Homemade Seafood Seasoning

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Made with ingredients already in your pantry, this easy seafood seasoning blend adds peppy flavor to your favorite fish and shrimp dishes. 

One of my favorite things about my kitchen is my fully stocked spice cabinets. Yes, cabinets, plural. I love visiting spice shops wherever I travel and always bring home something delicious to experiment with.

My loaded cabinets mean I can also whip up a variety of spice blends to use for dinner or baking. The latest blend I restocked was this easy seafood seasoning.

I bet you have everything on hand to make it!

Why make your own seasoning?

While you can always buy prepackaged spice blends, I like to make them at home so I can control exactly what goes into them.

Store-bought blends often have salt as the first ingredient to help with preservation (and cut costs), but with homemade you can add just as much salt as you like. If you’re watching your salt intake, this is the perfect way to customize without compromising flavor in your dishes.

You can also adjust any of the other ingredients. Add more cayenne if you like it spicy, or use smoked paprika for a wonderful depth of flavor.

Plus, considering many blends are made with pantry staples, you’ll save money by whipping them up at home.

Ingredients for seafood seasoning

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

• Paprika – Regular or smoked, depending on the flavor you want.
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Celery seeds
• Mustard powder
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt – I usually use fine sea salt in spice blends so they mix evenly with the other spices.
• Dried thyme
• Ground coriander – Use the ground seeds, not the leaves.

How to make this recipe

Making your own spice blends is incredibly easy! 

Measure all of your spices into a bowl. Stir well to mix.

Transfer the blend into a spice jar, or other airtight container. That’s it! Your spice blend will keep for about 6 months when stored in a cool, dry place like a kitchen cupboard or pantry.

How to use seafood seasoning

When using your seasoning, I recommend measuring it out (or pour into a small bowl if you like to be free-wheeling with your spices!) rather than shaking directly into a hot pan on the stove. The steam can enter the jar and add moisture, which will affect the spices’ longetivity.

This seasoning is great sprinkled on most any seafood, especially milder seafood like shrimp or tilapia.

Add it to your breading mix for Friday fish fry, or simply sprinkle on for a sauté or baked dish. 

Mix a bit of seasoning into mayonnaise for a dipping sauce, or stir into your favorite creamy pasta sauce to add a kick of flavor. It’s even great over roasted veggies and potatoes!

Package and gift for the holidays, or keep for yourself to amp up all your dishes. You’ll love this versatile, spicy seafood seasoning mix!