CC’s Blackened Seasoning Blend – Mild or Spicy. You control the heat. The same blend behind my Browned Butter Blackened Shrimp and Keto Blackened Chicken Alfredo. Works on shrimp, chicken, fish, filets, and even vegetables. Coat, sear, done. Most store-bought blackening blends are either too mild to actually blacken or so hot they shut down the other flavors. This one is balanced for real Maillard crust at home-pan temperatures — no restaurant-grade heat required.
My mom, to this day, has never had anything “blackened” because she thought it meant burnt. She couldn’t understand why anyone on God’s green earth would want to eat burned food. 🤭 But I must confess, I thought the same exact thing for most of my life until I actually took a bite of blackened shrimp. Boy, it opened my eyes! The umami flavor exploded in my mouth! Now, whenever I’m making Alfredo, I have to use my custom seasoning blend on boneless, skinless chicken filets that always gets rave reviews from the family.
Amazing on Grilled and Smoked Meats
Blackened seasoning is built for one specific technique: coating protein in butter + spice, then searing in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet until a dark crust forms. The seasoning blend is optimized for crust formation. However, my custom blend makes grilled and smoked meats incredibly delicious. Rub it on your meats and let sit for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors penetrate before throwing on the grill or in the smoker.
CC’s Blackened Seasoning Blend
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 3 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne, optional
- 1 tsp rice flour or cornstarch, optional to prevent clumping
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together and store in a sealed container. To prevent clumping in humid areas of the world, add a teaspoon of rice flour or cornstarch and mix well.
- To use: Pat meat dry with clean paper towels. Liberally pat seasoning onto meat then roast, grill, or sear in a hot skillet in beef tallow, lard, butter, or avocado oil to desired doneness.
For more of my custom seasoning blends that take your dishes to the next level, visit CC Seasoning Blends at the top of every page or select the Seasoning Blends category from the drop-down menu in the righthand column.
Happy eating! ❤️
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