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Old Bay Seasoning is a zesty, magical spice blend that tastes great on anything it touches. Here’s how to mix up your own for the freshest batch possible.
I never realized how amazing Old Bay seasoning tasted until I started making my own. Spices can sit around on the grocery shelves forever, and then even longer once we bring them home.
Over time, they fade into the depths of kitchen cupboards everywhere. This is especially true if you limit your Old Bay use to just seafood. It’s time to toss that blue and yellow tin in the bin, then mix up your own and try it on all kinds of new things, from popcorn to potatoes.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Celery salt: You can make your own celery salt from oven-dried celery leaves.
- Bay leaf: You want finely ground bay leaf (aka laurel leaf) for this blend. It’s pungent and entirely edible. If you’re grinding it yourself, make extra, then substitute ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon ground for every whole bay leaf in future recipes.
- Nutmeg: For the strongest flavor and the longest shelf life, buy the whole nutmeg seed and grate it freshly when needed.
- Cardamom: Purchase it in ground form or buy the small green pods and grind them yourself.
- Mace: Mace is the dried outer coating of the nutmeg pod. It has a warm and woody flavor, somewhere between pepper and cinnamon. If you forgot to find any, use an equal amount of nutmeg as a mace substitute.
Instructions
- In a small jar, add all ingredients and stir to combine. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipes makes about 10 tablespoons (½ cup + 2 tbsp) Old Bay Seasoning.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
- Sheet pan clam bake: Flavor the butter for your next clam bake with Old Bay.
- Old Bay omelet: Add poached shrimp and Old Bay seasoning to your next omelet.
- Michelada: Add to your next Clamato cocktail. Excellent in Bloody Marys, too!
- On anything: Dust Old Bay over roasted potatoes, grilled shrimp, or corn on the cob. Excellent on French fries, too!
Recipe FAQs
Try Crab Boil seasoning, pickling spice, Cajun seasoning, or seasoned salt.
It’s made from 14 different spices, so it tastes like a lot of things! The most dominant flavors, though, are celery salt and bay leaves.
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More seafood recipes to try
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Grilled Swordfish
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Pan-Fried Tilapia
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Shrimp Creole
Soup and Stew Recipes
New England Clam Chowder
Old Bay Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons celery salt (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons ground bay leaves (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note 3)
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (see note 4)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace (see note 5)
Instructions
- In a small jar, add all ingredients and stir to combine. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Celery salt: You can make your own celery salt from oven-dried celery leaves.
- Bay leaf: You want finely ground bay leaf (aka laurel leaf) for this blend. It’s pungent and entirely edible. If you’re grinding it yourself, make extra, then substitute ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon ground for every whole bay leaf in future recipes.
- Nutmeg: For the strongest flavor and the longest shelf life, buy the whole nutmeg seed and grate it freshly when needed.
- Cardamom: Purchase it in ground form or buy the small green pods and grind them yourself.
- Mace: Mace is the dried outer coating of the nutmeg pod. It has a warm and woody flavor, somewhere between pepper and cinnamon. If you forgot to find any, use an equal amount of nutmeg as a mace substitute.
- Yield: This recipes makes about 10 tablespoons (½ cup + 2 tbsp) Old Bay Seasoning.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Iām the Executive Chef and head of the Culinary Hill Test Kitchen. Every recipe is developed, tested, and approved just for you.
