What’s the best Cajun seasoning to buy from the store so you can bring the bayou into your kitchen? I tasted eight different Cajun seasoning brands and five stood out as the best Cajun seasoning brands.
No matter how many taste tests I do, I always surprise myself with how naive I feel after asking, “How different could these be?” I thought Cajun seasonings would be pretty standard across the board. After all, aren’t they all a blend of the same baseline seasonings? My apologies to everyone from the bayou.
It’s already clear that I have no Cajun background, so I can’t speak to the authenticity of these Cajun seasonings, only to how tasty they are. To test each Cajun seasoning brand, I chose the blankest, blandest, blah-est canvas I could think of: egg whites. I figure that if I’m going to stand behind a product, it better be a heavy enough hitter to add flavor to flat, fatless egg whites. So, killing two birds with one stone, I both ranked the best Cajun seasoning brands and got all of my protein in for the day in one fell swoop. Here’s the best store bought Cajun seasoning I tried.
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- Newman’s Own Cajun Seasoning
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Newman’s Own Cajun Seasoning is “Cajun light.” It’s a pretty neutral blend of spices that tastes exactly like the sum of its parts, which is tasty if not show stopping. I can’t imagine it’ll immediately transport anyone to the bayou, but it did make my food taste better without the hassle of grabbing a ton of spices off the shelf. It’s lighter on the salt than a lot of the other blends, and it’s the most welcome texture for shaking. You can shake it onto your food without fear of big chunks of herbs that would make it hard to evenly distribute, or it being so powdery that it gets whisked away by the wind. It might not sound like much, but that was a surprisingly big issue in some of the other seasonings.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Weber N’Orleans Cajun Seasoning
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It makes total sense that the Weber name is synonymous with grilling because one whiff of this Cajun seasoning took me straight to backyard barbeques and the familiar, mouthwatering scent of char from the grill. It’s not high on the spice scale but there is a little tingle, which adds some intrigue. The real reason this is some of the best Cajun seasoning is the smokiness of this mix. It made my humble egg whites cooked dry in a nonstick skillet taste like they came off the grill. This mix includes some bigger chunks of herbs, so if you’re going to go the blackening route, proceed with caution!
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Blackstone Cajun Seasoning
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Before anyone comes at me with “but it isn’t even that spicy,” it’s not the spiciest Cajun seasoning I tried. It’s the most flavorful while being spicy, and did the best job of balancing heat and taste. And that’s why it’s the best spicy Cajun seasoning. While it’s not whack-you-over-the-head spicy, it has a kick I didn’t expect but happily welcomed. It has a smoky undertone to help round things out, and the salt is certainly present so bear that in mind as you season. This is the best Cajun seasoning brand for livening up a dish with heat.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Badia Cajun Seasoning
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This Cajun seasoning mix took me on a journey. First, it was herby. Then, it was spicy. And always it was garlicky. We love to see it. The spice on the back end doesn’t overpower the herbaceousness, but adds to the overall flavor. It’s not a sharp spice, but one that plays nicely with the earthiness of the rest of the ingredients. This Cajun seasoning tastes like Thanksgiving herbs got a makeover from Cajun cuisine. It’s as if Louisiana caught wind of that dinner party the pilgrims were having, packed up their flavors, and went to Massachusetts to show them how it’s done. If you want to take poultry to new heights, this is the best Cajun seasoning.
Credit: Merc / Badia Spices
- Cajun Two Step Cajun Seasoning
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I was skeptical of this Cajun seasoning, because it appears that the man on the packaging is holding a saltine cracker. Promoting a famously bland cracker but trying to sell seasoning? I didn’t know what kind of mind game this company is playing, but I do know that this Cajun seasoning is the best Cajun seasoning. It blew me away. It doesn’t have a lot of heat, but it does pack a ton of flavor. The dehydrated vegetables give it depth and brightness at the same time, and I really respect that it doesn’t lean heavily on the salt to give it some life. The lemon flavor is present, brilliant, and has convinced me to keep this on my shelves moving forward. 10/10 sporks.
Credit: Merc / Cajun Two Step
Best Light Flavor
Best Smoky
Best Spicy
Best Herbaceous
Best of the Best
Other Cajun seasonings we tried: McCormick, Great Value, Louisiana