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This homemade blackened seasoning recipe is savory and spicy at the same time! Season any protein with this spice mixture for a major flavor upgrade.
Frying, baking or grilling protein with this Blackened Seasoning recipe will give you the most deliciously seasoned dish. A little seasoning goes a long way and makes weeknight meals so much better!
I use this for my Blackened Salmon recipe and Blackened Shrimp Alfredo, but it works on other types of fish and seafood, chicken, shrimp, and even veggies. It really adds the perfect flavor kick!
Table of Contents
How To Make This Blackened Seasoning Recipe – Step By Step
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl.
Store in an airtight glass jar, up to 3 months.
Enjoy!
What Is “Blackened Food”?
Blackened food is not burnt food. Blackened foodtraditionally means coating food inmelted butterand then amixture of spices. The spices stick to the butter, darken in color and create an incredibly delicious crust to the food. If you want to make blackened food a little healthier (or dairy-free), you can use olive oil or avocado oil in place of the butter and it’s still super flavorful!
What Is Blackening Seasoning Made Of?
A mix of dried herbs such as thyme and oregano, plus ground powders such as garlic and onion. Paprika is almost always used, as well as varying amounts of cayenne pepper which adds heat.
How To Use Blackened Seasoning
One of the best things about blackened seasoning is that you don’t have to remember to prep it in advance like you do with marinating! If you want to pre-season a protein for grilling, you can measure out all of the spices into a ziplock baggie, coat your protein with olive oil, add the protein to the spice mixture and shake it up! If you’re cooking something in a pan (like shrimp), you’ll just add the butter or oil as well as the seasoning blend and toss to coat. It’s so easy and super flavorful.
Blackening seasoning is a combination of chili powders, herbs, and spices. Most recipes include some combination of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme.
Food that is blackened isn't burnt; it's simply coated in a special spice blend that takes on a very dark brown, almost black color when cooked in a skillet, on a grill or in an oven. Blackened food almost always means blackened meat, chicken or seafood, including fish and shellfish like shrimp.
Blackened Fish: Coat fish fillets, such as salmon or catfish, in Cajun blackening seasoning before pan-searing or grilling for a crispy, flavorful crust. Blackened Chicken: Rub Cajun blackening seasoning onto chicken breasts or thighs and cook them in a skillet or on the grill for a spicy and smoky taste.
The blackening is caused by the butter charring in the pan, and the spices will add to the flavor. Dredge the fish completely in melted butter, and then sprinkle your blackening spices mix moderately on the fish. The spice is not the key part of the cooking method.
No, the two are different blends of spices. Old Bay seasoning is made with celery salt, paprika, red pepper, black pepper, and other spices. How do you make something blackened?
He'd been experimenting for years with a method of coating seafood with a variety of Cajun herbs and spices, cooking the fish in a cast-iron pan until charred (thus “blackened”). Then one evening in March, he served his new Blackened Redfish creation to a few dozen people. It wasn't just a hit—it became a phenomenon.
Grilling meat at high temperatures can charcoal the meat – a burning of the fat, which produces carcinogenic chemicals known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Evenly dust the spice rub evenly all over the tilapia fillets. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan, then add the tilapia, presentation side down. Cook a few minutes per side, until crisp and reddish-brown (“blackened”) on the outside and flaky on the inside. Enjoy!
Although both tasted delicious, I give butter the slight edge here. It came off of the cast iron skillet easier and helped the fish stay more intact. However, if you have allergies, are watching your cholesterol, or prefer healthier fats, then using olive oil is a fine choice and tasted very similar to butter.
Often associated with Cajun cuisine, this technique was invented and popularized by chef Paul Prudhomme. The food is dipped in melted butter and then sprinkled with a mixture of herbs and spices, usually some combination of thyme, oregano, chili pepper, peppercorns, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Blackening spice is specifically for blackening something, usually fish. I believe it was actually an accident that turned into a new dish. Cajun seasoning is for seasoning anything you want. It is a mixture of sale, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion and garlic powders and paprika.
If the seasoning in your pan is sticky, this is a sign of excess oil built up on the cookware. The Fix: To remedy stickiness, place the cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven and bake at 450-500 degrees F for one hour. Allow to cool and repeat if necessary.
A Cajun blackened steak recipe is commonly found in Southern restaurants. The blackening technique is also used on fish, chicken, and other meats, but there's something about its use on steak that will make any steak lover's mouth water.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN CAJUN, CREOLE AND BLACKENED SEASONINGS? Cajun spice tends to be more spicy, Creole seasoning includes a blend of herbs and blackened seasoning tends to fall somewhere in between.
While Cajun seasoning can be used with almost any type of cooking (including recipes that are boiled, like Shrimp Boil), Blackening seasoning is intended for recipes that are seared or grilled to give them a dark “blackened” crust.
Is blackened healthy? Yes! The seasoning blend itself is nothing but dried herbs. The cooking method is what makes something healthy or not, so as long as you're grilling or using healthy fats to cook, your blackened food will be healthy!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN CAJUN, CREOLE AND BLACKENED SEASONINGS? Cajun spice tends to be more spicy, Creole seasoning includes a blend of herbs and blackened seasoning tends to fall somewhere in between.
Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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