I like to make these Cajun Seasoned Oven Roasted Potatoes & Carrots as a full meal when I’m lazy!
First I make sure I have enough of the custom blended seasoning I make.
Chop up the potatoes and carrots, sprinkle with seasoning and slide into the oven at 350 degrees. It’ll take about an hour to cook so stir them twice during the hour.
When they are almost done, put your garlic bread in to heat up.
Slice the bread, fill up a plate full of potatoes and enjoy!
I use this seasoning on chicken as well as shrimp with pasta!
Here’s the scoop on the custom blended Cajun seasoning, with some tweaks for additional type meals.
Adjustments will involve increasing or decreasing specific spices to suit the dish while keeping the total batch size workable.
Base Cajun Seasoning Recipe (My Original Mix)
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Black Pepper: 2 tsp
- Cayenne Pepper: 1 tsp
- Paprika: 3 Tbsp = 9 tsp (1 Tbsp = 3 tsp)
- Onion Powder: 1 Tbsp = 3 tsp
- Garlic Powder: 2 Tbsp = 6 tsp
- Oregano: 1.5 tsp
- Thyme: 2 tsp
Total Volume: 2 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 3 + 6 + 1.5 + 2 = 26.5 tsp
Mixing Instructions: Combine all spices in a bowl, mix thoroughly, and store in an airtight container.
For each dish, I’ll adjust the amounts of specific spices while keeping the total close to 26.5 tsp where possible, or scale proportionally if significant additions are needed. Adjustments reflect flavor preferences for each use.
Adjusted Amounts for Different Dishes
1. Meat (e.g., chicken, pork, beef)
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Black Pepper: 3 tsp (↑ 1 tsp)
- Cayenne Pepper: 1 tsp
- Paprika: 10 tsp (↑ 1 tsp from 9)
- Onion Powder: 3 tsp
- Garlic Powder: 6 tsp
- Oregano: 1.5 tsp
- Thyme: 2 tsp
- Total: 2 + 3 + 1 + 10 + 3 + 6 + 1.5 + 2 = 28.5 tsp
- Why: Extra black pepper and paprika enhance the bold, smoky profile for meat.
- Option: Add 1 tsp smoked paprika (total 29.5 tsp) for grilling.
2. Seafood (e.g., shrimp, fish, crawfish)
- Salt: 1.5 tsp (↓ 0.5 tsp)
- Black Pepper: 2 tsp
- Cayenne Pepper: 1 tsp
- Paprika: 9 tsp
- Onion Powder: 3 tsp
- Garlic Powder: 6 tsp
- Oregano: 1.5 tsp
- Thyme: 3 tsp (↑ 1 tsp)
- Total: 1.5 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 3 + 6 + 1.5 + 3 = 26.5 tsp
- Why: Less salt avoids overpowering delicate seafood; more thyme complements its flavor.
- Option: Add a pinch of lemon zest (not counted) for brightness.
3. Pan Frying (e.g., blackened fish or chicken)
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Black Pepper: 2 tsp
- Cayenne Pepper: 2 tsp (↑ 1 tsp)
- Paprika: 10 tsp (↑ 1 tsp)
- Onion Powder: 3 tsp
- Garlic Powder: 6 tsp
- Oregano: 1.5 tsp
- Thyme: 2 tsp
- Total: 2 + 2 + 2 + 10 + 3 + 6 + 1.5 + 2 = 28.5 tsp
- Why: Extra cayenne and paprika boost heat and color for blackening under high heat.
- Option: Increase cayenne to 3 tsp (total 29.5 tsp) for spicier results.
4. Roasting (e.g., potatoes, root vegetables)
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Black Pepper: 2 tsp
- Cayenne Pepper: 1 tsp
- Paprika: 9 tsp
- Onion Powder: 4 tsp (↑ 1 tsp)
- Garlic Powder: 7 tsp (↑ 1 tsp)
- Oregano: 1.5 tsp
- Thyme: 2 tsp
- Total: 2 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 4 + 7 + 1.5 + 2 = 28.5 tsp
- Why: More onion and garlic powder enhance savory, caramelized roasting flavors.
- Option: Reduce cayenne to 0.5 tsp (total 28 tsp) for milder taste.
5. Vegetables (e.g., sautéed greens, bell peppers)
- Salt: 1.5 tsp (↓ 0.5 tsp)
- Black Pepper: 2 tsp
- Cayenne Pepper: 1 tsp
- Paprika: 9 tsp
- Onion Powder: 3 tsp
- Garlic Powder: 6 tsp
- Oregano: 2.5 tsp (↑ 1 tsp)
- Thyme: 2 tsp
- Total: 1.5 + 2 + 1 + 9 + 3 + 6 + 2.5 + 2 = 26.5 tsp
- Why: Less salt keeps veggies light; more oregano adds herbaceous freshness.
- Option: Add 1 tsp thyme (total 27.5 tsp) for extra earthiness.
6. Pasta Dishes (e.g., Cajun Alfredo, jambalaya)
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Black Pepper: 2 tsp
- Cayenne Pepper: 0.5 tsp (↓ 0.5 tsp)
- Paprika: 9 tsp
- Onion Powder: 3 tsp
- Garlic Powder: 6 tsp
- Oregano: 1.5 tsp
- Thyme: 3 tsp (↑ 1 tsp)
- Total: 2 + 2 + 0.5 + 9 + 3 + 6 + 1.5 + 3 = 26.5 tsp
- Why: Less cayenne balances creamy/rich pasta; more thyme adds warmth.
- Option: Add 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (total 27.5 tsp) for texture.
General Tips
- Scaling: Your base is 26.5 tsp. For smaller batches, halve all amounts (e.g., 1 tsp salt becomes 0.5 tsp); for larger, double them.
- Heat Level: Base has moderate heat (1 tsp cayenne). Adjust cayenne up or down per taste.
- Preparation: Mix each blend fresh for best flavor, or scale the base and store, tweaking as needed.
- Storage: Keeps in an airtight container for 6 months, freshest within 3 months.
These adjustments keep my original mix as the foundation, tweaking specific spices for each dish.