Happy Tuesday!
Two things.
1. Today's post is going to be a pretty short one! I had to work late all of last week, so that made keeping up with the blog a little tricky. I was so tired by the weekend that I decided taking it easy was best. I'll be back to a normal schedule soon. I just need to catch up with cooking and photo-taking at this point! Also, I could use a clone of myself.
2. Today's post is partly a clean-up from another old post. Back when I shared my blackened chicken alfredo with zucchini noodles recipe, I provided two separate recipes in that one post. I wanted to take the blackened seasoning away from that to give it its own post because blackened seasoning is good on other foods too!
Also, going back and reading what I wrote in older posts is a little nauseating; I always cringe at how I worded things. I wonder if I'll feel the same way about this post next year! 😀 Though what's also funny is how back when I first launched the blog, it was gluten-free and "paleo-ish." It's funny how things have changed. Browned butter spaghetti and mizithra, anyone?
Moving on.
If you're like me and keep lots of spices and dried herbs around, making your own spice blend is super easy. Buying premade is great as long as it tastes good and has real ingredients in it and all, but I think it's more fun to make your own. It's also nice to control how much of something you'd want in the blend, whether you want it to be salty or have no salt at all or super spicy, etc.
It also requires very little work. You measure spices into a bowl, stir it all together, and store it away! Easy peasy.
Blackened seasoning is one of my favorite spice blends and I tend to always use it on chicken over alfredo (sometimes zucchini noodles, usually fettuccine), but this spice blend also goes great on shrimp and fish! Blackened tilapia? Oh, yeah.
There are other foods you can use this spicy seasoning on! What are some of your favorites?
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon hot paprika, optional
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Greek oregano, or ½ teaspoon regular oregano
Instructions
- Add spices to a small bowl and mix to combine.
- Store in an airtight container and keep in a cool, dry place.
Hi Marissa! I love blackened seasoning! I use it mostly on chicken and seafood, as do you. I never buy spice blends because they are almost always too salty. Since I cook 95% of our food from scratch I control the salt level, which I am sure is way less than most people use, and I don't have a salt shaker on the table. This blend sounds delicious! I buy almost all of my herbs (other than those that grow in the garden) and spices from Penzeys because they are very high quality. I have some nice salmon in the freezer which will meet this soon! 🙂
Hi Dorothy! It's especially nice to control levels of salt! I love salt, but too salty can really ruin a dish. I loooove Penzeys! I like to shop there when I can; they have a location the next town over from me! They have great stuff. Let me know how you like the salmon if you make it! <3
Hi Marissa! We first discovered Penzeys about twenty-five years ago - every July we went to the classic car races in Elkhart Lake WI and we saw a local add for their store. That store was the only one at the time. It was a very small storefront with a large warehouse. They would give you a sheet listing what they had and you marked what items you wanted and they went to the warehouse and put a box together. I remember is smelled incredible in the storefront and the service was very hands on and friendly! The closest store to me in in Memphis which on the complete opposite end of the state from where we live, so I order by mail. Thought you might enjoy the story! 🙂
I can only imagine how great the smell was with a warehouse behind there! Thanks for sharing that story. 🙂
I love making my own spices. Going to have to put this one on the list!!
Me too, Whitney! Thanks!
Thank you! I'm always on the hunt for new spice blends, another one to add to the batch.
Thanks Charlene!
I love that you can make your own blackened seasoning. My favorite way to do spices is to buy them in bulk. So much cheaper than the bottled stuff. I'll need to pick up everything to make this! The blackened chicken alfredo sounds fab!
I love buying in bulk too! Thanks, Erin. You gotta make the alfredo sometime!
I really love making my own seasonings to have on hand when I'm cooking. They are so easy and far cheaper than buying them. Love the combination of spices you've used.
Agreed, thanks Amanda! I haven't really purchased pre-made blends in quite a while now that I think about it.
Beautiful photographs! I need to make a good blackened seasoning to keep in the house. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Whitney! It's one of my favorite spice blends to keep handy. 😀
I love blackened food! Blackened chicken, tilapia, burgers, you name it... thanks for a great seasoning mix recipe 😀
It's so good! Thanks for the comment, Amanda!
I could use a clone too! I feel your pain.
This seasoning well deserves its own post. Love having my own seasonings on hand. Nobody can tweak the flavours to what you like, just like you can 😉
Thanks, Sara! You said it best. It's nice to tweak seasonings and flavors just how you like them. 😀
Homemade seasonings always taste so much fresher!
Agreed. 😀 Thanks for the comment, Pam!
I love homemade spice blends-- this looks fantastic. I totally understand about wanting a clone of yourself! I have weeks like that too. Too many lately!
Clones would be helpful and maybe a vacation!
I love spices! And I feel like this will become one of my must-haves! ?
Thanks, Claudia!
Making homemade spices really takes the dish to altogether different level.. love this seasoning recipe
I agree, Fareeha. Thanks for the comment!
I love blackening things, chicken, fish, shrimp, whatever, if it was once alive I want to blacken it. You ever try smoked paprika in this recipe? I'm a bag fan of smokiness, but I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea. Either way great recipe!
I've managed to miss the smoked paprika train for some reason, but I looove smokiness, so it's going on my shopping list now. 😀 Thanks, Adam!
I LOVE this!! I can't wait to try it!
Yay! Thanks, Tracy!
Just looking at the ingredients of your blackened seasoning I can already imagine its many delicious uses! Yum!
Thanks Manila! It's one of my favorite blends. <3
This spice blend looks amazing and your photography is awesome! Great post 🙂
Thanks, Chrissie! I still have so much to learn on this photography thing! 🙂