A License to Grill is a food blog focused on grilling, so it only makes sense that there would also be recipes for seasonings and rubs. This cajun seasoning mix is the perfect all-purpose dry rub, the spice level is moderate with just a bit of bite and it finishes off with a slightly sweet smokiness. I use this dry rub on literally everything, but my favorite is chicken wings and pork tenderloin. Just the other night, I sprinkled some of this on some buttered popcorn, which was a genius idea!

You can try some of the store-bought varieties of cajun seasoning but I usually find them to be too salty. I like a good level of spice in my food. In order to get enough seasoning my food always turns out to be over-salted when I use a store-bought cajun rub. Give this rub a try and let me know your thoughts!

WHAT IS CAJUN SEASONING MIX MADE OF?

Cajun seasoning is an aromatic blend of spices distinct to the Cajun comfort food of rural Louisiana. Cajun food is not necessarily extremely spicy and this Cajun spice mix is low on the heat level but it is easy to adjust to your taste if you like things super hot. Here are the spices you will need for this blend.

• Smoked paprika
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Black pepper and white pepper
• Onion Powder
• Cayenne
• Oregano
• Sweet basil
• Thyme
• Brown sugar

Is Creole seasoning the same as Cajun seasoning?

Creole and Cajun seasoning are similar and can be used interchangeably, however, there are slight differences. There is some smokey flavor in this Cajun seasoning mix which is reminiscent of the rustic backyard grilling in Cajun cuisine.

How long can you store spices?

In general, you can keep this dry rub in your pantry for about 1-3 years. Make sure you mark the date on your spice containers so you can keep track of how old they are. Once this spice rub starts to lose its pungent, delicious fragrance you can toss it and make a new batch.

• Ground spices: 2-3 years
• Dried herbs: 1-3 years
• Whole spices: 4 years

Go ahead and make an extra-large batch of this Cajun seasoning mix. It will store for a few years if you keep it in an airtight container.

Here are some tips for storing your spices:

• Spices should be sealed airtight
• Keep spices in the dark and away from sunlight exposure
• Store spices in a cool area away from heat
• Keep spices stored in a dry area away from moisture
• Keep track of the age of your spices

White pepper vs. black pepper

Black pepper and white pepper are both the fruiting berries from the pepper plant. The black peppercorn is picked when it is just about ripe. When it is ripening then the outer layer of the peppercorn turns black. In order to get a white peppercorn, the black layer is removed once the peppercorn is dried. The white peppercorn is just the inner portion of the black peppercorn berry.

White pepper is not as common as black pepper but it is worth keeping this stocked in your pantry. White pepper is quite a bit more spicey and packs a bit of a punch to your mouth. Use white pepper for its distinctive, mild flavor but for a bit more spice. White pepper is also used in certain dishes for an aesthetic reason when you don’t want specks of black pepper in your white sauce or other light-colored dishes.

I’m adding white pepper to this Cajun seasoning mix because it gives the spice blend more depth and an extra layer of flavor.

Black pepper is quite a bit milder and has a more complex flavor than white pepper. I always have black pepper on the pantry and lots of it. I almost always use black pepper unless I am making a white sauce or have any reason to not want black specks of pepper to show.

Some recipes to try this cajun seasoning mix with

This Traeger smoked turkey breast (wrapped in bacon) would go extremely well with a cajun dry rub! After injecting the turkey breast, rub it down with this cajun dry rub and then wrap it in bacon.

When I think of cajun spice, I think of chicken wings! Try these air fryer honey mustard chicken wings. Remove the onion powder, garlic powder and salt from the recipe and replace it with 2 tablespoons of this cajun spice dry rub.

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