Italian Seasoning (You Already Have The Ingredients On Hand)

Italian Seasoning is the name that comes to mind when we think about flavors. Homemade Italian Seasoning is one of the easiest ways to add that subtle kick to your chicken or Pasta or Ground Beef.

Basically, Italian seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices used in Italian cuisine. There is a wide variety of Italian seasoning mixes available. What does it contain?

Many tasty Italian dishes are flavored with oregano, garlic, basil, and other herbs. Do you know how much oregano to put in spaghetti sauce? Or how much garlic is too much? The best replacement is Italian Seasoning.

Jump to:

• What is Italian seasoning?
• What do you need to make Italian seasoning?
• How to make Italian seasoning?
• Variations in Italian seasoning
• Is this Italian seasoning vegan and gluten free?
• How to store Italian seasoning?
• Tips for your Italian seasoning
• What can I use instead of Italian seasoning?
• Is pizza seasoning the same as Italian seasoning?
• Can I use Italian seasoning on pizza?
• Recipe
• Italian Seasoning (You Already Have The Ingredients On Hand)

What is Italian seasoning?

As the name suggests, Italian seasoning contains a blend of herbs that we use so often for so many of our recipes. My favorite being Herbed Chicken Breast.

But, italian seasoning is NOT just limited to meat and poultry. We use it for so many vegetarian recipes My another favorite being Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

Italian seasoning blends can be used in many recipes to add flavor. Recipe includes green beans, chicken breasts, Salmon, Shrimp, Pasta, and so much more.

Some of the ingredients include well known herbs like oregano, rosemary and thyme. But in addition to these classic Italian herbs you can also add your own variations and twist to the Italian seasoning!

What do you need to make Italian seasoning?

You don’t need to go to Italy to get all the ingredients for this Italian seasoning! In fact, you can most probably find everything you need at your local grocery store at very affordable prices. The ingredient list is not very big either, so your shopping will be done in no time!

• Dried basil

Basil will give a nice balance to your Italian seasoning with its unique mix of flavours. The sweet and savoury taste of basil is an excellent complement to other ingredients in this list.

• Dried oregano

Can we imagine Italian cuisine without oregano? Of course not! But make sure to not go overboard with this herb, as it can be quite overpowering in taste.

• Dried rosemary

Rosemary is underrated when it comes to herbs, but it is no less important. It is very much like sage in its peppery flavour, but we consider rosemary to be a better counterpart in comparison.

• Dried thyme

Thyme is a very strong tasting herb with bold flavours. It has a very sharp, almost mint like taste with a subtle hint of peppery and sweet flavours. You just cannot miss out on adding thyme to your Italian seasoning!

• Dried Sage

Sage has a soft and subtle earthy taste that is so common in that typical Italian Seasoning that we buy from markets.

• Red chilli flakes

Till now it has all been about dried herbs, which can make your Italian seasoning taste very one dimensional. So make sure to add a bit of red chilli flakes to diversify the flavour profile of your Italian seasoning!

About Marjoram:

Marjoram is traditionally added in all Italian Seasoning recipe. But, I didn't have Marjoram at hand so I skipped it.

How to make Italian seasoning?

Making Italian seasoning doesn't require any special culinary skills. You don't need to be a Michelin star chef to make this recipe! You also don't need any special equipment like a spice grinder for this seasoning. All you need is a mixing bowl and a spoon. Making this Italian seasoning should not take more than five minutes of your time!

• Take an appropriate sized mixing bowl and combine all the ingredients in it. Use a spoon to mix everything together.
• Make sure that everything, including the bowl and spoon, is completely dry and has no leftover moisture on it.
• Mix all the ingredients with the spoon until everything is even and uniform. You can also put everything in an airtight bottle and give it a few shakes to make sure it's properly mixed.
• Your Italian seasoning is now ready! Store it away carefully so that you can preserve it for a long time!

Variations in Italian seasoning

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to making your own homemade Italian seasoning. You don't even need to stick to only Italian ingredients like oregano and thyme. Instead you can make your own variations and adjustments according to your taste preferences!

• If you want to give your Italian seasoning a spicy twist then you can switch the red chilli flakes with red chilli powder or paprika. Or you can keep them both for extra hotness!
• You can make this Italian seasoning even more Italian by adding more dried herbs like sage, marjoram and even dried and crushed bay leaves!

Is this Italian seasoning vegan and gluten free?

Yes! This Italian seasoning is completely vegan and gluten free. It also has many herbs that are good for your overall health. It's also free of any additives and preservatives since it's completely homemade!

How to store Italian seasoning?

All seasonings have a long shelf life, but only if you store it the right way. And when it comes to Italian seasoning you have to be extra careful as it contains a lot of dried herbs which are vulnerable to going bad faster. But if you just follow some precautions, you can avoid this from happening!

• A small airtight glass-jar is perfect to store your Italian seasoning. Avoid using plastic containers, or at least use only those containers that are free of toxins and safe for edible items.
• Keep the glass-jar in a cool and dry place. A cupboard or a shelf in your kitchen is perfect for this. Avoid excessive heat and moisture at all costs to preserve your Italian seasoning for longer.
• With all these proper storage instructions, you can expect your Italian seasoning to last upto six months!

Tips for your Italian seasoning

Italian seasoning is pretty simple to make already and there's no way you can get it wrong even on your first try. But with some helpful tips, you can take your Italian seasoning to a whole new level of flavortown

1. If you want Italian seasoning that is not very coarse in texture, then you can go for grounding the ingredients before mixing them together. Use a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle to finely ground all the herbs and spices. This will give your Italian seasoning a more powdery consistency.
2. Use kosher salt instead of regular salt. Thanks to the larger granule size of the kosher salt, you'll have an easier time controlling it's measurement compared to the grainy table salt.
3. You can make various variations to your Italian seasoning according to your taste choices. For example, if you want to kick up the spice levels, just include a bit of red chilli powder or paprika for heat!

What can I use instead of Italian seasoning?

If you cannot find Italian seasoning at your nearby stores then you can substitute it with Italian herbs like oregano, rosemary and thyme. These three are especially integral to most Italian recipes and will get the job done just like any regular Italian seasoning!

Is pizza seasoning the same as Italian seasoning?

Chefs confuse Italian seasoning with pizza seasoning or oregano. Find out why Italian Seasoning is different from Pizza Seasoning.

While pizza seasoning is very similar to Italian seasoning in some of its ingredients like oregano, thyme and chilli flakes, there are certain extra ingredients in pizza seasoning that sets it apart. Ingredients like onion powder, garlic powder and fennel are common in pizza seasoning unlike your average Italian seasoning.

Can I use Italian seasoning on pizza?

Yes, you can! Italian seasoning goes great in pizza. In fact, you can make some adjustments to your Italian seasoning to make it a perfect pizza seasoning!

More Seasonings to try at home

• Cajun Seasoning Recipe

• Homemade Fajita Seasoning

• Homemade Old Bay Seasoning

• Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Recipe