Mix Up Your Own Copycat Old Bay with This Easy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a homemade substitute for Old Bay seasoning? ›

Celery salt and paprika are two of the main ingredients in Old Bay seasoning. If you happen to have these spices in your cupboard, then you have a good substitute. When substituting, mix 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt with 1/4 teaspoon of paprika. Use this for every 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning.

Within that unique blend of 18 herbs and spices lies a collaboration of complex flavor elements, just waiting for a chef to let them shine. For example, celery seed is a key flavor in OLD BAY that gives it a subtle earthy note.

Most of the flavor comes from mustard, paprika and celery salt, along with mace, nutmeg, bay leaf, red pepper and cardamom, and while it's an obvious pairing with seafood, it's also a surprising twist on fried rice and chickpeas. Even now, I'm eating fistfuls of popcorn dusted with Old Bay. For inspiration.

Old Bay seasoning is what Southerners like to spice up for Lowcountry boils, crab cakes, and shrimp dishes. But it doesn't stop there. We sprinkle it over deviled eggs and add a few shakes to Bloody Marys. Heck, we even sprinkle it over popcorn for a little kick.

While both blends are closely guarded secrets, it's generally agreed that J.O. brings more salt and heat, while Old Bay leans savory with eighteen spices, including pepper, cloves, ginger, and coriander. Both businesses also sport solid Maryland pedigrees.

Creole seasoning can also be a good Old Bay substitute if needed. Cajun seasoning blends are also a good alternative to Creole seasoning if you're looking for a more comparable flavor profile and have that in your spice cabinet.

of ground beef for savory burgers. Sprinkle OLD BAY Seasoning generously on French fries, corn-on-the-cob, steamed vegetables and popcorn. OLD BAY® Seasoning has a shelf life of 540 days when tightly closed and stored in a cool, dry place, to protect against flavor loss and moisture.

Old Bay is a type of seasoning made from 18 different herbs and spices, including mustard, celery salt, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, paprika, and bay leaves.

Old Bay's following

The Brunn family sold the company to another spice company in the 1980s, and McCormick purchased the Old Bay product line in 1990.

What Spices Are In Old Bay Seasoning? According to the product label, some of the ingredients in Old Bay seasoning are celery salt, spices (including red pepper and black pepper) and paprika. Other potential spices may include bay leaf, cinnamon, mustard powder, nutmeg, clove and cardamom.

Does Old Bay have garlic or onions? ›

Still, this section of their site confirms that Old Bay contains ginger, bay leaves, mustard, cinnamon, and coriander. It also reveals that Old Bay does not contain onion, garlic, cumin, sesame, turmeric, sugar, starch, yeast, malt extracts, MSG, oregano, gluten, citrus, dairy, soy, tomato, or cilantro.

This spice combination is great for seafood especially shell fish. This is like a commercially available product called Old Bay ®. But, this has our own unique twist. This blend contains; celery, salt, mustard, chili, pepper, bay, cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, and red pepper, Ancho chili, yellow mustard seed.

Celery Salt and Paprika

A lot of people think that Old Bay seasoning is super complicated to make (or, at least, emulate the taste of), but it's really not. Simply combine 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt with 1/4 teaspoon of paprika for every 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning if you're substituting it in a recipe.

While Cajun seasoning comes in many varieties, Old Bay is a specific brand, though you can make our Old Bay copycat recipe at home. Most Cajun seasoning blends are spicier than Old Bay, and Old Bay contains ingredients like bay leaf, celery salt, and mustard that aren't usually in Cajun spice blends.

Mask it with acids and sugar.

You can try squeezing some lemon juice or adding some vinegar to your dish in addition to a pinch of sugar; the increased acidity and sweetness will help mask the overly salty taste.

Bay leaves compliment acids and also emphasize the umami flavors in chilis, sauces, and stews. If you don't have whole or ground bay leaves, you can use dried Greek oregano or dried thyme in its place.

Old Bay is a type of seasoning made from 18 different herbs and spices, including mustard, celery salt, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, paprika, and bay leaves.

Old Bay seasoning has some of the same base spices as Cajun seafood seasoning, like black pepper, cayenne, and paprika. It also features celery salt, mustard powder, bay leaf, ginger, and cloves. Overall, it's a bit more “spicy” thanks to the cloves and ginger and it's sometimes made with cinnamon too.