We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Potato salad originated in Europe, most likely Germany, in the 16th century, when potatoes were first introduced from South America. Today there are a number of takes on potato salad from around the world. From the American perspective, it’s usually served cold with a mayo, vinegar, and mustard mix. But however you like your potato salad — with big or small potato chunks, a little boiled egg mixed in, some celery, or even on the slightly sweet side, the extra ingredient your potato salad needs is Old Bay.
If you’re not familiar with Old Bay seasoning, you’re missing out. It’s a proprietary blend of 18 spices, heavy on the celery salt and paprika, with red and black pepper bringing a bit of heat. Old Bay originates from Baltimore and is commonly used in crab cakes, seafood boils, and is one of two essential ingredients in Maryland crab soup — the other being Maryland blue crab, of course.
Old Bay is incredibly packed with flavor, with no single ingredient taking the lead. It will bring a salty, savory kick to your potato salad with just a simple dash from the iconic metal can. While you’ll get a touch of spice on the palate from the red pepper, it’s really more bright and zesty than truly hot, and the paprika and other spices will give it a depth that would be difficult to emulate without a trained food scientist at home. And making Old Bay potato salad is quick and easy.
How to add Old Bay as the perfect ingredient to your potato salad
When making potato salad with Old Bay there really isn’t any extra work, you just need to consider the flavor profiles. As Old Bay is already quite salty, you may want to hold off on the salt in your recipe until you’ve tasted it with just the Old Bay first. If you like your salad heavy on the vinegar, it will blend seamlessly. It goes great with mayonnaise, dill pickles, and celery. Depending on what kind of mustard, and how much you use, maybe sample a bit of your mustard mixed with Old Bay before making the potato salad. Both are pretty strong flavors, so you may need to switch to a milder mustard or cut back a bit. For more heat, think about adding a few dashes of Tabasco or any vinegar-based hot sauce.
Depending on where you live, the seasoning is generally available at the supermarket, but you can order it on Amazon too. Old Bay is incredibly versatile and excellent sprinkled on popcorn, deviled eggs, or steamed vegetables. It’s great mixed into mayo for a delicious sandwich topper or as another creative ingredient to try in your bloody Mary — for a dash of spice on the rim or stirred directly in. So, whether it’s for a cocktail, veggies, or your new favorite potato salad, you should really consider keeping some Old Bay in the pantry.
