Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend

A well-balanced, all-purpose blend of Cajun spices.

I make my own Cajun seasoning blend. And I am sharing the detailed formula with you. Over several years, I have developed an Acadiana Table house blend that I believe works well for all tastes and is one that you can make right in your kitchen. I call this a “multi-purpose” seasoning since it is for general use in a variety of recipes. It forgoes the heavy-handed dominance of ground cayenne with a more toned-down heat level for moderate tastes. In my Acadiana Table recipes, you will see ingredient listings for adding both Cajun seasoning AND cayenne (or even red pepper flakes or hot sauce) when a more peppery hot dish is required.

As for the salt content of my blend, for overall health reasons, it would be ideal if we all lived in a world where salt was forbidden. But in my world (probably yours, too), salt equals flavor. It is important that as a multi-purpose blend, just enough salt is present in the mix for balancing the flavor profile of other more pronounced flavors. One day, I may develop a no-salt version (for those on a medical regimen), but this is not that formula.

So, let’s talk about what is NOT in this blend. Many other store-bought seasonings have added dried herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil, and so forth. This one does not, and here’s why: As a cook, I prefer to control those flavors in my recipes, and I add them separately. And you will see that all of my Acadiana Table recipes follow that philosophy with instructions written in such a way that herbs and aromatics are added separately from the spice component.

My Acadiana Table seasoning is a well-balanced, multi-purpose blend of spices that is a workhorse in the kitchen. It fires on all cylinders with garlic and onion, pepper (black and white), sweet, smoky notes of paprika, and the depth of flavor only celery salt (a favorite ingredient) can bring. There’s just enough cayenne to tickle the back of your throat, and a balance of salt to wake up your taste buds. It works. It works deliciously.