Greek Seasoning Substitutes: Homemade, Italian Seasoning, Za’atar and More

Out of Greek seasoning? Dried oregano, thyme, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt get you most of the way there. Greek seasoning is an American supermarket blend with no fixed recipe, and the best-known jar, Cavender’s, lists salt first. That’s the catch: a homemade herb mix is a lot less salty, so if your recipe was written for the jar, you’ll need to add salt back. A substitute has three jobs, salt, garlic and pepper, and an oregano-led herb note, and Italian seasoning, za’atar or herbes de Provence can cover the herbs.

Quick answer

How the ratios on this page are labeled

Every ratio carries one of four labels.

• Computed: based on a measurable physical relationship.
• Attributed: a named source publishes this ratio. We quote it as theirs.
• Disputed: named sources give different answers to the same swap. You get each one, side by side.
• Method: our starting point, based on how the two compare. Taste and adjust.

The Computed figures here cover salt only. They’re matched to Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning, which lists 241 mg of sodium per quarter teaspoon,¹ and to Morton table salt at 590 mg per quarter teaspoon.²

What you are replacing

Sources don’t agree on what’s in Greek seasoning, and that matters when you pick a substitute:

Neither label we checked lists cinnamon, nutmeg or lemon peel,¹³ though Tasting Table’s general description includes cinnamon and nutmeg.⁴ If your recipe was written for a salt-first jar, your substitute has to bring that salt too.

Thyme shares oregano’s signature flavor compounds,⁵ and that shared chemistry is why thyme-heavy blends like za’atar and herbes de Provence can carry an oregano-led blend’s character.

If you want the closest match

1. Make your own

A basic homemade Greek seasoning: 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon table salt. It makes a little under 5 tablespoons. America’s Test Kitchen’s homemade Greek seasoning, published in Cook’s Country, is also oregano-led, with garlic, salt and pepper and fresh lemon zest. ATK suggests it in salad dressings, on feta, baked potatoes or grilled chicken, and in marinades for chicken or lamb.⁶

Ratio (Computed salt, amount): This blend is a lot less salty than Cavender’s. By our math, a teaspoon carries roughly 170 mg of sodium, against about 964 mg in a teaspoon of Cavender’s (approximate, by volume).¹² Use it 1:1 for flavor. If the recipe was written for a salt-first jar, add about 1/3 teaspoon table salt per teaspoon of homemade blend. Otherwise, salt to taste. We couldn’t get McCormick’s sodium figure, so these numbers apply to Cavender’s only.

For a lemony note like ATK’s, add a teaspoon of dried lemon peel. It keeps better in a jar than fresh zest.

2. A salt-led version

For a jar closer in spirit to Cavender’s, make salt the main ingredient: 2 tablespoons table salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder and dried thyme. ATK’s Greek seasoned salt blend goes salt-first too, with kosher salt, pepper, garlic, onion, dried herbs and a little red pepper flake, and ATK uses it as a rub for lamb, in vinaigrettes and on eggs.⁷

Amount (Computed salt): By our math, a teaspoon of this salt-led mix carries roughly 1,090 mg of sodium (approximate, by volume), a little more than Cavender’s 964 mg.¹² Use it 1:1, or slightly less, and taste.

If you are using another herb blend

Italian seasoning, plus salt and garlic

Italian seasoning shares the oregano and adds other Mediterranean herbs. McCormick’s lists marjoram, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory and sage. Simply Organic’s lists oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil and sage. Neither has salt or garlic.⁸⁹ Tasting Table’s Michelle Welsch describes Italian blends as more savory and less pungent than Greek seasoning, with fewer ingredients, so you may need to add a few.⁴

Ratio (Computed salt): Cavender’s lists salt first,¹ so a teaspoon of it holds far less herb than a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning per teaspoon of Greek seasoning. To match Cavender’s salt (about 964 mg per teaspoon), add about 2/5 teaspoon table salt.¹² Add a pinch of garlic powder and, if you like, some lemon zest, as in ATK’s homemade blend.⁶ The herb and garlic amounts are our starting points.

Za’atar

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern blend. UC Cooperative Extension’s Master Food Preservers describe it at its most basic as sumac, thyme, oregano and sesame seeds, often with marjoram in place of or alongside the oregano.¹⁰ It shares the oregano-thyme note but adds two things Greek seasoning doesn’t have: sumac, which Gernot Katzer describes as tart and sour,¹¹ and toasted sesame.

Salt depends on the formula. Susan Belsinger’s article in Fine Gardening quotes a version of 4 parts each Syrian oregano and roasted sesame to 1 part each sumac and salt,¹² so check the label or recipe before you salt.

Ratio (Method): Start 1:1, taste, and add salt and a pinch of garlic powder if your za’atar has none. It suits dishes where the sesame and tang are welcome. Belsinger brushes flatbread with olive oil and sprinkles it on, and the UC recipe suggests it with chickpeas, eggs, vegetables and kebabs.¹²¹⁰ Sesame is one of the nine major US food allergens.¹³

Herbes de Provence, plus salt and garlic

The French Label Rouge version, as specified by Ducros, is rosemary, savory, oregano and thyme,¹⁴ so it shares oregano and thyme with an Italian or Greek-style blend. Outside that label there’s no fixed recipe, and The Takeout’s Leah Kaplan notes that some blends add culinary lavender.¹⁵ Lavender and a heavy dose of rosemary pull it away from Greek flavor, so pick a blend without lavender.

Ratio (Computed salt): Start with about 1/2 teaspoon per teaspoon of Greek seasoning, plus about 2/5 teaspoon table salt to match Cavender’s salt, and a pinch of garlic powder.¹² Crumble the rosemary first. The herb amount is our starting point.

What isn’t known

• Brands don’t publish their proportions, and sources disagree about whether Greek seasoning usually has cinnamon, nutmeg or lemon.¹³⁴
• We couldn’t get McCormick’s Greek seasoning sodium figure, so the salt matches here apply to Cavender’s.

Related

• Greek seasoning, oregano, marjoram vs. oregano
• Italian seasoning and Italian seasoning substitutes
• Za’atar and za’atar substitutes, sumac
• Herbes de Provence and herbes de Provence vs. Italian seasoning
• Garlic powder, thyme, mint, lemon pepper, all-purpose seasoning substitutes