Popeye's Cajun Sparkle (French Fry Seasoning Recipe) (2024)

This Homemade French Fry Seasoning is so easy to make and is perfect for adding some flavor and spice to plain French fries. It is a Copycat of Popeye’s Cajun Sparkle and is the best way to season oven-baked fries, fries made in the air fryer, or deep-fried fries!

Fry Seasoning is such a great way to add more flavor to crispy homemade french fries, and honestly, this homemade seasoning blend is one of the best you will find. It is such an easy way to elevate ordinary french fries. Keep a jar of this spice mix in a spice jar to sprinkle some bold flavor onto hot french fries and jazz up dinner time!

I love to make my own seasoning mixes – Cajun Seasoning, Homemade Chicken Bouillon, Taco Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, and my BBQ Dry Rub are some of my favorites.

What is Popeye’s Cajun Sparkle?

Cajun Sparkle is a seasoning salt from Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen restaurants. This delicious seasoning blend is a little packet of extra flavor that you can use on your french fries in place of salt. You can’t buy it in stores, but now you can make it at home!

🥘 Ingredients in Cajun Sparkle

• Kosher Salt– You can also use sea salt or table salt, but you will need to adjust the quantities.
• Ground Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Dried Rubbed Sage
• Paprika
• Accent Flavor Enhancer
• Cayenne Pepper

The secret ingredient in Popeyes Cajun Sparkle that really makes the flavor pop is MSG or monosodium glutamate. MSG makes the salt seem saltier and gives French fries that flavor that makes you need to keep going back for more. You can buy MSG in grocery stores near the spices under the name Accent, and you can also find it at International Markets. (MSG has been a contentious ingredient, but it is safe for the majority of people to eat. Few people have a reaction to it, called MSG symptom complex, but the link is not actually confirmed.)

If you don’t want to eat MSG, you can leave it out, and it will still be delicious, but it won’t be exactly the same as Popeye’s Sparkle. Make sure to read the recipe card notes to see the adjustments if you leave this ingredient out.

🫙 How to Store Homemade Seasoning

Store your seasoning in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, and in an airtight container or small mason jar. You can use an old spice jar for easy sprinkling whenever you make homemade french fries.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Air Fryer Potato Wedges

I love to make thinly sliced potato wedges in my air fryer to make cajun french fries. Slice Yukon gold potatoes into thin wedges, then soak them in cold water for 30 minutes.

Drain the water, then pat the potatoes dry. Soaking the potatoes helps to make them extra crispy.

Toss the potatoes in your favorite frying oil – I like to use olive oil or avocado oil for air fryer recipes – then season fries with about ½ -1 teaspoon of Cajun sparkle per two potatoes.

Air fry the potatoes in a preheated air fryer at 350°F for 10 minutes, then for another 10 minutes at 400°F, shaking the basket as needed and flipping the wedges after the first 10 minutes.

Remove the wedges when they are golden brown. I like to cook them at 350°F to cook the inside, then at 400°F to crisp up the outside.

Add more time as needed if they are not as crispy as you would like. For best results, fry the potatoes in small batches.

Immediately remove the wedges from the air fryer and toss them in a bowl with another ½ -1 teaspoon of seasoning. Fresh fries will have the best flavor, and the seasoning will stick best while the fries are still hot!

♨️ How to Reheat Leftover Cajun Fries

Store leftover fries in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat fries in the air fryer by frying them for 2-3 minutes at 400°F.

You can dip these fries in Cane’s Sauce, Chick-Fil-A Sauce, or Big Mac Sauce. They are SO good. This seasoning is the BEST.

🍟 Uses for Fry Seasoning

This seasoning mix is really good on homemade fries and baked potato wedges, but it is also really good on so many other things, and even just a small amount takes so many dishes to the next level:

• Instant Pot Chicken or Boneless Chicken Wings
• Onion Rings
• Smashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Chips
• Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
• Smash Burger Tacos
• BBQ Grilled Potato Slices or Spicy Grilled Potatoes in Foil