Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend Recipe

This homemade Italian seasoning blend is made with classic dried herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme for a fragrant, versatile seasoning mix you'll use again and again. It's quick to make, easy to customize, and perfect for pasta sauces, soups, roasted vegetables, marinades, and more. 

If you've been part of our journey for a while, you'll know we absolutely love cooking with loads of fresh herbs. But we also love keeping a batch of this homemade Italian seasoning blend in the pantry for busy weeknights when we need a quick flavor boost.

Surprisingly, a simple mix of dried herbs can be such a flavor bomb in pasta sauces, soups, roasted vegetables, marinades, and garlic bread. It comes together in just minutes, stores well for months, and also makes a lovely homemade food gift.

Scroll down for step-by-step photos, substitution ideas, and our favorite ways to use this Italian herb blend in everyday cooking!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Italian Seasoning Blend
• What is Italian Seasoning Blend?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Italian Seasoning Blend
• Flavor Variations and Add-Ins
• Best Substitutions for Italian Seasoning
• What to Serve with Italian Seasoning Blend
• Storage Instructions
• FAQ's
• More Homemade Seasonings and Spice Blends to Try
• Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend Recipe

Why You'll Love This Italian Seasoning Blend

• Easy to make - Comes together in just 5 minutes with simple pantry herbs.
• More flavorful than store-bought - Freshly mixed dried herbs create a more vibrant flavor.
• Very versatile - Perfect for sauces, soups, marinades, vegetables, breads, and dressings.
• Easy to customize - Adjust the herbs and spice level to suit your taste.
• Great pantry staple - Keeps well for months in an airtight jar.

What is Italian Seasoning Blend?

Italian seasoning is a dried herb blend inspired by the flavors commonly used in Italian-American cooking, typically made with herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Some blends also include onion powder and garlic powder, but we usually leave them out since we love cooking with fresh onion and loads of fresh garlic.

Interestingly, Italian seasoning is more commonly associated with Italian-American cuisine than traditional Italian cooking, where fresh herbs are often used instead of pre-mixed seasoning blends.

That said, a homemade Italian seasoning mix is incredibly convenient and works beautifully in everyday dishes like pasta sauces, soups, meatballs, marinades, pizza sauces, and roasted vegetables. 

Ingredients You'll Need

This homemade Italian herb blend uses classic dried Mediterranean herbs that work together to create a balanced, savory flavor.

• Dried oregano - Earthy and slightly peppery, oregano forms the backbone of many Italian seasoning blends.
• Dried rosemary - Adds a fragrant piney flavor. Finely chopping or grinding it helps the blend mix more evenly.
• Dried sweet basil - Brings a sweet, slightly floral flavor that balances the stronger herbs.
• Dried marjoram - Mild and delicate with a subtle citrusy note.
• Dried thyme - Adds earthy depth and warmth.
• Dried parsley - Helps round out the herb blend with freshness.
• Dried sage - Adds a subtle savory note and depth of flavor.

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Italian Seasoning Blend

 Prepare the rosemary

• Finely chop the dried rosemary or grind it in a pestle and mortar.

Chef's Tip: Smaller rosemary pieces help the seasoning blend more evenly into sauces, soups, and dressings while preventing woody bits in the final dish.

Mix the herbs

• Add all the dried herbs to a small bowl and mix until evenly combined.

Store the seasoning

• Transfer the blend to an airtight spice jar or glass container.

Chef's Tip: Store the seasoning in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight for the best flavor. Give the jar a quick shake before each use to redistribute the herbs.

Flavor Variations and Add-Ins

This DIY Italian seasoning blend is very easy to customize depending on how you plan to use it.

• Add garlic powder and onion powder - Many recipes include garlic powder and onion powder. We typically don't include it, since we like to cook with fresh onion and loads of fresh garlic. You can add 1-2 teaspoon to our recipe. 
• Add red pepper flakes - Add 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or dried chili flakes) for a little heat.
• Add fennel seeds - 1-2 teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds add a subtle sausage-like Italian flavor that works especially well in pasta sauces and meat dishes.

Best Substitutions for Italian Seasoning

If you don't have Italian seasoning on hand, there are several easy substitutes you can make using common dried herbs.

• Basil and oregano - A simple 1:1 combination of dried basil and oregano works well in most recipes.
• Fresh herbs - Fresh basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme can all work well depending on the recipe.
• Greek seasoning - Works well in Mediterranean-style recipes with a similar herb profile.
• Pizza seasoning - Often contains similar herbs plus garlic and chili flakes.

What to Serve with Italian Seasoning Blend

This homemade Italian seasoning blend is one of those pantry staples that works with almost everything.

• Pasta sauces and Italian comfort food - This blend adds warm herb flavor to rich tomato sauces, meat sauces, and baked pasta dishes. Try it in our easy Italian Meatballs, Napolitana Sauce, Italian Meat Sauce, Arrabbiata Sauce, or Authentic Italian Lasagna.
• Soups and stews - Italian herbs work beautifully in hearty soups, bean dishes, and slow-cooked stews. We love adding it to Italian Chickpea Soup (Pasta e Ceci), Italian Bean Soup with Bacon, and Italian Minestrone Soup. It also adds wonderful flavor to Slow Cooker Italian Beef Stew.
• Pizza, bruschetta and garlic bread - This seasoning blend pairs beautifully with olive oil, tomatoes, melted cheese, and toasted bread. Try sprinkling it over our Cheesy Ciabatta Garlic Bread and Crostini, or stirring it into an olive oil bread dip.
• Meat rubs and marinades - Use it as an easy seasoning for chicken, beef, pork, lamb, or roast potatoes. We especially love it in our Baked Caprese Chicken and Italian Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes.
• Salads and salad dressings - A spoonful of Italian seasoning adds extra flavor to vinaigrettes, marinades, and Mediterranean-style salads. It works wonderfully in our Italian Pasta Salad and homemade Italian vinaigrette.
• Roasted and grilled vegetables - Toss zucchini, eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower, or potatoes with olive oil and Italian seasoning before roasting. It's also lovely sprinkled over roasted Mediterranean vegetables.

Storage Instructions

Pantry: Store in an airtight glass jar or spice container in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Best used within 6 months for maximum flavor.

FAQ's

More Homemade Seasonings and Spice Blends to Try

If you enjoy making homemade seasoning blends and spice mixes, here are a few more of our recipes to try:

• Homemade Tagine Spice Mix
• Lebanese 7 Spice Blend
• Orange and Rosemary Salt

This homemade Italian seasoning blend is one of those simple pantry staples that can instantly add warm Mediterranean flavor to everyday cooking. Whether you're stirring it into pasta sauce, seasoning roasted vegetables, making marinades, or sprinkling it over garlic bread, it's a versatile herb blend you'll reach for again and again.

Once you start making your own homemade seasoning mixes, it's hard to go back to store-bought versions. Give this Italian herb blend a try and let us know in the comments how you used it!

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The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.