This homemade Italian Seasoning Mix is made with staple pantry seasonings and it’s so easy to make! This DIY blend is a quick way to add robust flavor to recipes! With no unhealthy ingredients or additives, you will never go back to store-bought spice blends again! (Vegan, Gluten-free, Whole 30, Paleo and Keto-compliant)
Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix
This DIY Spice mix is savory in taste with an earthy, piney flavor and subtle undertones of sweetness and mint.
This multi-purpose spice mix is perfect to have on hand to add robust flavor to any recipe! From chicken, beef and sausage to soups, salads and pizzas, you will want to add this dry seasoning to everything!
The best part of homemade seasonings? YOU are in control of what (and how much) goes in it! While store-bought seasoning blends can be convenient, they often contain too much salt and unhealthy additives. This DIY blend is all about maximum flavor, minimum effort and zero additives!
What spices are in Italian seasoning?
Italian seasoning is a blend of various dried herbs and spices including basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage and marjoram. Depending on the blend, other herbs such as parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder and onion powder can be included for additional flavor.
Is Italian seasoning spicy?
Most Italian seasoning mixes are not spicy. However, you can add crushed red pepper flakes to the mix to make the blend spicy in taste.
What does Italian seasoning taste like?
The exact flavor of Italian spice blends can vary slightly depending on the exact herbs used and the ratio of each herb. However, most spice mixes are savory, earthy and piney in flavor with a very subtle sweetness and a hint of mint.
Is Italian seasoning the same as herbes de Provence?
While Italian seasoning and herbes de Provence are similar, they are not identical.
Herbes de Provence comes from Provence, a region in France, while Italian seasoning, despite the name, is an American creation.
Also, while herbes de Provence do use most of the ingredients found in Italian spice mixes (with the exception of basil), it also includes lavender flowers and has a strong floral taste.
How to customize Italian seasoning to taste?
When you make your own spice blend you have the capability to customize the blend by adding dried herbs and spices according to your own personal taste!
To create and customize your own specialty Italian spice blend consider adding one or more of these ingredients:
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Sharp and spicy in flavor, this spice is a great way to turn your standard Italian seasoning into a Italian Pizza Seasoning!
- Italian Parsley – Mildly bitter in flavor, Italian parsley is a great addition to brighten the flavor of your spice blend.
- Garlic Powder – Most recipes for Italian cuisine are going to call for fresh minced garlic, however if you are garlic averse or prefer a sweeter, less pungent garlic flavor, try adding garlic powder to your Italian seasoning (and skip the fresh garlic in your dish)!
- Onion Powder – Subtle in flavor, onion powder is a great addition to Italian seasoning if you plan on making meatballs or meatloaf!
- Kosher Salt – Clean and lighter in taste than regular table salt, kosher salt will help bring out flavor and enhance the taste of food. I always add at least a ½ teaspoon of kosher salt to the Dry Italian Spice Blend recipe below.
Is Italian seasoning healthy?
Italian seasoning does have various health benefits. The seasoning contains important nutrients such as vitamins, antioxidants, dietary fiber and minerals such as iron and calcium.
How long does Italian seasoning last?
While homemade Italian seasoning will never actually spoil, the dry spices will lose their flavor.
Italian seasoning should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place away from heat and sunlight. The pantry or a dark cabinet are excellent places to store dried spices. Properly stored seasoning will stay fresh for approximately 1-2 years (this depends on how fresh the herbs used in the blend are).
When to use Italian seasoning? How to use Italian seasoning?
This all-purpose Italian blend is extremely versatile and a great way to add flavor to a variety of recipes!
Below are various ways to use Italian seasoning:
- Sprinkle it on chicken
- Use it to season beef – meatballs, meatloaf, hamburgers
- As a seasoning for sausage or pork
- To season soup
- Dust it over pizza dough for added flavor
- Use it to make tomato sauce or meat sauce
- Add it to breadcrumbs
- To season spaghetti or any type of Italian pasta
- As a flavor enhancer in baked Italian dishes such as lasagna, ziti, spaghetti pie
- On bread – Sprinkle on Italian bread, cheesy bread, breadsticks or croutons!
- As a seasoning for Italian or Tuscan Salads
- Mixed with olive oil as a dip for bread
- To make Italian dressing
- To season vegetables
How much Italian seasoning to use?
You should always use seasonings or dry spices to your own personal taste! However, below is a general guideline on how much store-bought or homemade Italian seasoning to use in various recipes.
- How much Italian seasoning should I use per pound of meat? 1 TBS per pound of meat.
- How much Italian spice should I use in tomato sauce? 1-3 teaspoon per 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes. The exact amount will depend on how flavorful you like your sauce and what other ingredients you are adding (onions, peppers, et cetera.)
- How much dry Italian spice mix should I add to add to breadcrumbs? 2 teaspoons per cup of breadcrumbs.
How to make Italian seasoning easy?
To easily make our own Italian spice blend simply mix together equal parts of dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried sage and dried marjoram in a bowl. Store the blend in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
If you want your spice mix to be fine and powdery in texture, I highly recommend adding all the dry spices to the bowl of a food processor or spice grinder and blend until the desired consistency is achieved!
This homemade dry Italian spice mix is a quick and easy way to add flavor to a variety of recipes! Be sure to make a double batch, because you are going to want to sprinkle this seasoning on everything!
Until next week, friends, cheers – to adding a little spice to your life!
XOXO
Cheyanne
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Easy Homemade Italian Seasoning recipe👇
- 1 TBS Dried Basil
- 1 TBS Dried Oregano
- 1 TBS Dried Thyme
- 1 TBS Dried Rosemary
- 1 TBS Dried Sage
- 1 TBS Dried Marjoram
- 2 tsp Dried Italian Parsley
- ½ - 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a small food processor or a spice grinder.
- Blend or pulse until desired consistency is achieved.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to 6 months.
Recipe Yield: Heaping 1/3 Cup
Nutritional Information based on 1 teaspoon and includes optional spice ingredients.
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Kevin says
May 1, 2019 at 12:45 pmSmells like Italian right through the screen, I wish! What a fabulous mixture of these spices to make the PERFECT blend!