Homemade Italian Herb Blend is a seasoning of dried basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, and rosemary combined with aromatic garlic and onion, which gives your recipes an Italian flavor. This recipe is easy to make since you probably have everything you need to make it in your spice cabinet.
What Is Italian Herb Blend?
Italian herb blend, also known as Italian seasoning, is a combination of herbs commonly added to Italian recipes. This particular recipe for Italian herb blend includes dried basil, oregano, Italian parsley, marjoram, and crushed rosemary. Additionally, I include dehydrated garlic and minced onion to add more flavor to the Italian herb blend mixture.
Italian herb blend is not authentically Italian but a shortcut recipe that adds the flavors common to Italian cuisine. Most old-school Italians would never dream of using a seasoning blend to cook with. However, this recipe is a simple, efficient way to add flavor to meals with little effort. Sorry, Nonna.
What Ingredients Are In This Italian Herb Blend?
To make an Italian herb blend, you need dried basil, minced garlic, minced onion, dried oregano, dried Italian parsley, dried marjoram, and crushed rosemary.
You also need a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and a jar to store the herb blend in.
How Do I Get The Most Flavor Out Of My Herb Blend?
Grinding dried spices and herbs is the best way to coax their flavors out. The oils in dried herbs and spices are released when ground or crushed, adding more flavor to the recipes they’re used in.
To get the most flavor out of your herb blend, begin by crushing the dehydrated, minced onion and the Italian parsley using a mortar and pestle. You can also use a coffee grinder for this step. This will allow the flavors of the two ingredients to come out and make a finer blend. The larger pieces of onion and parsley will throw off the balance of the herb blend. Not by a lot, but enough to notice.
How Far Ahead Can I Make This?
Add the basil, minced garlic, oregano, crushed rosemary, and marjoram to the mortar. Use the pestle to gently grind and combine the herbs in the mortar.
Transfer the mixture to a glass spice jar or similar airtight container.
Herb blends retain their flavor for 2 years if you store them properly. You can make this recipe 2 years ahead of using it.
Can I Swap Or Substitute Any Of The Ingredients?
The key ingredients in the Italian herb blend are basil, oregano, and rosemary. I recommend using them, but you can swap or substitute the other ingredients.
Swaps include:
- Replacing the minced garlic and onion with granulated garlic and onion powder.
- Using regular dried parsley instead of Italian parsley.
Substitutes you can make in this recipe include:
- Omitting the minced garlic and onion.
- Replacing the marjoram with thyme or rubbed sage.
- Use thyme or rubbed sage instead of crushed rosemary.
- Make it spicy by adding a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
Be sure to grind down dried rosemary leaves if you plan to use them instead of crushed rosemary. Whole, dried rosemary is very tough and unpleasant to eat if you don’t grind it down.
What’s The Best Way To Store Seasoning Blends?
Store the Italian herb blend in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 2 years. Always store spice mixtures in a cool, dark place in the kitchen or pantry to keep the flavors fresh. Avoid storing these mixtures over the stove, where temperatures and moisture fluctuate. Fluctuations in temperature and moisture cause your herb blends to swell and release their oils, which can cause them to grow mold and/or lose their potency faster.
How Do I Use It?
To use Italian herb blend, add 1 teaspoon per pound of meat or use it as directed in place of store-bought Italian seasoning.
I like adding it to soups, stews, casseroles, and salad dressings. Use it in your meat sauces, pasta salads or to add interest to your favorite dips.
This Italian Herb Blend is a quick-fix recipe that adds tons of flavor to your dishes. It’s so easy to make you’ll never need to spend money on pre-made, store versions again. It’s also a great gift for the foodies in your life, so save it for your holiday gift lists. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your spice mix board and share it with your friends and family. Let me know in the comments how you plan to use this spice blend, too!
Italian Herb Blend
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- mortar and pestle or coffee grinder
- spice jar (6-ounces or larger)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) minced onion (dehydrated)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (1 gram) Italian parsley flakes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) minced garlic (dehydrated)
- 2 tablespoons (2 grams) dried oregano leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (2 grams) dried basil
- 1 tablespoon (5 grams) crushed rosemary
- 2 teaspoons (1 gram) dried marjoram
Instructions
- Add the minced onion and Italian parsley to a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Grind or pulse the two ingredients together until they are the same size as the rest of the herbs.
- If you used the coffee grinder to break down the onion and parsley, pour them out into a separate bowl or container. Leave the onion and parsley in the mortar if you used that to break them down.
- Add the minced garlic, oregano leaves, basil, crushed rosemary, and marjoram to the mortar. Use the pestle to gently grind and combine the herbs in the mortar.
- Transfer the mixture to a glass spice jar or similar airtight container. To use Italian herb blend, add 1 teaspoon per pound of meat or use it in any recipe which calls for Italian seasoning.
Notes
Swaps and Substitutions:
- Replace the minced garlic and onion with 2 teaspoons (3 grams) granulated garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) onion powder.
- Use regular dried parsley instead of Italian parsley.
- Omit the minced garlic and onion.
- Replace the marjoram with thyme or rubbed sage.
- Use thyme or rubbed sage instead of crushed rosemary.
- Make a spicy Italian Herb Blend by adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (1 to 2 grams) of crushed red pepper flakes.
Tips and Techniques:
- Be sure to grind down dried rosemary leaves if you plan to use them instead of crushed rosemary. Whole, dried rosemary is very tough and unpleasant to eat if you don't grind it down.
- Herb blends retain their flavor for 2 years if you store them properly.
- Fluctuations in temperature and moisture cause your herb blends to swell and release their oils, which can cause them to grow mold and/or lose their potency faster.
Storage Instructions:
- Store the Italian herb blend in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 2 years.
- Always store spice mixtures in a cool, dark place in the kitchen or pantry to keep the flavors fresh.
- Avoid storing the Italian herb blend over the stove, where temperatures and moisture fluctuate.
This is a great blend of herbs and spices. Nice thing to have on hand, great for chicken, beef, fish, pretty well anything even tofu! Thanks for sharing this Italian herb blend.! Great post! ❤️ 😋
Such a great Italian herb blend that paired perfectly with chicken and asparagus!
I love homemade stuff like this! It’s so easy and inexpensive! Definitely a keeper!
Thank you, Lori!
I finally bought a mortar and pestle and used it to make this Italian herb blend. Never again will I buy store bought Italian seasoning.
Homemade is always better, Dee.
This made such a wonderful Italian herb blend and I love that making it myself gives me the opportunity to make adjustments based on what I’m putting it in. I’ll definitely be making this instead of buying a prefab mix in the future.
I love this Italian herb blend added to oil and vinegar to make a homemade dressing. It’s my go to and the dressing turns out great!
It works on salads and to dip warm bread in it as well, Isabelle.
I always use this Italian herb blend when I make herb bread from scratch and don’t have fresh herbs. It gives the dough great flavor!
That’s a great use for it, Kristina!