Old Bay Seasoning substitutes
The best substitute for old bay seasoning is homemade old bay: Makes about 4 tsp: 1 tsp celery salt + 1 1/2 tsp paprika + 1 1/8 tsp ground coriander or dry mustard + 1/4 tsp cayenne + 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon. Very close to the tin. Because the celery salt seasons as well as flavours, hold off adding any other salt until you have tasted the dish.
Why it matters. A celery-salt-led American seafood blend with paprika, pepper and warm spice. It seasons and salts at the same time, which matters when you swap it: an unsalted substitute will need salt adding separately.
BestHomemade Old Bay
●●●●●Makes about 4 tsp: 1 tsp celery salt + 1 1/2 tsp paprika + 1 1/8 tsp ground coriander or dry mustard + 1/4 tsp cayenne + 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Keeps the flavour role.
Very close to the tin. Because the celery salt seasons as well as flavours, hold off adding any other salt until you have tasted the dish.
Crab boil or seafood seasoning
●●●●○1:1
Keeps the flavour role.
Built for the same job on a similar celery and pepper base, but brands vary a lot in heat and salt, so taste before adding more of anything.
Celery salt + paprika + pepper
●●●●○Per 1 tbsp: 2 tsp celery salt + 1/2 tsp paprika + 1/4 tsp black pepper + a pinch of cayenne
Keeps the flavour role.
The quick version from what most kitchens have. The warm spice is missing, but the celery salt does most of the work.
Celery salt alone
●●●○○Use about 3/4 the amount
Keeps the flavour role.
The single most recognisable component, so it gets you further than you would expect, but there is no colour, no warmth and no heat.
Cajun seasoning
●●●○○1:1, then taste for salt
Keeps the flavour role.
Similar salt level and paprika base, but built on thyme, oregano and far more pepper. Hotter and herbier, with no celery note at all.
Creole seasoning
●●●○○1:1, then taste for salt
Keeps the flavour role.
A close cousin of Cajun with more dried herbs. Clearly not Old Bay, but it seasons seafood convincingly.
Lemon pepper + paprika
●●○○○Per 1 tbsp: 2 tsp lemon pepper + 1 tsp paprika + a pinch of celery salt
Keeps the flavour role.
Bright and peppery and it does suit seafood, but citrus is not part of the Old Bay profile, so the dish tastes noticeably different.
Other spice substitutes
Measuring by weight instead? Use the kitchen converter.