This homemade Creole seasoning is a bold, zesty blend of smoked paprika, garlic, onion, black and white pepper, thyme, oregano, and a little cayenne. It's the seasoning I reach for in Cajun shrimp and grits, Cajun turkey, shrimp boils, and so much more. It takes about 5 minutes to mix up with spices you probably already have!
Making it at home also lets you control the salt. This blend has about 80% less sodium than the most popular store-bought brand, and you can make it completely salt-free when you need to.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Why This Recipe Works
- What Is Creole Seasoning?
- Creole Seasoning vs. Cajun Seasoning
- Homemade vs. Store-Bought: What About the Salt?
- Ingredient Notes
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Creole Seasoning
- Scott's Tips
- Storage
- How to use Creole Seasoning
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Cajun Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- You May Also Like
Quick Look
- Total time: 5 minutes
- Key ingredients: Smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, black and white pepper, dried thyme and oregano, cayenne, and kosher salt
- Flavor: Savory and herby, with a little smokiness and mild to medium heat
- Method: Stir everything together in a bowl
- Use it on: Shrimp, chicken, turkey, seafood, pasta, dips, and shrimp boils
- Storage: Up to 3 months in an airtight jar
If you make this Creole seasoning, please leave a star rating and a comment below. I love hearing what you use it on!
Why This Recipe Works
- Less salt, more flavor: With the salt dialed back, you taste the smoked paprika, herbs, and peppers instead of just salt.
- Two kinds of pepper: Black pepper brings a bold bite, and white pepper adds a sharper, earthier heat that's classic in Creole cooking.
- Herbs for depth: Dried thyme and oregano give it that herby Creole flavor that sets it apart from Cajun seasoning.
- Pantry staples: Everything in this blend is a common spice, so there's no special shopping trip and no paying a premium for a premixed jar.
What Is Creole Seasoning?
Creole seasoning is a blend of spices and dried herbs used in Creole and Cajun dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and shrimp and grits. It usually includes paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black and white pepper, oregano, thyme, and cayenne pepper.
The flavor is savory and herby, with a little smokiness from smoked paprika and mild heat from the peppers and cayenne.
Creole Seasoning vs. Cajun Seasoning
Cajun and Creole seasoning start with a similar base of paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cajun seasoning is usually spicier, with more cayenne and few or no dried herbs. Creole seasoning builds on that base with herbs like thyme and oregano and is typically milder.
The two are often used interchangeably, so either one works in most Cajun and Creole recipes.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought: What About the Salt?
Store-bought Creole seasoning is often heavy on salt. Tony Chachere's Original, for example, has 340 mg of sodium in just ¼ teaspoon, or about 1,360 mg per teaspoon. This homemade blend has about 240 mg per teaspoon, roughly 80% less.
That makes a big difference when you're seasoning generously, like coating a whole turkey or building flavor in a pot of shrimp and grits. And if you want even less salt, the salt-free version below lets you add salt to taste in the dish itself.
Ingredient Notes
- Smoked paprika: This adds smokiness and a deep red color. It's worth buying if you don't have it, since it's great in lots of rubs and seasoning blends. Sweet paprika works too, but the flavor will be a little different.
- Kosher salt: I use Morton kosher salt. If you use Diamond Crystal, which is less salty by volume, use about 2 tablespoons.
- White pepper: White pepper has a sharper, earthier flavor than black pepper. If you don't have it, use more black pepper instead.
- Dried thyme and oregano: These give the blend its herby Creole flavor. If your dried herbs are in large pieces, crush them between your fingers before adding them.
- Cayenne pepper: Creole seasoning has mild to medium heat, so it only uses a little cayenne. Add more if you like it spicy.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Salt-free Creole seasoning: Leave out the kosher salt and add salt to taste in the dish. This is the version to use with a kosher, self-basting, or pre-brined turkey, or anytime you're watching your sodium.
- Spicier: Increase the cayenne to taste for a blend closer to Cajun seasoning.
- Milder: Swap the cayenne for chili powder for a milder blend.
How to Make Creole Seasoning
- Measure everything into a bowl. Add all of the spices, herbs, and salt to a small bowl.
- Stir well. Stir until the blend is evenly mixed and the color is uniform, with no streaks of paprika or clumps of garlic powder.
- Store it. Transfer the seasoning to an airtight jar or container.
Scott's Tips
- Start with fresh spices: Ground spices and dried herbs lose flavor over time, so use jars that haven't been sitting in the cabinet for years.
- Stir before using: The finer spices can settle to the bottom of the jar, so give it a quick shake or stir before each use.
- Double it: This recipe makes about ½ cup. If you cook Cajun food often, make a double batch.
Storage
Store the seasoning in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months for the best flavor. It's still fine to use after that, but the flavor will slowly fade as it ages.
How to use Creole Seasoning
Creole seasoning is a natural fit for Cajun and Creole dishes, but it's great on just about any meat, seafood, or vegetable. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
Rice: It works great in Cajun dirty rice, too.
Shrimp and grits: It's the key seasoning in my Cajun shrimp and grits.
Turkey: It flavors both the injection and the outside of my Cajun turkey, and it's the base of my Cajun turkey injection.
Pasta: Use it in my creamy Cajun shrimp pasta.
Dips: It adds a zesty kick to my Cajun crab dip.
Grilled chicken and shrimp: Sprinkle it on before grilling for an easy, flavorful rub.
Shrimp boils: Add it to the pot for a boil with plenty of Creole flavor.
Wings: The seasoning is great on chicken wings too, like my air fryer chicken wings!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Use the same amount. Since this blend has much less salt, taste the dish before serving and add more salt if needed.
It has mild to medium heat, so most people won't find it too spicy. If you want more kick, add extra cayenne. For a milder blend, swap the cayenne for chili powder.
Not as a direct swap. Old Bay is a popular seasoning for shrimp boils, but it's built around celery salt and isn't spicy, so the flavor is quite different.
More Cajun Recipes
📖 Recipe
Homemade Creole Seasoning Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt, omit for salt-free
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl.
- Stir until evenly combined.
- Transfer to an airtight jar and store in a cool, dark place.
Notes
- Salt-free version: Leave out the salt and season the dish to taste. Use this version with kosher, self-basting, or pre-brined turkeys.
- Salt: If using Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use about 2 tablespoons.
- Heat level: Add more cayenne for a spicier blend, or swap it for chili powder for a milder one.
- Storage: Keeps up to 3 months in an airtight jar for the best flavor. Shake or stir before each use.
- Nutrition: Estimate per tablespoon, made with Morton kosher salt. The salt-free version has almost no sodium.
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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