Name: The Best Cajun Spice Rub
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 75
Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients: 3 tbsp paprika; 3 tbsp smoked paprika; 3 tbsp onion powder; 2 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp chili powder; 2 tbsp dried oregano; 2 tbsp dried basil; 1½ tbsp ground thyme; ½ tbsp crushed chili flakes; 1 tbsp cayenne pepper; 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper; 1 tbsp white pepper; 1 tbsp celery salt; 2 tbsp kosher salt

Jump to recipe if you like, but be sure to read the whole post for instructional photos & other tips.

The Best Cajun Spice Rub. This versatile spice rub goes from grilled rib eye steaks to fresh seafood, like scallops & shrimp, with delicious, versatile ease. Make it one of your summer grilling secrets.

Cajun Spice Rub on Surf and Turf

Is there really a best Cajun Spice Rub? If you search the internet, you will probably find thousands of them. Celebrity chefs have made small fortunes branding and marketing their own “secret blends”. The truth is that for the most part, many of these are composed of the same basic ingredients in different ratios.

Close up of Cajun Spice Rub on Scallops and Shrimp

Cajun Spice Rub on prime rib, shrimp and scallop surf and turf.

Over the years, I have experimented with adding a little more of this, a little less of that, adding a new ingredient etc. I tweaked it until I came up with one that suited my own taste and that’s exactly what I encourage you to do. Feel free to reduce the heat or salt content or pump up the smokiness by using all smoked paprika in place of the two mentioned here. Adding some ground chipotle powder will also add some smoky heat.

Cajun Spice Rub on prime rib, shrimp and scallop surf and turf.

The point is that the best Cajun spice rub is YOUR personal favourite blend, so get out there and start working on your own. Here’s a great place to start. 😉

How to use this Cajun Spice Rub

In the photos in this recipe post I have used this great Cajun spice rub in this mouth-watering Surf and Turf. When using it on seafood like these sweet, succulent shrimp and scallops, I generally just toss them in the spice rub and put them directly onto the grill. When using it on beef, like this beautiful rib-eye steak, I like to give it as much time as possible. I rub plenty of it all over the surface of the steaks and leave them in the fridge for the day or at at least a few hours if possible.

Cajun Spice Rub on Surf and Turf

I then add a little more when I take them out of the fridge and let the steaks come up to room temperature before hitting the preheated hot grill. Grilling any good cut of steak straight out of the fridge is, I think, the most common mistake that folks make when trying to grill the perfect steak. It is ESSENTIAL to take the steaks out of the fridge for at least an hour depending on the thickness of the cut in order to achieve the perfect rare, medium or even well-done steak.

We have more side dish inspiration including everything from baked beans & corn bread to deliciously different potato and pasta salads. Be sure to check them all out in our collection of 26 Best BBQ Side Dishes too.

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Cajun Spice Rub photo collage for Pinterest

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75 About 1 1/2 cups Cajun Spice Mix

The Best Cajun Spice Rub

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

The Best Cajun Spice Rub. A versatile spice rub with plenty of flavour and adjustable heat to suit your taste. Use it on everything from grilled seafood to steaks and burgers.

Ingredients

3 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
1½ tbsp ground thyme
½ tbsp crushed chili flakes
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp white pepper
1 tbsp celery salt
2 tbsp kosher salt

Instructions

Just mix all of the ingredients together until completely blended. I usually blend mine together in a food processor which enures the ingredients are well mixed.
If you want, you can process the mixture for a few minutes to break down the larger pieces of herbs and pepper to make it easily pass through a spice shaker. I find this particularly useful when saving some of the rub as a seasoning for burgers or even hot french fries fresh out of the fryer.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

75
Amount Per Serving Calories 5Saturated Fat 1gSodium 283mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 1g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Mike Keefe

Monday 15th of April 2019

Do you use pure chili powder (ancho for example) or the blend?

Barry C. Parsons

Wednesday 17th of April 2019

The blend, like you would use in chili con carne.

Robert Prinzing

Sunday 17th of February 2019

How about giving us the recipe for that wonderful looking Cajun surf and turf

Monday 11th of March 2019

Is that a recipe. Add to shrimp and steak. Grill. :)