Blackened Seasoning

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Tested by
Renae Wilson Reviewed on 12/31/20 by

Renae is a Brooklyn-based recipe tester who has certificates in both Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts from The Institute of Culinary Education.

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Renae Wilson
Updated 01/20/21
Blackened Seasoning
The Spruce
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 1/3 cup
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
5 Calories
0g Fat
1g Carbs
0g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 5
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 388mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Protein 0g
Calcium 7mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

In Cajun cooking, "blackened" is a method of cooking fish, meat, or poultry by searing it over very high heat in a black iron skillet. Chef Paul Prudhomme stated that the dish became a necessity at his New Orleans restaurant, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen. He had no grill or salamander, so he relied on the black iron skillet to give food its crusty texture. He first used the term "blackened" to describe a dish of redfish in his cookbook, ​Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen.

This mixture of spices and dried herbs are similar to the seasoning blend Chef Prudhomme used in his blackened redfish recipe.

A basic recipe for blackened redfish is included below the instructions for the blackened seasoning.

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Ingredients

  • 1 heaping tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 heaping teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cajun Blackened Seasoning Recipe
     The Spruce

  2. Mix the ingredients well and funnel into a shaker.

    Cajun Blackened Seasoning Recipe
     The Spruce

  3. Seal well and store in a cool, dry place.

Tip

  • When using this method, the air will get smoky, so turn off the smoke alarm and turn on the exhaust fan. 

Basic Blackened Redfish

  1. Place a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it is very hot, about 8 to 10 minutes.

  2. Clarify about 1 cup of butter (or use melted ghee); put about 1/3 cup of the butter in a cup and set the remaining butter aside for serving. Add a few tablespoons of the butter in the hot pan.

  3. Coat the redfish fillets liberally with the seasoning blend. Season as evenly as possible. 

  4. Arrange the fish fillets in the skillet and drizzle each fillet with about 1 teaspoon of the remaining melted butter. Cook the fillets for about 2 minutes (uncovered) until charred looking. Turn the fillets and add more butter to the pan. Cook for about 2 more minutes, drizzling with a little more butter. Serve the fish hot with some melted butter on the side for each guest.