Cajun Seasoning

You don’t need an overflowing spice cabinet to be a good cook. In fact, some of the best chefs prefer to make their own seasoning blends from ingredients they already have on hand. With a pinch of this and a dash of that, they create custom flavor bombs for all their favorite dishes. It’s so easy to pull together your own unique combinations, and you’ll find that your personalized blends are cheaper than fancy brands, too.

If you’re cooking something that calls for down-home New Orleans flavor, this Cajun spice blend, which takes just five minutes to prepare, will do the trick. It’s a standout in any of that cuisine’s classic dishes, including jambalaya, gumbo, pork sausage boudin, crawfish boil and rice with gravy. The redolence of the spices will give any dish just the right boost, especially for seafood like shrimp or crawfish or proteins like pork or chicken. It’s also an all-purpose dry rub for anything you’re planning to grill, since it stands up so well to the heat, while still delivering on flavor.

How to Cook Like a Cajun

After you’ve gotten this spice blend prepped and ready to go, you can focus on the other elements that distinguish true Cajun cooking. One of those is what they call the “holy trinity” of chopped green peppers, onions and celery. Sautéing these three together is usually the first step in any Cajun recipe. To add even more authentic flavor, consider whipping up a roux, which is a mixture of equal parts flour and fat, which is cooked into a smooth thickener for many types of sauces. Instead of using butter, as in the classic French preparation, Cajun cooks use oil, which allows them to get a much darker roux color without burning the fat. With your own seasoning, a good roux, and the “holy trinity,” you’ll be able to add complexity and richness to any Cajun dish.

You might notice this this seasoning recipe calls for just a touch of cayenne pepper. That’s because most Cajun dishes aren’t overly spicy or fiery hot. If you like things a little bit on the spicier side, feel free to add more cayenne pepper to your taste. Or add in even more choices, like mustard powder or cumin, to make this blend truly your own. Store your seasoning blend in a tightly sealed glass jar, in a cool dark place, and it should stay fresh for at least six months.

The History Behind the Food

The more you eat Cajun food, the ore you might become more interested in the history of the people who created such iconic dishes. The original Cajuns arrived in Louisiana after fleeing the Canadian region known as Acadia before the French and Indian war in the 1700s. Their heritage includes not just a tradition of delicious cooking, but also colorful language, lively music and a life philosophy of “laissez les bon temps rouler,” which means “let the good times roll.” In fact, that might be exactly what you say as you toss in own your special spice blend to your favorite Cajun food.

Cajun Seasoning Recipe

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 0 min.

Total Time: 5 min.

Serves: 10 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1 tsp. salt

1½ tsp. dried oregano

1½ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a small dish, combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, thyme, pepper and cayenne pepper.
2. Store in an airtight container. Use as a dry rub on seafood and meat or in soups.