Cajun seasoning is a very essential seasoning in making a lot of Louisianian recipes. Its blend of spices is used to enhance the flavor of several dishes. This seasoning can be found in a lot of places and is available in several varieties. Even at that, it is still possible to run out of cajun seasoning when making a particular recipe. If you need this spice and do not have any at this time in your kitchen, you do not have to run to the shop to get more. You could simply just make your own substitute or use any of these other substitutes for cajun seasoning in its place.
Substitute for Cajun Seasoning
Cajun Seasoning
Making your own cajun seasoning is your best bet for substituting cajun seasoning in recipes. Cajun seasoning usually contains onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. This seasoning is a cajun cuisine product, and the spices used in finding them are easy to find. So, you can easily get them and make your own blend at home. Making your own cajun seasoning results in a fresher and more pungent mixture than store-bought blends.
Ingredients
Salt (2 ½ tablespoons salt)
Dried oregano (1 tablespoon)
Paprika (1 tablespoon)
Cayenne Pepper (1 tablespoon)
Ground black pepper (1 tablespoon)
Onion powder (1/2 tablespoon)
Garlic powder (1/2 tablespoon)
Recipe
Combine 2 ½ tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper, ½ tablespoon each of onion powder and garlic powder in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Now, your homemade cajun seasoning is ready for use.
Creole Seasoning
There isn’t much difference between creole seasoning and cajun season. The only difference is that creole seasoning is made using more European herbs and has a milder flavor than cajun seasoning. Although both seasonings are made from a different lineage, some ingredients used in making cajun seasoning are also used in making creole seasoning. This means that they have a very similar flavor profile. However, since creole seasoning has a milder taste, you might want to bring the heat up. To do this, all you need to do simply is to add a bit of cayenne pepper to the blend. You can also decide to use fresh or dried chili pepper to add more heat to your recipe.
When using creole seasoning, use it in a 1:1 substitute. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning, you can replace it with 1 tablespoon of creole seasoning.
Adobo Seasoning
Adobo seasoning is like a Latin American adaptation of the cajun seasoning. This seasoning was originally used as a method of preserving meat by marinating them in vinegar and spices. The adobo seasoning contains a bunch of spices used in making both cajun and creole seasoning. The most common spices used in making adobo seasoning are garlic, oregano, and cumin. Some blends of adobo seasoning may contain turmeric.
Adobo seasoning should be used in a 1:1 replacement for cajun seasoning. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning, it can be replaced with 1 tablespoon of adobo seasoning.
Chili powder
Chili powder can be used as another replacement for cajun seasoning. However, unlike the other substitutes, chili powder does not have a similar flavor profile with cajun seasoning. Chili powder also contains oregano which is one of the spices used in making cajun seasoning, giving it a similar taste to cajun seasoning.
Homemade Cajun Seasoning with Italian Seasoning
You can also make another homemade cajun seasoning using Italian seasoning. Italian seasoning is a mixture of herbs and cannot be used alone as a substitute for cajun seasoning, but it can be used in a mixture of other herbs to make a cajun seasoning substitute.
Ingredients
Italian seasoning (2 tablespoons)
Garlic powder (2 tablespoons)
Paprika (2 tablespoons)
Salt (2 tablespoons)
Black pepper (1 tablespoon)
Cayenne pepper (1 tablespoon)
Dried thyme (1 tablespoon)
Onion powder (1 tablespoon)
Recipe
Using the quantity listed above, add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, and onion powder in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Then, your cajun seasoning is ready for use.
Homemade Classic Cajun Seasoning
Classic Cajun seasoning can be made at home with cayenne, paprika, salt, garlic powder alongside other spices.
Ingredients
Garlic powder (2 tablespoons)
Onion powder (2 tablespoons)
Salt (2 tablespoons)
Hungarian paprika (4 teaspoons)
Ground black pepper (2 teaspoons)
Ground oregano (2 teaspoons)
Ground thyme (2 teaspoons)
Ground cumin (1 teaspoon)
Dry ground mustard (½ teaspoon)
Ground celery seed (½ teaspoon)
Ground chipotle chili pepper (½ teaspoon)
Recipe
Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, black pepper, oregano, thyme, cumin, mustard, celery seed, and chipotle pepper and mix thoroughly.
Sweet, Smoky Cajun Seasoning
All you need to make this version of the cajun seasoning are garlic powder, onion powder, salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, ground Aleppo pepper, ground dried green bell pepper, ground dried red bell pepper, ground oregano, thyme, cumin, mustard, mace, celery seed, ground chipotle pepper, and ground cardamom.
Ingredients
Dry ground mustard (½ teaspoon)
Mace (½ teaspoon)
Ground celery seed (½ teaspoon)
Ground chipotle chili 5pepper (½ teaspoon)
Ground cardamom (¼ teaspoon)
Recipe
In a bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, ground Aleppo pepper, ground dried green bell pepper, ground dried red bell pepper, ground oregano, thyme, cumin, mustard, mace, celery seed, ground chipotle pepper, and ground cardamom and mix thoroughly.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
Can I substitute cajun seasoning with chili pepper?
Chili pepper can be used in cajun seasoning as some blends of cajun seasoning are made with chili pepper. However, it won’t give you the same flavors that cajun seasoning does.
What is Cajun seasoning made of?
Cajun seasoning is made from a mix of spices like onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt.
Is there any difference between cajun seasoning and creole seasoning?
There isn’t much difference between these two seasonings except their heat levels. While cajun seasoning relies on one or more seasonings, such as white and black pepper, creole seasoning relies on herbs like oregano, bay leaf, and basil.
Conclusion
That is all on the substitute for cajun seasoning. We hope that you find these options useful in your recipes. Until next time.