Greek Seasoning Recipe: A Homemade Blend with Greek Oregano

Greek seasoning is a dry blend built around oregano, usually with garlic, onion and black pepper, and often salt. Shop-bought blends vary a lot, so making your own lets you choose the herbs and the salt. This recipe makes a small jar in five minutes.

Greek seasoning recipe

Makes: about ⅓ cup. Time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp dried Greek oregano, such as our dried Greek oregano in an 80 g jar
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil or dried parsley
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp dried mint (optional, nice with lamb)
• ½ tsp finely grated dried lemon peel (optional)
• 1–2 tsp fine sea salt (optional; leave out for a salt-free blend)

Method

1. Rub the oregano and thyme between your palms to break the leaves into small flakes.
2. Mix everything in a bowl, then taste a pinch. Add more pepper or garlic if you like.
3. Spoon into a clean, dry jar and close it tightly.

Use about 1 tsp of the blend for every 1 lb (450 g) of meat or vegetables, then adjust. If you’ve added salt to the blend, season less at the end.

What is in Greek seasoning?

Most blends sold as Greek seasoning share a core of oregano, garlic, onion and pepper. After that they differ: some add thyme, basil, marjoram, parsley, mint, lemon, cinnamon or nutmeg, and many contain salt, sometimes as the first ingredient. Check the ingredient list on any shop-bought blend if you’re watching your salt or avoiding an ingredient.

Oregano carries the blend, so its quality matters. Greek oregano is usually bolder and more peppery than milder oreganos. Read Greek oregano vs regular oregano and whole leaves vs ground oregano before you buy.

Salt-free Greek seasoning

Leave out the salt and add an extra ½ tsp of lemon peel or black pepper for lift. Salt-free blends let you season meat with herbs first and add salt separately, to taste. When you do add salt, a little Greek sea salt at the end goes a long way. Or season separately with homemade lemon salt.

How to use Greek seasoning

• Lemon potatoes: toss wedges with olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tsp of the blend, then roast.
• Chicken or pork souvlaki: for a full recipe see our Greek chicken marinade, or mix 1 tbsp with 3 tbsp olive oil and the juice of a lemon as a marinade. For a blend with paprika and cumin, see our gyro and souvlaki seasoning.
• Lamb chops: rub with the version that includes mint.
• Salads and dips: stir a pinch into yogurt for a quick dip, or into our Greek salad dressing.
• Vegetables: sprinkle on courgettes, peppers or chickpeas before roasting. For more ideas, see five everyday dishes with Greek oregano.

Storage

Keep the jar closed, away from the heat of the stove and out of sunlight. Dried herbs slowly lose aroma, so make small batches and smell the blend before you use it. If the scent has faded, use a little more or make a fresh jar.

Explore the full dried Greek oregano collection for more herb guides. For a different, Levantine herb blend with sumac and sesame, see our za’atar recipe.

Greek seasoning: frequently asked questions