This flavorful Blackening Seasoning, also sometimes called blackened seasoning, is a great blend of spices to enhance all kinds of dishes! This blend works on any food you wish to blacken and add a deep and smoky flavor.
Combine paprika, garlic, cayenne, garlic, and more to create a gorgeous dark color and an amazing flavor that you’ll want to put on everything! Open up your spice cabinet and mix together this delicious seasoning blend.
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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you love the flavors of Creole cooking and Cajun cooking, this blackened seasoning is a great way to bring those flavors to your own cooking! This recipe calls for a super easy combination of herbs and spices. You probably have many of them in your pantry already!
With a blend of savory seasonings and a slight kick of heat, this blackening spice is perfect for adding piquant flavor to a wide variety of proteins, veggies, and more! This easy recipe is also majorly customizable, so feel free to edit to your own tastes.
This blend is great for recipes like my Blacked Tilapia Tacos, but it has a wide variety of uses.
And if you love making your own homemade spice blends, try this Chili Seasoning for another bold and hot flavor explosion, or a yummy Homemade Italian Seasoning or Homemade Poultry Seasoning!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- paprika - gives this seasoning a gorgeous warmth, both in flavor and color.
- cayenne pepper - responsible for the kick of heat that's sure to wake up your taste buds!
- onion powder - provides a familiar and savory taste that deepens the flavor palette and enhances the other ingredients.
- garlic powder - pairs deliciously with the onion powder.
- Italian seasoning - the ultimate blend of herbs that pair so well with the other flavors of this blackened seasoning.
- salt and black pepper - perfect as a flavor base that help to support the other seasonings.
🔪 Instructions
- Add paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to a bowl.
- Mix until well combined. Store in a small glass jar for future cooking or use immediately.
❔ FAQs
No, a food that's been blackened is coated with a specific blend of spices that take on a dark color when cooked on the grill or in a skillet. The seasonings form a dark brown, almost black crust. It's popular to see blackened seasoning used with dishes like chicken and seafood, including shellfish.
There are slight differences between these three kinds of seasoning blends. Cajun spice is typically on the spicier side. Creole seasoning takes advantage of lots of flavorful herbs. Blackened seasoning typically falls somewhere in between as a combination of spices, but all three play with the same general flavors and ingredients.
The most simple method is to coat the food in question with some kind of oil or melted butter, then coat generously with blackening seasoning. Follow your favorite cooking process over a grill, in a skillet, or in the oven.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Use fresh and high quality herbs and spices for the best results.
- This blackening seasoning can be used the same way store-bought blackening spices would be. Use in the same quantity that any recipe calls for.
- Add this seasoning to some chicken cutlets to make super simple Cajun Blackened Chicken Cutlets.
📌 Blackened seasoning is an excellent way to bring so much flavor to your favorite dishes. Popular with meat and seafood, you can also use this blend to add next level spicy flavor to roasted vegetables!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- For an even smokier flavor, use smoked paprika.
- Experiment with quantities and proportions of ingredients to get the perfect seasoning blend for your own preferences.
- If you don't have Italian seasoning, use equal amount of oregano, thyme, and basil.
- For a spicier seasoning blend, use more cayenne pepper. You could also add some red pepper flakes or chili powder for additional heat.
- Looking for even more flavor in your blackening seasoning? Add white pepper or rosemary.
🥫 Storage
When properly stored, your blackening spice can last up to 3 months. Keep it in some kind of glass container, like a spice jar or mason jar.
Store your blackening seasoning at room temperature or in some kind of cool, dry area. This will prevent clumping and ensure longer lasting seasonings.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Use blackening seasoning to add instant flavor to dishes like Air Fryer Steak Bites or this Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs Dinner. You can even use it as a quick way to season this Slow Cooker Whole Chicken! Or, use it to add a burst of heat to Air Fryer Broccoli or these Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
✔️ More Homemade Seasoning Recipes You'll Love
- Homemade Greek Seasoning - Give any dish an instant Mediterranean twist with this seasoning blend.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning - You'll love this classic combination of bold pepper and tangy lemon!
- Homemade Steak Seasoning - A great way to quickly add delicious flavor to any steak dish.
- Creole Seasoning - If you love this blackened seasoning and want an even more herbaceous take, try this recipe from Daring Gourmet!
Blackened Seasoning
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📋 Recipe Card
Blackening Seasoning
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and mix to combine.3 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper
- Place in an airtight container such as a spice jar and store in a dry area.
Notes
- Customize as desired to your preferences by adjusting the amounts of the different ingredients to taste.
- High quality and fresh ingredients will yield the best tasting result.
- Use smoked paprika instead of regular for a smoky twist to your seasoning.
- This seasoning will stay fresh for about 3 months. It often lasts more than 3 months in the right conditions, but check the freshness before proceeding just to be sure.
- Store in a dry area to prevent the seasoning mix from clumping together.
- Use this seasoning in the same way as you would a store-bought version.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Carrie Robinson says
Love making my own spice blends! Can't wait to try this one on chicken soon. 🙂
Sunrita Dutta says
A perfect seasoning to go from bakes, roasts to BBQ’s love the mix. Making a large batch.
Maggie says
I'm so going to make this. My husband loves salmon and I never know what to make with it. This sounds perfect!
Kathleen says
Big fan of homemade seasoning blends like this blackening one. Already making room for it on my spice rack.
Dannii says
The perfect seasoning blend and so many uses too.