Bold, smoky, and full of heat, this Blackened Seasoning blend brings serious flavor to any dish. A fiery mix of chili powder, cayenne, and smoked paprika delivers a deep, spicy kick, while garlic powder and cumin add savory, earthy richness. It's perfect for a variety of meats and is quick to throw together in either small or large batches.
Why I Love This
- Versatile: I use this seasoning for so many recipes and it adds so much flavor and interest to a meal with almost no effort.
- Adjustable: You can adjust the amount of heat you like in your blackened seasoning without compromising on flavor as the cayenne is really the biggest contributing factor to heat but isn't the biggest factor in flavor.
- Seasonal Perfection: While I use this in recipes year round, blackened anything rings out the chorus of summer and barbecuing with fresh poultry and fish.
This recipe is perfect for my blackened salmon alfredo recipe on this site, as well as my blackened salmon caesar salad recipe.
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Ingredients
- Chili Powder - This is the base of the blackened seasoning and gives a great amount of flavor and little bit of heat to the mix. If you like your seasoning with less heat, you can cut back on the chili powder but you will compromise on flavor by taking it out.
- Garlic Powder - Adding garlic to the seasoning helps to balance out the flavors with it's warm, savory, and slightly sweet undertone with a mellow pungency. I like to use powdered garlic powder as it coats and soaks into the meat well, I don't recommend using minced or fresh garlic.
- Smoked Paprika - This adds a wonderfully bright color to the mix and adds deep undertones of smoke and warmth. Plain paprika just doesn't have much flavor which is why I recommend smoked.
- Cayenne Pepper - Cayenne pepper adds a touch of color but is also what packs the heat in the blackened seasoning. If you want full flavor but less heat, this is the spice to adjust which of course works conversely if you want more heat, add more cayenne!
- Cumin - Adding a touch of cumin really changes the dynamic of the seasoning by bringing in an earthy flavor with a slightly nutty, peppery bite and a hint of citrus. It's aromatic and bold, with a deep, smoky quality that adds richness with the mildest touch of heat.
- Salt - A touch of salt helps to tenderize the meat and elevate the flavors of the other spices.
- Pepper - Again, just a small amount goes a long ways in rounding out the flavors and adding a touch more spice to the mix. Fresh, course or fine ground will work just fine.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Combine all spices into a large bowl and combine thoroughly.
Step 2: Sprinkle over your choice of meat or store in a jar for later use!
Hint: To adjust the amount of heat in the blackened spice I recommend increasing or decreasing the amount of cayenne. Adjusting the other spices will greatly affect the flavor of the seasoning while the cayenne affects the boldness of the seasoning more than the flavor.
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to the seasoning - ⅛ of a teaspoon will go a long ways so be careful how much you add!
- Red meat inclined - if you are wanting to use this on red meat, I would suggest omitting the cumin and adding about a ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Mild - Omit the cayenne altogether and you will have a flavorful seasoning with the mildest of kicks.
Try my Blackened Salmon Alfredo recipe on this site, as well as my Blackened Caesar Salad recipe.
Equipment
I simply mix this together in any bowl with a spoon or small whisk. You can store it in a plastic container but I find that a glass jar holds the flavors true the best.
Storage
You can store this spice in your cupboard indefinitely in a plastic container or glass jar (my preference).
Top Tip
I recommend using all dried ingredients for this blackened seasoning spice. It absorbs well into the meats that way and stores easily in the cupboard. Using a mixture of fresh and dried creates imbalances in flavor, makes it difficult to blend the spices together and eliminates the option of storing it for later.
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Blackened Seasoning
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2.5 teaspoons seasoning 1x
Description
Bold, smoky, and full of heat, this Blackened Seasoning blend brings serious flavor to any dish. A fiery mix of chili powder, cayenne, and smoked paprika delivers a deep, spicy kick, while garlic powder and cumin add savory, earthy richness.
Ingredients
½ teaspoon chili poweder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
⅛-¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on preference)
⅛ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
2. Sprinkle over your choice of meat or store in a glass jar until needed.
*All nutritional information is an estimation only. Exact nutritional value depends on exact amounts and ingredients used.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Spices
- Method: No bake
- Cuisine: American
Jenice Wallace says
I use this seasoning in and on so many things! It's the quickest way to take something simple like chicken or salmon and turn it into a flavorful and exciting meal. Perfect for making in large batches and keeping on hand for when it's needed.