Make the best Italian dressing or dip when you mix up your own dry homemade zesty Italian seasoning packets and dressing mix. It only takes 5 minutes! Also, starting with fresh dried herbs will make your dressing more flavorful than store-bought dressing. The best part is there are no artificial preservatives and it is low in sodium.
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This Italian seasoning recipe is very similar to the little packets of dressing mixes you can get at the store but packed with more Italian herbs and not a lot of salt.
What makes this a great recipe is that it uses a couple of essential ingredients most copycat recipes omit. If you read the ingredients carefully on the back of a pack of Good Seasons Zesty Italian Salad Dressing And Recipe Mix there are a couple harder to find ingredients. It may be tempting to leave them out, but to get a true authentic copy cat these must be included.
If you like making your own homemade spice blend recipes you will love this authentic Mexican taco seasoning and Thai spice seasoning.
Serve up a salad made with Zesty Italian dressing with any meal. Some of my favorites include Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Legs, Turkey Bolognese, and Lemon Butter Tilapia.
Why You’ll Love Copycat Italian Seasoning Packet Recipe
Never buy another envelope of Italian dressing again once you taste this copycat Good Seasons mix! I'm sure you will always have a small jar of this Italian spice mix in your spice cabinet.
- A simple recipe that is free from preservatives and anti-caking additives.
- Control the amount of salt added if you need to watch your salt intake.
- It’s more economical than buying the packets.
- An easy recipe that you likely have most of the spices on hand to make your own seasoning blend.
- So many different ways to use it!
- Make it as written or in a big batch if you use it frequently!
Italian Seasoning Ingredients
This recipe uses mostly basic spices and seasonings to make but there are two that might be a little harder to find.
- Dried spices: garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper
- Sugar: Just a touch to balance the flavors.
- Dried herbs: oregano, thyme, basil, parsley, rosemary
- Dried red bell pepper: Not to be confused with red pepper flakes, this seasoning is actually dried sweet red bell peppers to add sweetness and flavor to your authentic Italian dressing recipe. If you can’t find it in the grocery store, it’s available online.
- Soy sauce powder: This might be hard to find in your local grocery but you can get it on Amazon with just a click.
- Celery salt and regular salt: Enhances all the other flavorings in the seasoning packet recipe.
- Red pepper flakes: For a bit of spice.
Pro Tip: Worried you will never use the dried red bell pepper for anything else? I use it all the time in soup recipes, just toss a handful in and they rehydrate as the soup cooks. Also, I like to grind them into a powder and sprinkle them over some hummus.
Instructions to Make Seasoning
- Combine all the ingredients and mix them together until well-blended.
- Optional, for a powdered texture you can grind it in a coffee and spice grinder to make a powder.
- Once it’s mixed and/or grounded, store it in an airtight container placed in a cool, dark place.
- Use it in recipes to add flavor and zestiness.
Hint: I start with herbs I'm growing in our garden, drying them in my Excalibur Food Dehydrator. I find their flavor is enhanced because the dehydrator's temperature range is low enough to preserve active enzymes in fruits, vegetables, and herbs. They don't get all dried out and crispy and they retain their color better.
However, purchasing good-quality organic dried herbs will also make this seasoning mix a special zesty treat when using it in recipes or dressings.
How to Make Zesty Italian Dressing
Turn the spice mix into a tasty Italian dressing in just minutes with a few easy ingredients!
- Combine 2 tablespoons of the homemade Italian seasoning mix with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and water in a jar.
- Tightly close with a lid and shake well!
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- If refrigerated, let it sit to come up to room temperature to loosen the oil and shake well before serving.
How to Store Italian Seasoning Mix
After you make a batch of the Italian seasoning mix place it in 4oz Glass Spice Jars Bottles. Place the cap on tightly and store away from light in a cool dry cabinet or pantry. Use within three months for the best flavor.
How to Use
This Italian seasoning mix has so many different uses. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Salad Dressing: You can use this seasoning mix to create a wonderful vinaigrette salad dressing that tastes great on green salads, pasta salads, and even chopped vegetable salads.
- Seasoning: Use as a seasoning on roasted potatoes and most vegetables.
- Marinade: Looking for a way to spice your meats, then this zesty dressing will make a great marinade. Just add 2 tablespoons of mix with 1/3 olive oil and 1/3 red wine vinegar. To learn all about marinating check out my Whiskey Steak Marinade.
- Give it as a gift: If you are looking for a unique gift to give your friends and family then make up a batch of this Italian dressing mix recipe and fill some spice jars.
- Make a dipping oil: Mix with extra virgin olive oil for a delicious dipping sauce for your favorite crusty bread or vegetables.
- Rub it onto meat: It works as a dry rub for most meats such as chicken or pot roast or you can mix it with a bit of olive oil to make a wet rub.
How to Give Homemade Seasonings and Spices as a Gift
Homemade food gifts are a lovely way to make personalized gifts for family and friends.
Fill up a spice jar or little mason jar with the spice mixture.
Label and tie directions for the salad dressing to the bottle with some twine. You can also attach a card with other ideas for using it as well.
For a more elaborate gift, you can fill a basket with salad ingredients such as lettuce, cucumber, onions, and croutons and place a jar of the zesty Italian dressing mix in the basket also.
Expert Tips
- Store properly: Make sure to store in an airtight container, in a cool dark place.
- Use within 3 months: Spices unfortunately don’t last forever. Even when stored perfectly, over time they will diminish in flavor.
- For an authentic copycat recipe: Don’t skip the soy sauce powder and dried sweet pepper.
More Homemade Seasoning Recipes
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Recipe
Homemade Zesty Italian Seasoning Mix and Dressing
Note:
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Equipment
Ingredients
Homemade Zesty Italian Mix Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 1 tablespoon red bell pepper flakes dried
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary finely chopped, dried
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce powder dried
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Homemade Zesty Italian Dressing Ingredients
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons Homemade Zesty Italian Seasoning Mix
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Instructions
Homemade Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
- Grind all ingredents in a small coffe grinder if you like a powder type mix or omit this step if you like larger pieces of herbs in your mix.
- Pour the mix in a small jar and seal with a tight fitting lid until needed
Homemade Zesty Italian Dressing Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a jar, screw on top, and shake well. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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Notes
- Store properly: Make sure to store in an airtight container, in a cool dark place.
- Use within 3 months: Spices unfortunately don’t last forever. Even when stored perfectly, over time they will diminish in flavor.
- For an authentic copycat recipe: Don’t skip the soy sauce powder and dried sweet pepper.
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