8 Things Marylanders Put Old Bay On That Out-of-Staters Wouldn’t Dare

Marylanders shake Old Bay on a lot more than crabs.

Here’s what Marylanders put Old Bay on that out-of-staters wouldn’t dare.

1. Caramel Popcorn

Fisher’s has run a family-owned popcorn stand on the Ocean City boardwalk since 1937, according to the magazine’s 2024 Ocean City food guide.

Its Old Bay caramel is an ever-so-slightly spicy taste of the Old Line State, alongside the classic butter and caramel flavors.

You can find Old Bay in other sweets, too. In July 2015, a roundup of Old Bay-inspired products featured Pick of the Bay’s Crabby Chocolates, a dark chocolate confection with a caramel filling.

The same maker sold a Caramel Sauce with Old Bay.

Both come from a 2015 roundup, so you may want to check whether either is still sold.

2. Grilled Cheese

Maryland’s Best is a state website that links the state’s farmers and watermen with consumers. If you browse it, you’ll find a Crabby Grilled Cheese recipe that calls for Old Bay to taste.

The recipe makes 6 sandwiches on thick-sliced sourdough, with Crabby Cheddar, 1 pound of crab meat and 12 slices of bacon.

The cook browns each sandwich cheese side down in a medium-hot skillet, then flips it.

The last step has the cook cut the sandwich on a diagonal and serve it immediately, dusted with Old Bay on top.

3. Deviled Eggs

In 2018, Baltimore Magazine noted that some cooks in the city prefer a shake of Old Bay on top instead of the paprika.

You can see the idea in a state recipe, too. The Maryland Department of Agriculture posts Eastern Shore Caviar, a deviled egg dish that uses an Old Bay dressing.

If you make a tray for a crowd, you can dust half with Old Bay and half with paprika.

4. Pizza

Old Bay on pizza?

Baltimoreans put it on pizza, wings, popcorn, fries and even elote, according to Visit Baltimore, the city’s tourism organization.

The line sits in the Old Bay entry of its list of quintessential Baltimore bites, and no crab dish is complete without the seasoning.

At home, you can shake a little over a hot pie and taste it before you add more.

5. Chicken Wings

Old Bay wings are a staple at restaurants and pubs across the Old Line State, according to Visit Maryland’s Taste of Maryland list.

The recipe it links to, credited to SeriousEats.com, uses 3 pounds of chicken wings grilled over medium-high heat for 20 to 25 minutes.

When people think of the state, the iconic shape of an Old Bay can is probably one of the first things to come to mind.

The sauce is butter, hot sauce, lemon juice and Old Bay, melted and whisked in a small pot, then cooled.

You set half of it aside before tossing, and once the wings come off the grill, you toss them in the rest.

6. Fries

Ocean’s 13 in Ocean City serves Shorebilly Fries, which an Ocean City tourism blog post describes as thick fries piled with cheese, bacon, crab meat and a hit of Old Bay.

If you’re driving in for the dish, you can call ahead, since menus change.

7. Crab Chips

At Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the ballpark food guide names Crackin’ Crab Chips the official crab chip of Camden Yards, made with a hefty coating of Old Bay.

They’re under Comfort Eats.

That section also covers Boog’s BBQ pork sandwiches and Attman’s corned beef.

If you are planning a game day, you can read that section before you go.

8. Fried Oysters

Fried oysters get their Old Bay in the dredge.

A Visit Maryland recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of Old Bay or J.O. Crab Seasoning, combined thoroughly before the oysters go in.

If you fry a batch at home, you can taste one oyster first and adjust the next round.

J.O. Crab Seasoning

If you cook from Visit Maryland's recipe pages, you'll see J.O. Crab Seasoning named as an alternative to Old Bay in three of them.

The crab soup recipe calls for 3 to 4 tablespoons of Old Bay or J.O. Crab Seasoning.

The crab cakes recipe lists 1 tablespoon, and so does the fried oyster dredge above.