Homemade blackening seasoning is a lot easier than you think. Do you ever go to a restaurant and have blackened chicken Alfredo or maybe blackened salmon and you wonder how they did it? How do they get it to look so good and taste amazing? 
The secret is in the blackening spices and that is what I’m going to show you today. Sure, you can head to the store and buy blackened seasoning. However, it is going to be expensive and full of stuff you can’t pronounce. 😉 Making your own blackened spices is a lot easier than you might think, so let’s get started.
Ingredients you need:
- 1 heaping tablespoon of paprika
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- 1 tablespoon of coarse garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- 1 tablespoon of onion granules
- 2 tablespoons of black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of Cayenne pepper (more or less depending how spicy you want it)
- 1 heaping tablespoon of oregano
How to make Homemade Blackened Seasoning recipe:
- Combine all the ingredients in an airtight container. I like to use these small mason jars (or you can use these glass spices jars that even have the shakers on them) for my homemade seasonings.
- Mix together and save.
Homemade blackened seasoning is easy to make.
I told you it was easy and you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry. What are you waiting for? Make some yummy blackened seasoning tonight!
Tips for perfectly blackened food:
1.Don’t use a non stick pan – use a high heat pan like a cast iron skillet (I love this cast iron griddle). Extreme heat needed for blackening will destroy your non stick pan.
2. Make sure you have ventilation – it will get smokey. Blackening works great on your grill especially with the cast iron griddle that I love.
3. Coat your meat (chicken or fish) with non stick spray or oil before you rub the seasonings on. It makes the seasoning stick better to get that beautiful crust.
4. Only flip once. You want the the seasoning to get a beautiful crust, so you only want to flip it once. You will think it is going to burn, but it is just getting black.
5. Time your cooking. On high heat thicker fish will take about 3 minutes on each side, thinner fish (like tilapia) will take about 2 minutes on each side and chicken (filleted) will take about 4-5 minutes on each side. Set a timer so you have beautifully blackened fish or chicken.
Also, try the best blackened salmon recipe! It is ready in only 6 minutes and so delicious.
Forget buying blackened spices when you can make this easy Homemade Blackened Seasoning Recipe at home for a lot less. Enjoy Blackened salmon and more!
- 1 heaping tablespoon of paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon coarse garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion granules
- 2 teaspoons Cayenne pepper (more or less depending how spicy you want it)
- 1 heaping tablespoon of oregano
-
Combine all the ingredients in an airtight container. I like to use these small mason jars (or you can use these glass spices jars that even have the shakers on them) for my homemade seasonings.
-
Mix together and save.
Making your own blackened spices is easy! Give it a try!
If you love this, try making Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix Recipe! So much better than store bought.
You will also love the Best Blackened Chicken Recipe. This recipe is quick and easy!
Try these other homemade seasonings:
Jacky Mullin says
I just made this. It was wonderful. The flavour came very close to the Blackened Chicken I had at the Cactus Club. Can’t wait to make it again.
Joanne says
What are onion granules?
Carrie says
Joanne – Onion granules are dehydrated onions that are grounded up. They are found in the spice section of your grocery store. You can also try onion powder but I would use 1 teaspoon instead of a tablespoon as I find that the onion powder is a bit strong. Let me know how it turns out. I hope you love it 🙂
Vaughn says
Can this be made ahead of time in huge batches and reheated (say, in a chafing dish), to be served as part of a Cajun themed wedding buffet dinner?
Carrie says
Vaughn – Yes, I make this in a large batch and store in a glass container and it works perfectly!
Valerie Martindale says
Carrie-
What can be used to prepare this recipe if you don’t own a cast iron skillet?
Carrie says
I find that it works best on a cast iron skillet. But you can also do this with a regular skillet as well on high heat. Thank you.
Tina says
It was extremely salty. We couldn’t eat it. Does the recipe really need 2 tablespoons of salt or is that a typo?
Carrie says
Yes, it requires a lot of salt as a lot of the blacken seasoning cooks off when it’s cooking. I would just use less salt next time if it was too salty for your preference. Thank you!