What Is Cajun Seasoning and How Do You Make It At Home? (2024)

FAQs

What is Cajun seasoning made of? ›

What Is In Cajun Spice Mix? Typical Cajun seasonings (including store-bought like Slap Ya Mama and Tony Chachere's) are made with black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. For different flavors, some Cajun spice mixes include salt, mustard powder, chile peppers, or cumin.

Chili powder + dried thyme + cayenne pepper

If you really don't have many ingredients in your pantry, you can pull together a basic substitute for Cajun seasoning using 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Cajun seasoning is a spice blend used to add savory flavor to all sorts of dishes, from burgers and seafood to soups and stews. Most commercial blends contain some combination of the following ingredients: Salt (though salt-free versions do exist) Paprika. Red pepper.

While Cajun seasoning comes in many varieties, Old Bay is a specific brand, though you can make our Old Bay copycat recipe at home. Most Cajun seasoning blends are spicier than Old Bay, and Old Bay contains ingredients like bay leaf, celery salt, and mustard that aren't usually in Cajun spice blends.

The "holy trinity" in Cajun cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine is the base for several dishes in the regional cuisines of Louisiana and consists of onions, bell peppers and celery. The preparation of Cajun/Creole dishes such as crawfish étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya all start from this base.

The “Holy Trinity” of onion, celery, and green bell peppers are the basis for just about every dish. Additionally, a special roux is almost always used, and spices are an integral key to developing Cajun food's characteristic flavors.

Since—as mentioned above—Cajun seasoning is basically just a blend of cayenne pepper and garlic, Cajun flavor is most often described as equal parts bold and spicy (from the pepper) and earthy (from the garlic).

McCormick Culinary Bayou Cajun Seasoning is a blend of premium spices, like garlic, onion, paprika and red pepper that is ideal for recipes that call for the traditional flavor of the Bayou in southern Louisiana.

We all prefer Zatarain's boil over home mixes or Old Bay. It is spicy and infuses a lovely flavor in foods. I even add a little of the boiled water to gumbos and jambalayas as it enhances the spices I add myself.

OLD BAY® Seasoning delivers authentic, legendary flavor originating right from the Chesapeake Bay area: OLD BAY Seasoning features a premium blend of 18 herbs and spices including celery salt, red and black pepper and paprika to add beloved, unmatched taste that enhances any chef-inspired recipe.

Are Old Bay and Tony's the same? ›

A: No, Creole seasoning and Old Bay seasoning are different. Creole seasoning is a blend of spices that originated in Louisiana and includes peppers, onions, and garlic. Old Bay seasoning is a Chesapeake Bay blend that includes celery salt, paprika, and black pepper.

While very similar, the primary difference between Cajun and Creole seasonings is this: Cajun seasoning contains a combination of ground peppers—cayenne, black, white, etc. —while Creole seasoning is heavy on the herbs—paprika, oregano, thyme, etc.

True Cajun Cuisine is Native to South Louisiana

They incorporated elements of other cultures they encountered, from French and Spanish to West African and Caribbean peoples.

Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning recipe gives your dishes a world famous zesty kick, as it contains black pepper, chili flakes, smoky paprika and cayenne pepper. Due to the presence of cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning consists an orange reddish tint.