Blackened Seasoning Recipe

What Is Blackened Seasoning?

Blackened seasoning is a bold spice blend of paprika, peppers, garlic, onion, dried herbs, and salt. It’s commonly used on fish, chicken, steak, shrimp, and vegetables in Cajun and Creole cooking. Blackened recipes often combine this mix with melted butter or oil, which helps to create a dark, flavorful crust on meats during cooking. I’ve included ways to use it below!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my blackened seasoning recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• 2 Types Of Paprika – Since some of you have asked, sweet paprika is simply regular paprika. I combine it with smoked paprika for mellow pepper flavor plus smokiness. If you only have one, use 3 tablespoons total of that type. All sweet paprika will be less smoky, while all smoked paprika will taste more intense.
• 3 Types Of Peppers – Cayenne brings the main heat, black pepper adds a sharper bite, and red pepper flakes add little bursts of spice. While they’re all spicy and you can swap one for another, they taste a little different, so I really prefer to include all three. And if you’re concerned about heat, I’ve added mild, medium, or hot options below.
• Dried Herbs – I use both dried thyme and dried oregano for an earthy, savory vibe. You can use just one if that’s what you have. Dried basil can work here, too.
• Aromatics – A.k.a. onion powder and garlic powder. Because blackened seasoning is just not the same without them.
• Sea Salt – I include the salt right in the blend, so you don’t need a separate seasoning step. I chose the amount to equal about 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat when you use the blackened seasoning mix, because I think that’s just the perfect amount. If you’d rather salt your dishes yourself, you can skip the salt in this mix to add your own, and use less seasoning to compensate.

Blackened Seasoning vs. Cajun Seasoning

People have asked me about the difference between my blackened seasoning recipe and Cajun seasoning recipe, and yes, they use many of the same spices. But there isn’t a universal formula.

The bigger difference is how they’re used: Blackened seasoning is made for high-heat blackening. Cajun seasoning works as an all-purpose spice blend. I’ve totally used one in place of the other, and you can too if you need to!

How To Adjust The Heat

To make this blend milder or hotter, keep every other ingredient the same and change only the cayenne and red pepper flakes. These amounts are for the full batch:

• Mild – Use 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. You’ll still get a peppery kick from the black pepper, but much less lingering heat.
• Medium – Use the original recipe amounts: 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. This is my favorite version, in my recipe card above.
• Hot – Use 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. If you like it really spicy, I still recommend starting here before going hotter, because you can always stir more cayenne into the finished blend.

How To Use Blackened Seasoning

Blackening is a high-heat cooking technique that creates a dark, deeply seasoned crust. My rule of thumb for this blackened seasoning blend is 2 tablespoons per pound of meat or poultry, or 1 1/2-2 tablespoons per pound of fish.

• For true blackening – Pat the food dry, coat it lightly with melted butter or a high-heat cooking oil, then season generously with the blackening spice mix. Cook in a very hot, heavy pan (I recommend a cast iron skillet!) until the spices form a deep brown-to-black crust and the food is cooked through. My blackened chicken and blackened salmon (pictured above) use this exact mix!
• For everyday cooking – You can also roast, air fry, or grill with this blend like any other spice rub. Try it on my baked chicken breast, grilled steak, shrimp skewers, veggies like grilled broccoli, or even kale chips.

Friendly tip because I’ve been there: Blackening creates a lot of smoke, so use a strong vent hood, open the windows, or cook outside if you’ve got a grill. If the crust tastes bitter instead of smoky and toasted, the spices went from blackened to burned.