Creole seasoning is a widely used spice mix that originated in Louisiana but has since been adapted into many southern and black recipes.
From gumbos to seafood recipes, American recipes often call on creole seasoning to help flavour a dish without too much effort on the chef’s part. Hence why you will always find creole seasoning in the pantry of a busy family kitchen.
Though American ingredients are slowly making their way over to the UK, creole seasoning is yet to become as popular or easy to find as other American foods. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on delicious black dishes.
Our 3 Substitutes for Creole Seasoning
Creole seasoning is made using a combination of garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, onion powder, white pepper, salt, black pepper and thyme.
The resulting flavour of this mix is strong and spicy, better suited for savour dishes. There is also a smokey undertone as a result of the spiciness, which makes it the perfect BBQ or grill seasoning.
Here are our 3 substitutes for creole seasoning:
1) Cajun Seasoning
As the two seasonings originated in the same area of North America (Louisiana), cajun seasoning and creole seasoning have near-identical ingredients. This makes them interchangeable in any dish or recipe.
Though there are subtle differences between the two seasonings. For example, cajun seasoning usually lacks any thyme or oregano, which makes it a suitable seasoning for sweeter dishes, too.
The lack of herbs in cajun seasonings is replaced with extra paprika and cayenne pepper, resulting in a more impactful heat than creole seasoning.
Because of how cajun seasoning was invented, it is much easier to find in the UK than creole seasoning. Most supermarkets have their own branded version, which is typically very affordable.
Find a Mix That Suits Your Tastes
Each cajun seasoning manufacturer will have its own seasoning blend, meaning some will be spicier than others. The less heated mixes will better replace creole seasoning, but if you like things spicy, then try a hotter blend.
2) Old Bay Seasoning
Though it uses the same spicey base as a creole seasoning, Old Bay seasoning uses a more extensive variety of secondary herbs and spices.
As the two main ingredients in Old Bay seasoning are cayenne pepper and paprika, it has the same kind of heat as creole seasoning.
However, it has more of a peppery kick than a spicy, smokey heat due to the inclusion of mace, cardamom and other peppery spices.
Old Bay seasoning will not work in all creole seasoning recipes.
Tweak It
Though you cannot change the flavour of Old Bay seasoning completely, adding extra paprika or cayenne pepper will cut through the peppery heat and replace it with a heat closer to that of creole seasoning.
3) Greek Seasoning
Some people may want to substitute creole seasoning for a less powerful in both heat intensity and overall flavour. In this case, Greek seasoning is a great alternative.
Where creole seasoning is heavily centred around chilli powders, Greek seasoning has more herbs. It still includes thyme and oregano like creole seasoning but also uses marjoram, dill, basil and parsley in most cases.
This combination of popular herbs gives Greek seasoning mix a sweeter and fresher flavour than creole seasoning, making it a more versatile mix.
The spices that Greek seasoning uses are less spicy and more heated, making the blend palatable for those who do not enjoy a lot of spice in their meals.
Know When to Use It
Though it is versatile, the warmth and lighter herbs used in Greek seasoning make it a better pairing for richer meats like lamb. Though it can liven up basic chicken dishes too.
Other Substitutes for Creole Seasoning
Most close creole seasoning substitutes are complex blends made using a range of herbs and spices. But if you want a more basic substitute for creole seasoning, here are a few more alternatives:
- Chilli Powder – Two common chilli powders (cayenne pepper and paprika) are what make up the basic flavours of creole seasoning. Using those chilli powders separately or together can give you a similar heat as creole seasoning.
- Make Your Own – So long as you have enough paprika and savoury herbs such as oregano at home, you can easily make your own creole seasoning. You will just have to experiment with the mix’s spicy and savoury flavours until you find a combination you like.
Summary
Creole seasoning is one of the most popular seasoning blends in America but is yet to have as big an impact on UK food. Still, if you need creole seasoning, other more universal chilli powder-based seasonings, such as Cajun seasoning, will work great.