Chesapeake Buttermilk Salad Dressing is the perfect dressing for any salad that includes seafood, such as, lump crab meat, shrimp, or lobster. This is a delightfully creamy buttermilk dressing with the addition of the select spices in Old Bay Seasoning, the #1 seasoning blend for seafood dishes. Don’t ruin your seafood salad with a dressing that doesn’t compliment all of the distinctive flavors of the sea!
Once you try this heavenly dressing you’re going to want to drizzle it over EVERYTHING!! Feel free to indulge with these ideas for dipping; onion rings, hush puppies, french fries, chicken tenders, cold appetizer shrimp, and even potato chips!
Favorite Main Dish Recipes
What is Old Bay Seasoning?

Old Bay Seasoning is a zesty mix of spices that compliment any seafood dish. This seasoning mix is named after a passenger ship that once traveled through the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Some of the spices that stand out in this seasoning blend include celery salt, mustard, caraway, peppers, paprika, cinnamon, cardamon, allspice, and ginger. This savory mix is not only amazing on seafood, but also sprinkled over french fries, used in hush puppy recipes, crab cakes, and sprinkled in popcorn. Trust me, you need to make Old Bay Seasoning a staple in your pantry.
How to make Chesapeake Buttermilk Salad Dressing
This salad dressing is one of the easiest dressings you’ll ever prepare, yet it makes quite an impression with seafood lovers. Plan to make this dressing at least two hours in advance to give the seasonings time to meld. I serve this dressing anytime there is a seafood addition to the salad. It is also delicious poured over a plain side salad as an accompaniment to a seafood main course, like steamed crab legs or Easy Baked Stuffed Lobster.
Equipment Used
- Cutting Board – used to mince the garlic and to chop the chives
- Mixing bowl – used to blend the salad dressing ingredients together

Ingredient List
- Creamy Base – buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice
- Seasonings – Old Bay Seasoning
- Vegetables – fresh chives, garlic cloves
Recipe Preparation

- Peel outer layer of garlic cloves and mince the cloves into tiny pieces. Rinse and dry chives, then chop.

- In a medium bowl, add the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, garlic, lemon juice, and Old Bay Seasoning.

- Whisk all ingredients together until well blended and smooth. Check for taste. If dressing is too salty for your preference, simply add more sour cream until seasoning is diluted. If dressing is too thick for your preference, simply add more buttermilk until desired consistency.

- Pour mixture into a dressing jar, mason jar, or any other lidded container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving. This recipe makes approximately 1 1/3 cup of Chesapeake Buttermilk Salad Dressing.

Chesapeake Buttermilk Salad Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp lemon juice fresh
- 1 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chives chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, garlic, lemon juice, pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning. Whisk all ingredients together until well blended and smooth.
- Pour mixture into a dressing jar, mason jar, or any other lidded container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving. This recipe makes approximately 1 1/3 cup of Chesapeake Buttermilk Salad Dressing.