up – season your fish, shrimps and other meats before grilling.
• Classic Southern dishes – Blackened Salmon, Blackened Shrimp, Red Rice and Beans, Jambalaya, etc.

How Much Seasoning To Use

Guys, you totally want to go easy on the seasoning, so start with less than you think you need and add more to taste. I recommend you start with 1-2 tablespoons of seasoning for a recipe that serves 4 the first time and then adjust up or down to your taste.

Homemade Seasoning Substitute 

Don’t have all the seasoning mix ingredients to hand? Worry not, you got this.

First thing is to see if you have some Cajun seasoning or Creole Seasoning and use that. Second, see which of the ingredients you have and then simply use a mix of these to flavor your food. Alternatively, you can scan through your spice cupboard and see what other spice blends you have that you like.

How Long To Store It?

The beauty of this spice is that you can store it for up to 6 months in an airtight spice jar or mason jar for larger quantities. But do keep this in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

Homemade spice mixes are easy to store for a long while, but they eventually lose their freshness and vibrant flavor. So, I suggest you make only enough to last for up to 6 months at any one time. After that simply make a new batch for maximum flavor.

Edible Gifting

This easy Seasoning Mix recipe is an awesome unique DIY gift for all occasions. Mix up a big batch, decant into pretty spice jars or mason jars, pop on a ribbon and a personalized label and gift to all your foodie friends. #bestgiftsever.

Recipes You Can Use This Seasoning Mix With

• Blackened Salmon.
• Blackened Shrimp.
• Yellow Squash Casserole.
• Salmon Croquettes.
• Cajun Shrimp.
• Cajun Shrimp Salad.
• Air Fryer Cajun Fish Fillet.
• Instant Pot Chicken Breast.
• Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs.
• Instant Pot Pork Chops.
• Creole Sauce.

Other Homemade Spice Mixes And Seasoning Recipes

• Greek Seasoning.
• Poultry Seasoning Mix.
• Fajita Seasoning Mix.
• Stone House Seasoning.
• Caribbean Green Seasoning.
• Tuscan Seasoning.
• Green Seasoning.
• Steak Seasoning. {<= a must try}
• Jamaican Curry Powder.
• Homemade Spice Blends.

Weight Watchers Points

This Homemade Seasoning Mix contains 0 (yeap, zero!) Blue Plan SmartPoints.

Thank you for reading my Easy Blackened Spice Mix recipe post. And please visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, Homemade Seasonings, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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