This cajun-inspired spice blend was inspired by shelf-stable ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen pantry. Cajun-spiced seafood is perfect over a bowl of creamy grits. It’s also a great spice blend to use when making blackened fish sandwiches. Or, keep things simple and sprinkle it over a sheet pan meal of fish and vegetables.
How to Use Cajun Spice Blend
This cajun-inspired spice blend is great for broiling, grilling, baking, pan-frying, or air-frying. It complements any species of wild-caught seafood from Alaska, whether you’re using it to give delicate spot prawns or robust rockfish a little extra kick of flavor.
This spice blend omits salt so that you can use a little or a lot of the cajun seasoning without oversalting your meal. Season your fish and any accompanying vegetables with salt, then lightly drizzle on cooking oil and add cajun spice blend. About one teaspoon of spice blend per fillet is sufficient — just enough to lightly dust the surface on both sides of the fish.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
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Smoked paprika: Smoked paprika brings a distinctly smoky, umami-rich flavor to a cajun spice blend. Sweet paprika can be substituted, if you don’t have smoked paprika.
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Dried oregano: Oregano adds an herbaceous flavor to the cajun seasoning. If you don’t have dried oregano, you can use dried thyme or dried marjoram instead.
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Garlic and onion powders: Garlic and onion powders have a slightly different flavor profile than fresh garlic and onion. And because they’re dried, they won’t burn when exposed to high heat sources like the grill or the air fryer.
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Cayenne: The amount of cayenne in this spice blend adds just the right amount of heat to get your taste buds going.
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Sugar: The sugar in the cajun spice blend aids in browning and caramelization. However, folks who prefer to leave it out can omit it entirely.
