How to Make Old Bay Seasoning at Home

Make your own Old Bay Seasoning recipe with just a few pantry spices and a jar. This homemade blend captures the classic Cajun-style flavors—perfect for seasoning seafood, poultry, meat, roasted vegetables, and more.

Easy Old Bay Seasoning Recipe

If you enjoy making custom spice mixes, this Old Bay-style seasoning is quick, versatile, and customizable. It’s ideal to have on hand for quick flavor boosts—especially if you love bold, smoky, and slightly sweet Cajun-inspired seasoning.

What does Old Bay Seasoning taste like?

Old Bay has a savory, slightly smoky, and aromatic profile. The blend is heavy on paprika with distinct notes of celery seed and celery salt, balanced by garlic, black pepper, warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, a touch of mustard, and a hint of sweetness from brown sugar.

Primary flavors

The dominant flavors in this blend are salt, celery seed, and garlic, with supporting notes of smoked paprika, pepper, and a subtle warm sweetness.

What is in Old Bay Seasoning?

This homemade version combines a variety of spices commonly associated with Old Bay and Cajun-style blends. The ingredients below recreate the essential flavor profile while allowing you to control salt and heat.

• Ground celery seed
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Ground mustard powder
• Cayenne pepper (small amount for heat)
• Ground black pepper
• Dried thyme
• Chili powder
• Light brown sugar
• Flaked sea salt
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg

Ways to Use Old Bay Seasoning

• Seafood boils: Add to the cooking liquid or sprinkle on cooked shellfish for classic flavor.
• As a Cajun substitute: Use this blend in place of store-bought Cajun seasoning in many recipes.
• Seasoning meat: Rub a few teaspoons on chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp before cooking.
• Seasoned veggies: Toss with roasted or grilled vegetables—excellent on corn, Brussels sprouts, peppers, or onions.

Storage

Store your homemade Old Bay Seasoning in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, in a cool, dark place. It will keep well for up to 3 months; for best flavor, use it within that time.

Old Bay Seasoning Recipe

Old Bay Seasoning captures Cajun-inspired flavors with notable notes of celery seed, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and salt. This small-batch recipe makes about 7 tablespoons—enough to keep handy in your spice cabinet.

Prep: 15 mins   Cook: 0 mins   Total: 15 mins   Servings: Makes about 7 tablespoons

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ground celery seed
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flaked sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or directly in a clean mason jar.
2. Stir or shake well until evenly mixed.
3. Store the seasoning in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.

Tips & Notes

• This recipe yields roughly 7 tablespoons of seasoning.
• Adjust the cayenne and brown sugar to taste to make the blend spicier or sweeter.
• Use flaked sea salt for texture, or swap for fine salt if preferred—just adjust the amount if you want lower sodium.

Nutrition (per serving, approximate)

Calories: 19 kcal • Carbohydrates: 3 g • Protein: 1 g • Fat: 1 g • Fiber: 1 g • Sugar: 1 g

Nutrition estimates are approximate and provided for general guidance only.