Coastal Bay Seafood Seasoning

Use bay spices to generously season any seafood, from steamed crab to catfish, before it hits the steam or the pan. The moisture helps the spice actually penetrate rather than sitting on the surface.

Try it on chicken, or stirred into potato salad or pasta salad for a savory, slightly warm edge most versions don't have.

For a simple remoulade: mix 1-2 tablespoons of bay seasoning with ½ cup mayo, ¼ cup ketchup, and 2 teaspoons Dijon. It's a 5-minute sauce that's genuinely better than most bottled versions.

Bay seasoning is a Maryland tradition, closely tied to Chesapeake Bay crab houses and seafood boils. The style itself traces back to a German-Jewish immigrant in Baltimore who originally built the blend for sausage, drawing on the same warm baking spices, cardamom and clove among them, that were already common in his cooking.

The blend only became a seafood staple once local crab houses picked it up, and the spices meant for sausage turned out to work just as well cutting through the richness of steamed crab and shrimp. That's the real reason a bay seasoning tastes the way it does: it wasn't designed for seafood at all, it was adopted by it.

Coastal Bay Seafood Seasoning FAQ

What's in bay seafood seasoning?

Bay seasoning is typically a combination of dried herbs and spices, usually including pepper, paprika, salt, mustard powder, and celery. Ours also includes cardamom, cloves, mace, and bay leaves.

Where does bay seasoning come from?

The style originated in Maryland, closely tied to Chesapeake Bay seafood and crab houses. It traces back to a German-Jewish immigrant baker in Baltimore who built the blend for sausage before it found its real home in regional seafood.

How do you use bay seasoning for a seafood boil?

Mix bay seasoning with water to create a flavorful boil broth that seasons everything cooked in it, crab, shrimp, corn, and potatoes alike.

What makes this different from other bay seasonings on the market?

It's built on the same regional tradition, black pepper, paprika, celery, and bay leaf as the base, with cardamom, cloves, and mace added for more depth than a typical grocery-store version carries.

Why does bay seasoning have warm spices like cardamom and clove in it?

It's an unusual combination for a savory blend, but it's part of what defines the style, sweet warmth from baking spices playing against pepper and celery's savory bite, rather than a straightforward salty-and-hot seafood rub.

Can I use bay seasoning on something other than seafood?

Yes. Chicken and potato salad both take it well, and the same warm-savory balance that works on crab holds up on roasted vegetables too, particularly potatoes and corn.