Seafood seasoning is in short supply and high demand right now. Can’t find Old Bay in stores? Make this recipe from K-Paul’s for an Old Bay seasoning substitute!
Back in 1979, Chef Paul Prudhomme was well known for his delicious seafood dishes and smoked meats. He is also responsible for creating blackening seasoning, as well as Cajun and Creole cooking as we know it today.
Chef Prudhomme’s famous restaurant, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, was a hot spot for four decades, but as a result of the global pandemic, K-Paul’s permanently closed in 2020.
The late chef’s popular Magic™ seafood seasoning blend lives on through retail sales. However, it and other popular blends like Old Bay™ seasoning are all but impossible to find in stores these days.
Fortunately, I have an easy solution for making your own seafood seasoning! This is a very special, “magic” recipe.
Seafood Seasoning
In the mid-80’s, one of the chefs at K-Paul’s restaurant was a house guest and gave me the kitchen recipe while on a visit, and now I’m sharing it with you! This recipe makes a great substitute for Old Bay seasoning!
He also was the first to make me a pan-seared filet stuffed with boursin cheese with a red wine sauce! A-mazing!
The seafood seasoning recipe given to me was written in pound measurements (amounts to yield 6 cups of spice blend), obviously for commercial kitchen use. I’ve adjusted the amounts down to yield 1 cup of seasoning. This is more in line with what you need for a home pantry.
Old Bay seasoning substitute
If you look at the Old Bay ingredient label, you’ll notice that it’s very different from most other seafood seasoning recipes. It does include many of the spices that are in the recipe shown below, but there are some unique ingredients too.
For instance, bay leaves, clove, and allspice are in Old Bay, but not in my seafood seasoning recipe. This doesn’t mean you can’t use it as a substitute for Old Bay seasoning though! It’s perfect for times when you can’t find it in the store.
Uses for seafood seasoning
What I like most about this spice blend is its versatility. You can use it as Chef Paul intended, as a dry rub for dishes like blackened mahi mahi or shrimp. But there are plenty of other ways to use the seafood spices!
- Seafood salads – Sprinkle a bit of the seasoning into the mixture for crab stuffed mushrooms or tuna fish salad for a nice punch of flavor.
- Soups – The spices pair really well with clams and scallops. Add a bit to New England clam chowder!
- Fish seasoning– Use it to add flavor to baked salmon patties; just mix it right in with the other ingredients. Or, sprinkle it onto fish filets for the best ever broiled swordfish!
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This post, originally published on Kevin is Cooking Mar. 13, 2013, was last updated with new content on Oct. 30, 2021.
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Seafood Seasoning (Old Bay Substitute)
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp salt
- 5 tbsp paprika
- 2 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 4 tsp cayenne powder
- 4 tsp black pepper
- 4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 cup dried oregano
- 1/4 cup dried basil
- 1/4 cup dried thyme leaves
Instructions
- Add spices to small bowl and whisk to combine; bottle in airtight container.
- If kept in cool, dry location away from direct light, seafood seasoning will stay fresh for 8-10 months. Useable after that, but will be less potent.
Notes
- This recipe yields 1 cup seafood seasoning (16 tablespoons) and nutritional information shown is for 1 tablespoon serving.
- 1 lb salt
- 1 lb paprika
- ½ lb garlic powder
- ½ lb onion powder
- ¼ lb ground cayenne
- ¼ lb black pepper
- ¼ lb ground coriander
- 12 oz leaf oregano
- 12 oz leaf basil
- 12 oz leaf thyme
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Nutrition
Fantastic flavor! I didn’t need so much so I used 1/4 of the amount of all ingredients except the salt (*I did not add salt at all) and it was perfect! I made crab cakes with king crab leftover from New Years Eve and they were delicious! I have about 1/3 cup of seasoning mix and will use it to make more crab cakes in the summer. Thanks for the great recipe! *As there is salt in the bread crumbs and (natural) sodium in the king crab, my recipe did not require additional sodium, thus I omitted the salt completely… Read more »
Thanks for coming back to let me know Jewel!
Thanks for your recipe and the breakdown!
Thank you for stopping by!
Hello,
I don’t see the ratio of mixed seasoning to water. Too much or too little would ruin a boil.
Thanks
Brian
Brian, thanks for inquiring, but I only use this as a seasoning when cooking seafood like shrimp or fish. This isn’t specifically for a boil, although I’m sure you could add it. I just have no idea on the amounts.
Can we not make so much in one batch? I don’t want to make over 4 pounds of seasoning….
I hear you Jesse! It’s how the recipe was given to me. I would divide down to the amount you want.
Use teaspoons instead of pounds: 1 lb = 1 tsp., 1/2 lb. = 1/2 tsp., 12 oz. (3/4 lb.) = 3/4 tsp.