Okay, so today I wanted to try my hand at making some Tony’s Creole Seasoning. I’ve used it before from the store, that green can, you know? But I figured, why not try making it myself? It couldn’t be that hard, right?
First off, I needed to figure out what actually goes into this stuff. A little digging around, and it turns out there are a bunch of recipes online, all claiming to be the “real deal.” I picked one that seemed pretty straightforward, nothing too crazy.
Here’s what I gathered:
- 1/4 cup of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 5 teaspoons cayenne pepper (that’s where the kick comes from!)
- 5 teaspoons garlic salt
- 4 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon seasoned chili powder
- 2 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground thyme
The instructions were simple enough: “COMBINE all ingredients in a resealable container.” So, that’s exactly what I did. I grabbed a small jar I had lying around, made sure it was clean, and started dumping everything in.
It felt a little weird just throwing everything together like that, but I followed the recipe to a T. Once everything was in, I gave it a good shake to make sure it was all mixed up. It looked pretty similar to the stuff you buy in the store, maybe a little lighter in color. Then there’s also the note that said if it’s too peppery for children. So I took a small spoon to have a taste, and, I have to say, it tasted pretty darn close. I use it in the same way, I use salt, and I also sprinkled it on some chicken I was making for dinner, and it added a nice, spicy flavor. Nothing too overpowering, just a good, solid Creole kick.
The Real Test
Now, I’m no expert, but I’d say this homemade version is definitely worth a shot. It’s super easy to make, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already. Plus, it’s kind of fun to experiment with different spice blends.
Next time, I might play around with the cayenne pepper a bit, maybe add a little more or less depending on how spicy I’m feeling. But overall, I’m pretty happy with how this turned out. If you’re a fan of Tony’s Creole Seasoning, I’d definitely recommend giving this a try! You might be surprised at how easy it is to make your own.
