The Hot Sauce That Every Old Bay Lover Needs In Their Lives

If you've never tried Old Bay seasoning, you're missing out on one of the greatest meal enhancers of all time — specifically, it does wonders for seafood. This spicy, salty mixture of various herbs is commonly sprinkled over shellfish like shrimp and crabs, but there's no saying you can't add it to meats, vegetables, or any other dish your heart desires. And if you're a lover of spicy foods, you absolutely need Old Bay hot sauce in your life. McCormick, the brand that owns Old Bay, first launched the hot sauce back in 2020, but due to demand, it made its way to store shelves for good in 2021.

The popular seasoning was first developed in the Chesapeake Bay area, which explains how it became so commonly served on blue crabs. Spices like celery seed, paprika, and black pepper along with plenty of others give Old Bay its iconic taste, but if you'd rather have a saucy topping for your favorite dishes, enter the Old Bay hot sauce.

Back in 2020, McCormick introduced the limited-edition Old Bay hot sauce, which essentially paired traditional Old Bay seasoning with a hot sauce made from cayenne pepper, distilled vinegar, and water, as well as additional seasonings. The sauce brought a new kick to the old recipe, and fans loved it — so much so, that McCormick announced in 2021 that it was officially giving the sauce a permanent place among their product line. The sauce has no fat or calories, but it does have 160 milligrams of sodium in just one teaspoon, so you might want to consume it in moderation.

Old Bay hot sauce tastes similar to the seasoning, but the addition of cayenne pepper gives it more heat. Still, it's not overbearing and can be added to seafood and other dishes in the same way as Old Bay seasoning. Celebrities love the spice blend, too — "Outer Banks" star Chase Stokes, who grew up eating fresh crabs in Maryland, once said in an interview with Yahoo! that the seasoning will "change your life."

You might associate Old Bay with fresh crabs or shrimp, but both the hot sauce and the seasoning have far more uses if you're not a shellfish fan. Beyond using Old Bay in some great recipes, you can add the hot sauce to a Bloody Mary to give the drink a uniquely spicy twist compared to traditional hot sauce. You can also swap traditional paprika atop your deviled eggs for Old Bay, which still adds spice but also gives the dish a boost of salt.

Old Bay can be used to season snack foods, too, such as popcorn, potato chips, or even goldfish — some big fans even use it as a pizza topping. And while the seasoning might work better for certain snacks, the hot sauce and seasoning are often interchangeable, meaning you can drizzle the hot sauce on your pizza, in your drink, or on top of most treats.