This Homemade Blackened Seasoning is bold with flavor with a hint of spice. Use Blackening spices to add authentic Cajun flavors to your recipes and serve the best Blackened fish, chicken, steak and veggies ever!
We love the creole and cajun flavors of this Blackening seasoning on chicken, fish and this tasty Blackened Salmon!
Blackened Seasoning
Blackened seasoning aka blackening seasoning is in my opinion one of the most flavorful spice blends. A combination of herbs, chili powder and spices gives this spice mix the perfect balance of savory, earthy and spicy similar to Cajun and Creole blends.
Although blackening is not just a spice mix but also a cooking technique, you can season or rub any protein or vegetable with this blackening seasoning recipe and grill it, pan-fry it or bake it. The results are irresistibly delicious dishes that will have you asking for more.
Why You Will Love this Recipe?
- Quality: Making homemade spice mixes allows you to control the quality of the ingredients in the blend. You don’t have to worry about fillers, preservatives or msg which are often added to store-bout seasonings.
- Customize it: Customize the blend to your taste. Make it less or more spicy. Reduce the amount of salt or make it completely salt-free.
- Makes a small batch: This recipe makes a small amount of blackened seasoning, just enough for 1 or 2 recipes. This guarantees that you will use the blend instead of keeping it in your pantry until it goes to waste.
What Is Blackening?
Blackening is actually a cooking technique or method. First, the food or protein such as fish, chicken or shrimp is brushed or dipped in a fat like butter or oil then, it’s seasoned generously with the blackened spice rub and cooked over high heat, usually in a cast iron skillet.
While the food cooks, a nice crispy dark crust forms. Although it may look burnt, blackening is not charring or burning and doesn’t taste as such. On the contrary, the crust has an amazing savory taste with a little fiery heat.
Blackening Seasoning Ingredients
Although many blackened spice mix recipes use different ingredients or ingredient ratios, all recipes usually contain paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper. For specific accounts make sure you check the recipe card below.
- Smoked paprika
- Sweet paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Sea salt or Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Dried Thyme
How To Make Blackened Seasoning
To make this spice blend, simply mix the spices together in a small bowl and you are done! Use the blend right away or store it in an airtight container in the pantry.
Is Blackened Seasoning Blend Spicy?
This spice mix recipe has a little bit of a quick and is moderately spicy but, it’s not as spicy as Cajun seasoning.
Blackened Seasoning vs Cajun Seasoning
Blackened seasoning and Cajun seasoning (as well as Creole seasoning), are the product of immigrant cultures that gathered in Louisiana.
Both blends have similar flavor and are made with almost the same ingredients however, the amount of each spice varies significantly in both blends.
Blackened seasoning is moderately spicy while Cajun seasoning has a lot more heat. Both spice blends can be used interchangeably in recipes.
How Long Can You Store Homemade Blackening Seasoning
This spice mx can be stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry place such as the pantry for up to a year.
How To Use Blackened Seasoning
One of the benefits of seasoning food with this spice blend is that since it’s so flavorful, you can simply sprinkle it over the food and cook it right away. There is no need to prep in advanced as when you use a marinade.
Traditionally, fish, chicken or fish are first coated in butter and then season generously with blackening seasoning however, you can skip this step if preferred. Another option is to lightly coat the food with oil, like olive oil before sprinkling the seasoning.
Blackened Seasoning Recipe Tips
- Customize the recipe to your taste. Add extra cayenne pepper for extra heat or decrease/increase the amount of salt used.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool pantry for up to a year.
- This spice mix recipe is gluten-free, dairy free and sugar free.
- If you don’t have smoked paprika, use sweet paprika instead.
- This recipe makes about 5.5 tablespoons of blackening spice mix. You can double or triple the recipe if you want.
Take A Look At These Other Cajun Recipes:
Homemade Blackened Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon paprika sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or fine Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder use more if you want it spicier
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or spice jar until evenly combined.
- Use immediately or store in a sealed container for up to 6 months.
Recipe Notes
- Store in an airtight container in a cool pantry for up to a year.
- This spice mix recipe is gluten-free, dairy free and sugar free.
- If you don’t have smoked paprika, increase the amount of sweet paprika.
- This recipe makes about 5 1/2 tablespoons of blackening spice mix. You can double or triple the recipe if you want.
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