Cajun cuisine finds its roots in the style of cooking from the Acadiana region of Louisiana. It is the cuisine of the French-speaking Acadian people, more commonly known as the Cajun people (and not creole, but more on that another time), who were forcibly moved by the British from Canada to Louisiana. Cajun cuisine generally speaking is quite rustic but has several links to French cuisine. It is dominated by locally available ingredients and humble preparation methods. Flavors common in Cajun cuisine are bay leaves, oregano, bell pepper (usually green but sometimes red as well), black pepper, cayenne pepper, celery, onion, sassafras, and thyme.
Homemade seasoning mixes are a great way to keep life simple (and inexpensive) when your day to day schedule gets hectic. I tend to keep a few spice and seasoning mixes on hand year-round to help bring flavor to dishes without too much effort. I love this cajun seasoning mix because it makes whipping up a pot of gumbo, seasoning (otherwise boring) baked potatoes lively and gives a nice kick to homemade marinades.
For my recipe, I’ve left out the salt, so be sure to add it to each dish as needed for flavor. Since the uses of this seasoning mix are varied and different, seasoning each dish with salt individually keeps things from getting too overwhelming.
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon each sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme
- Stir together all ingredients until well combined. Store in an airtight container.

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[…] show off the culinary genius of my Cajun cousins in Louisiana. For this recipe, be sure to use my salt free cajun seasoning mix to help bring out the true gumbo magic in this […]