How to Make Your Own Italian Seasoning
I use this homemade Italian Seasoning all the time. It is one of my all time absolute favorites because it works in so many dishes – and not all of them Italian. In addition to pasta, pizza sauce, soups, stews and spaghetti sauce, I use it on roasted veggies, BBQ chicken, Greek salad dressing or marinades, garlic toast, potatoes, baked pita chips, homemade croutons and sometimes even popcorn. I also use it in soups, stews, salad dressings and veggie dips. In other words, it gets used a lot! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.I love that often I get to use my own dehydrated garden herbs like basil, parsley, oregano and even dehydrated onions. But even when I don’t have these on hand, I prefer going to a bulk store and buying all the spices separately than buying a pre-mixed seasoning that often has a lot of ingredients I don’t want – starting with salt and sugar.
Recipe for Italian Seasoning
Italian Herb Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 ½ Tbsp dried basil
- 3 Tbsp dried marjoram
- 3 Tbsp dried parsley
- 3 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp onion flakes
- 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 ½ tsp rubbed sage
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
- Store in an airtight jar.
- Use within 6-12 months.
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
The Benefit of Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix
Compare the list of ingredient in the recipe above the list of ingredients from a store brand “Italian Seasoning”.
Salt, Dehydrated Vegetables (onion, red pepper, garlic), Sugar, Spice, Modified Corn Starch, Hydorlyzed Plant Protein (soy,corn), Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil
A 125 g bottle of Store Brand Italian Seasoning costs $4.99
Mixing up this batch of seasoning (1 cup) cost me about $1.88. Less if you use your own homegrown and dried basil, oregano and parsley.
One batch lasts me about 6-8 months and I’ve never had any issues with clumping, flow or loss of flavor.
As for the salt and sugar – really? Let’s face it, those are just cheap fillers that you and I don’t need. Sure, I may add salt to dishes when I’m cooking – but I want to know what and how much I’m adding.
It really annoys me that something as simple as Italian Seasoning can get so messed up in the race to produce cheap food. I hate that I have to read the label on everything! Just another reason to make stuff from scratch at home.
Don’t even get me started on Taco Seasoning! That’s another seasoning mix you’ll want to make yourself if you feel the way I do about “extra ingredients”.
Other Seasoning Mixes
Onion Soup Mix– an MSG, salt and bouillon free version that’s super tasty
Lemon Herb Seasoning – great for veggies, chicken and fish
Cajun Seasoning – great for meats, soups, stews and sauces
Taco Seasoning – makes great Taco Seasoning/Sauce
Steak Seasoning – great for all meats and when mixing ground meat for burgers, meatballs or meatloaf
Popcorn Seasoning Recipes – not just for popcorn! (several recipes in one post)
Chili Lime Seasoning – great for chicken, fajitas, tortillas, taco salad, etc.
Chili Cheese Mix – great for steamed veggies, pasta, scrambled eggs, garlic toast or as an ingredient in homemade bread
BBQ Seasoning – great for chicken, barbecued meat, beer can chicken, pulled pork, ribs, etc,
Do you have a favourite seasoning mix? I’d love to hear more about it, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @getgettys and Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.
Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist, speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas. She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener. When she’s not working on growing or cooking food, she’s likely hiking or kayaking in the backcountry.
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