Best Blackening Seasoning
You will love this easy Blackened Seasoning Mix recipe that takes just 5 minutes to whip up and effortlessly adds amazing flavor to all sorts of dishes. Even better, this blackening seasoning blend is made with just a handful of everyday pantry ingredients that you probably already own.
Suitable for vegan, gluten-free, low carb, Keto, paleo and Whole30 diets. Weight Watchers points included.
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- Everyone has their own little variations to this recipe. Sometimes I love adding basil or red pepper flakes. Use this as a base recipe, but feel free to adapt it to your taste.
- Use fresh herbs and spices. Toss any old spices in your cabinet.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of herbs or spices to your taste.
- Go easy on the salt; start with less than you think you need and add more to taste.
- Use blackening seasoning on fish, chicken, pork, and shrimp.
- For the blackened effect, grill or pan-sear the meat. Other cooking methods will still have incredible flavor, but the meat or fish won’t have that signature blackened surface.
- Sometimes it is easier to mix the seasoning with some oil and make a paste before rubbing it on.
- This seasoning can be used in vegetarian recipes.
- If you prefer, you can add all the ingredients into a spice grinder and then grind into a powder.
- Storage – keep in an airtight container or jar for up to 6 months.
- Double or triple the recipe depending on how often you use it. It’s also great for gift giving.
- There are 0 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.
Nutrition
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 blackening spice blend is bold and flavorful. It’s ideal for seasoning fish, meat, pasta dishes and more so you can kick things up a notch by adding southern Cajun flavor to your everyday dishes.
This easy blackened seasoning recipe is made with ingredients you have on hand. You can easily adjust the recipe to suit your taste and give it a unique flavor that you can’t find in store-bought seasoning blends.
It is so simple to make, and there are no extra additives or msg in this blackened seasoning mix. And you get to control the salt, spice, and heat level.
Other seasonings you might like include Poultry Seasoning, this Creole Seasoning, and this Tuscan Seasoning, and this easy Italian Seasoning Recipe.
Related Link: 10 Minute Blackened Salmon.
What Is Blackened Seasoning
Blackening seasoning is an easy-to-whip-up blend of spices, herbs and chili powder. It’s similar in flavor to Creole Seasoning and Cajun Seasoning.
The common ingredients (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano and thyme and chili powder) are ones you already own in your spice cupboard.
A light coating of blackening season added to fish and chicken provides flavor and color. When grilled or cooked in a skillet the seasoning becomes dark brown, almost black.
Why Make This Recipe
- It’s Simple To Make – Combine ingredients from your pantry into a simple and flavorful mix.
- It’s Customizable – Adjust each herb and spice, so you get the exact flavor that you love in this homemade blackened seasoning recipe.
- It’s Flavorful – This seasoning blend perfectly complements the flavors of fish and poultry.
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.
Ingredient Notes
- Smoked Paprika – Smoked paprika is the ingredient that gives this seasoning blend so much flavor, so I don’t recommend swapping that out.
- Dried Oregano
- Black Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper has a nice flavor.
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Salt – You can use kosher salt or sea salt. Salt flakes are perfect for this recipe.
- Dried Thyme
- Cayenne Pepper – Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper up or down to control the spice level.
Ready to learn how easy it is to make this blackened seasoning recipe? Gather your ingredients and I will show you…
How To Make Blackening Seasoning
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Measure out all the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Next, mix with a dry spatula or whisk.
- Then transfer the seasoning into an airtight spice jar or a mason jar (if you make a large quantity).
Pro Tips
- Everyone has their own little variations to this recipe. Sometimes I love adding basil or red pepper flakes. Use this as a base recipe, but feel free to adapt it to your taste.
- Use fresh herbs and spices. Toss any old spices in your cabinet.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of herbs or spices to your taste.
- Go easy on the salt; start with less than you think you need and add more to taste.
- Use blackening seasoning on fish, chicken, pork, and shrimp.
- For the blackened effect, grill or pan-sear the meat. Other cooking methods will still have incredible flavor, but the meat or fish won’t have that signature blackened surface.
- Sometimes it is easier to mix the seasoning with some oil and make a paste before rubbing it on.
- This seasoning can be used in vegetarian recipes.
- If you prefer, you can add all the ingredients into a spice grinder and then grind into a powder.
- Double or triple the recipe depending on how often you use it. It’s also great for gift giving.
Delicious Variations
- 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.
- Add Additional Herbs and Spices. Everyone has their own little variations to this recipe. Sometimes I love adding basil or red pepper flakes.
Prep And Storage
- Prep Ahead – Purchased fresh herbs and spices. Replace the spices in your cabinet every 6 months to a year.
- Store – Store in an airtight container such as a mason jar for up to 6 months.
FAQs
Creole, Cajun and blackened seasoning mix are actually pretty similar and are used interchangeably. Cajun seasoning is generally a bit spicier, with ground peppers and garlic powder. Louisiana Creole seasoning has more ingredients including a range of herbs such as rosemary or basil. Blackened Mix falls somewhere in between these two.
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 shrimp, pork, and steak. Blackened chicken is also delicious.
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, shrimp and other meats before grilling.
Classic Southern dishes – Blackened Salmon, Blackened Shrimp, Red Rice and Beans, Jambalaya, etc.
Go easy on the seasoning, as it can be salty. 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, then adjust up or down to your taste.
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.
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.
Related : Shrimp Creole.
Serving Suggestions
- 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
More Recipes You May Like
- Greek Seasoning
- Poultry Seasoning Mix
- Fajita Seasoning Mix
- Stone House Seasoning
- Caribbean Green Seasoning
- Tuscan Seasoning
- Green Seasoning
- Steak Seasoning
- Jamaican Curry Powder
- Homemade Spice Blends
Weight Watchers Points
There are 0 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Thank you for reading my blackened seasoning recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.
Get The Homemade Blackening Seasoning Recipe
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Blackened Seasoning
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or to taste
- ½ – 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you like it
Instructions
- Measure out all the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Next, mix with a dry spatula or whisk.
- Then transfer the seasoning into an airtight spice jar or a mason jar (if you make a large quantity).
Video
Notes
-
- Everyone has their own little variations to this recipe. Sometimes I love adding basil or red pepper flakes. Use this as a base recipe, but feel free to adapt it to your taste.
- Use fresh herbs and spices. Toss any old spices in your cabinet.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of herbs or spices to your taste.
- Go easy on the salt; start with less than you think you need and add more to taste.
- Use blackening seasoning on fish, chicken, pork, and shrimp.
- For the blackened effect, grill or pan-sear the meat. Other cooking methods will still have incredible flavor, but the meat or fish won’t have that signature blackened surface.
- Sometimes it is easier to mix the seasoning with some oil and make a paste before rubbing it on.
- This seasoning can be used in vegetarian recipes.
- If you prefer, you can add all the ingredients into a spice grinder and then grind into a powder.
- Storage – keep in an airtight container or jar for up to 6 months.
- Double or triple the recipe depending on how often you use it. It’s also great for gift giving.
- There are 0 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.
Yum!! Can’t wait to try this to spice up my summer barbecues
This is so great on chicken, shrimp, or salmon! yum
What a delicious blackened seasoning recipe! I love, love DIY spice blends. They’re pantry essentials.
I made this and use it to make blackened tilapia. So so good. 🙂
This is so so good. I used it for my tofu and gave me a nice flavor. Thank you.