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5 from 2 votes
5 minutes minutes
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Ignite your tastebuds with this homemade Blackening Seasoning blend! This bold, versatile blend makes it easy to add a touch of sizzle to shrimp, fish, chicken, pork, and beef with no additives!
“I’ve used this blackening recipe for your Blackened Halibut with Mango and Avocado Salsa for years. It is SO GOOD!“
IN THIS ARTICLE
What is Blackening?
The culinary method of blackening, popularized by Chef Paul Prudhomme in New Orleans during the 1980s, is a Cajun cooking technique. When something is “blackened,” a blend of herbs and spices (the blackening mix) is rubbed onto fish, meat, or poultry and then quickly seared at a high temperature. A good, seasoned cast-iron skillet is ideal for blackening food.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
A recipe for blackening seasoning is a Cajun/Creole spice blend that will add depth, heat, and a touch of smokiness to your favorite dishes.
This authentic homemade blackening blend uses ordinary spices you probably already have in your pantry. Best of all, you control the amount of salt, and there are no preservatives or additives–just 100% flavor!
Use on or in anything you’re cooking: Shrimp, fish, chicken, pork, beef. Add it to rice, sprinkle over potatoes before roasting or vegetables before grilling.
This blackening seasoning recipe:
- Is versatile! Like more heat? Add more cayenne! You can also tone down the cayenne or leave it out entirely if black pepper is more to your taste.
- Uses all easy-to-find ingredients.
- Is additive and preservative-free!
- Is sugar-free.
- Makes approximately one cup, so you’ll have plenty, but it is easily cut in half.
How to Make a Homemade Blackening Seasoning Recipe:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe for blackening seasoning, along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika is made from smoked red peppers that have been dried over an oak fire. It was initially popular in Spanish cuisine but is now widely used in numerous cuisines. As the name implies, this vibrant red spice has a rich, smoky flavor.
- Sweet Paprika: Sweet paprika is commonly used, and you probably have a jar in your pantry right now. It’s made from sweet red peppers, so it has no heat.
- Cayenne Pepper: Generally, cayenne is on the hot side, so if you don’t want a blackening blend that is super spicy, use less.
- Dry Mustard: Dry mustard powder is made from ground mustard seeds.
- Granulated Garlic and Onion: Spice blends and rubs are the only times I use dehydrated and ground garlic and onion. The granulated form will have larger grains (similar to sand) than garlic and onion powder, which is ground fine (like flour).
- Dried Oregano: Use standard Greek oregano, not Mexican.
- Black Pepper: An important ingredient in a recipe for blackening seasoning. If cutting back on the cayenne, you may want to increase the amount of black pepper. Here, too, I like a coarser grind rather than a fine powder.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and measure all the ingredients for the blackening seasoning recipe.
- Combine all the spices in a bowl…
- …And stir well! No toasting or grinding is necessary.
- Store in an airtight jar for up to six months.
Chef Tip:
- The fresher your spices, the better tasting your blackening seasoning will be. If you last used that jar of paprika in your spice cabinet for last year’s Easter deviled eggs, get rid of it and get a fresh jar. Spices are at their best within six months of opening.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the difference between Cajun seasoning and blackening seasoning?
Cajun, Creole, and blackening seasonings use many of the same spices and are often used interchangeably. Cajun is more herb-based, while Creole has more ground spices. Blackening is much like a combination of the two. The origin of blackened seasoning can be traced back to New Orleans, incorporating a variety of herbs and spices commonly found in both Cajun and Creole culinary traditions.
What are the uses for blackening seasoning?
Anywhere you use Creole or Cajun seasoning, you can use blackening seasoning. Use it on shrimp, fish, chicken, pork, or beef. Stir it into jambalaya, soup, or season conventional rice or cauliflower rice.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container for up to six months.
Use this Blackening Mix on:
- Buttery Blackened Steak Bites with Gorgonzola
- Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad
- Blackened Halibut with Mango and Avocado Salsa
Get all my sauce and seasoning recipes at Sauces, Seasonings, Dressing and Marinades – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
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Blackening Seasoning
5 from 2 votes
Click to Rate!
By: Carol | From A Chef’s Kitchen
Ignite your tastebuds with this homemade Blackening Seasoning blend! This bold, versatile blend makes it easy to add a touch of sizzle to shrimp, fish, chicken, pork and beef wtih no additives!
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Pickles and Relishes
Cuisine American / New Orleans
Servings 1 cup
Calories 325 kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 2 tablespoons granulated onion
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and mix well. Store in a sealed glass jar and use as desired.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for six months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 4708mg | Potassium: 1695mg | Fiber: 27g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 23072IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 400mg | Iron: 19mg
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
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