I had fully intended to write a post about making your own seasoning blends. Then Tiffany over at Cute Dogs & Hugs wrote a terrific post on how to make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning. It was then that I realized that I didn’t need to do one post on 10 different seasoning blends at once! Plus, there are so many different Taco Seasoning Blends out there that I still hadn’t found THE ONE to endorse. You know that the next one I try will be hers… 😉

You may be thinking that it’s so much easier to just buy a Taco Seasoning packet. But you may have never stopped to look at the ingredients. The first time I learned about this was through Wildtree, an party-plan company that offers “herbs, spices and culinary blends that are free of preservatives, additives, fillers and promote a healthier lifestyle.”

Wildtree makes their own Taco Seasoning and they compare the ingredients and cost with with a nationally known brand:

Nationally Known Brand of Taco Seasoning
Maltodextrin, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, monosodium glutamate, corn starch, garlic powder, spice. Contains less than 2% of the following: partially hydrogenated soybean oil, silicon dioxide, natural flavor, ethoxyquin
$2.03—serves 6—34¢ per serving

Do you know what silicon dioxide is? It’s that stuff that they put in packets and you find in shoeboxes and purses before you buy them that state “DO NOT EAT.” Hmmm… And with salt the second ingredient on the list, no wonder my friend Ceci always says that she hates using store-bought taco seasoning when cooking for her kids because it’s filled with so much sodium just makes you feel you bloated.

Wildtree Taco Seasoning
Masa Corn Flour, Chili Powder, Cumin, Sea Salt, Onion Powder, Oregano, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
$7.00—serves 18—34¢ per serving

It’s an excellent blend. But you can also make taco seasoning yourself – with spices you most likely already have in your pantry! Just check out Tiffany’s post for her Taco Seasoning Blend. So easy!

~

The seasoning blend I’d like to share with you today can also be made with spices already in your pantry!

This past weekend, while dining out, I has some incredibly flavorful blackened chicken. I forgot how much I loooooovvveeee Blackened Seasoning! It got me to thinking… my poor, poor husband can never enjoy blackened chicken like I do! Though he’s said that he’s had and enjoyed the Blackened Steak Burger at McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola, Florida. S0, I decided to make some Red Beans & Rice still in my pantry from my Zatarain’s Big Game Cravebox and top it with a Blackened Pork Chop.

I searched the web far and wide for a blackened seasoning mixture and just like taco seasoning, there are countless combinations of spices! But I finally settled on a pretty standard one and it made our taste buds sing… and zing!

Blackened Seasoning

(makes enough to cover 1 lb of meat)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

Mix spices together so that they are evening distributed. {If you’d like, you can even pulse the thyme, basil and oregano in a spice or coffee grinder to be more like a powder. I don’t mind them as is, though!} We like spice, so my 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne was heaping! I also used a “Garlic Salt with Parsley” blend instead of garlic powder, but you most likely won’t find that readily in your pantry. And of course, you can omit the salt completely if you want a salt-free option and still have flavorful results!

I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe to have on hand to sprinkle on potatoes, eggs, popcorn or whatever you wish. Just store the seasoning in an empty spice bottle or seal-tight jar.

Blackened Pork Chops

• 4 pork chops (approximately 1 lb)
• Blackened Seasoning (1 recipe above)
• Olive Oil (I used garlic infused olive oil.)

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush one side of the pork chops with olive oil and rub with 1/2 of the seasoning mix.
• Lightly spray a pan (I used a grill pan!) with cooking spray or olive oil and heat to medium-high.
• Once hot, put the chops in the pan, seasoned-side down.
• Brush the remaining side with the olive oil and rub with the remaining blackened seasoning.
• Sear the chops for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
• Transfer the chops to a baking sheet or pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

We were so hungry, that I forgot to take pictures, but here is one of our leftovers!

Rob said, “YES” to me making this again. Win!

What’s your favorite way to use blackened seasoning?

Cheers~
Carrie