If your chicken, fish, potatoes, or vegetables need a little help but you don’t want another salty shaker cluttering the cabinet, this Mediterranean Herb Mix gets the job done. It blends parsley, savory, thyme, marjoram, basil, bay, lemon peel, and celery seed into a bright, earthy seasoning that tastes far more expensive than it is.
Stir it together once, seal it tightly, and keep it on hand for roasted vegetables, grilled meat, salad dressings, rice, or a quick sprinkle over olive oil and bread. For the best flavor, store dried herbs in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place, since heat, light, and moisture wear them out faster than your grocery budget does. See University of Delaware Cooperative Extension’s herb and spice storage guidance for the practical why behind that.
- 🌿 Ingredients
- 🥣 Instructions
- 💡 Tips for Best Flavor
- 🔄 Variations and Uses
- 🫙 Storage
- 💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Mediterranean Herb Mix
- 🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Mediterranean Herb Mix
- 📌 Love this Mediterranean Herb Mix? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly Mediterranean Herb Mix
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons parsley flakes
- 3 tablespoons savoury leaves
- 3 tablespoons thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons marjoram leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
This blend makes about 1 3/4 cups seasoning, or roughly 14 servings at 2 tablespoons each. That’s an estimate, of course, because dried herbs don’t always settle the same way twice.
Instructions
- Measure the parsley flakes, savoury leaves, thyme leaves, marjoram leaves, basil leaves, ground bay leaf, dried lemon peel, and celery seed into a bowl.
- Stir until the herbs and spices are evenly combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a zip-top bag, vacuum-seal bag, or clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Seal well and label the container with the name and date so you know what it is six months from now when every green fleck starts looking suspiciously alike.
Tips for Best Flavor
Rub the herbs lightly between your fingers before using the mix. That wakes up the oils and gives you a stronger aroma without adding more seasoning.
Add it early for cooked dishes like soups, rice, and roasted vegetables so the dried herbs have time to soften and flavor the food. For dressings or dips, let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Keep steam out of the jar. Don’t shake the mix straight over a boiling pot unless you enjoy clumpy seasoning and tiny pantry tragedies.
If you like herb blends with a similar all-purpose feel, try Lemon Herb Seasoning (Salt Substitute) or Garlic Herb Seasoning for a slightly different direction.
Variations and Uses
Use this Mediterranean Herb Mix as a quick seasoning for chicken, fish, pork, potatoes, pasta salad, roasted vegetables, or olive-oil-based marinades. It works especially well when you want plenty of herb flavor without adding salt.
For a simple seasoning rub, start with 1 tablespoon mix per pound of meat or vegetables, then adjust from there. For vinaigrette, whisk 1 to 2 teaspoons into your dressing and let it stand a bit so the dried herbs can hydrate.
You can also stir a spoonful into breadcrumbs, blend it into softened butter, or add it to rice before cooking for an easy side dish. If you enjoy building your own pantry mixes, Farmer’s Market Herb Seasoning is another handy one to keep nearby.
Storage
Store the mix in an airtight jar, zip-top bag, or vacuum-seal bag in a cool, dry, dark cupboard. A glass jar with a tight lid works especially well if you open it often.
For best quality, use this mix within 6 months. It will usually remain safe longer if kept dry, but the flavor and aroma fade over time, so 6 months is a good conservative target for a homemade herb blend built from dried herbs and citrus peel.
If you want it to last as well as possible, keep the blend away from the stove, dishwasher, and sunny windows. Moisture and heat will dull the herbs much faster than the calendar will.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Mediterranean Herb Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Parsley flakes |
$1.24 |
3 T. |
$0.39 |
|
Savoury leaves |
$4.48 |
3 T. |
$2.96 |
|
Thyme leaves |
$1.24 |
3 T. |
$0.57 |
|
Marjoram leaves |
$1.98 |
3 T. |
$0.97 |
|
Basil leaves |
$1.24 |
1-1/2 T. |
$0.20 |
|
Ground bay leaf |
$1.24 |
1 t. ≈ 1 leaf ground ≈ nominal volume |
$0.20 |
|
Grated lemon peel |
$6.99 |
1-1/2 T. |
$0.69 |
|
Celery seed |
$1.24 |
1/2 t. |
$0.02 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$6.00 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.43 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Parsley Flakes, 0.25 oz
- Savory Leaves, 8 oz
- Thyme Leaves, 0.75 oz
- Marjoram Leaves, 1.125 oz
- Basil Leaves, 0.8 oz
- Ground Bay Leaves, 4 oz
- Dried Lemon Peel, 1.5 oz
- Celery Seed, 0.95 oz
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mediterranean Herb Mix
It tastes bright, savory, and lemony with a gentle earthy finish. The parsley and basil keep it fresh, the thyme and marjoram give it warmth, and the dried lemon peel lifts the whole blend so it doesn’t just sit there tasting brown and dusty.
Start with chicken, fish, roasted potatoes, green beans, pasta salad, rice, or a simple vinaigrette. A good working amount is about 1 tablespoon per pound for meat or vegetables, or 1 to 2 teaspoons for a batch of dressing.
Not for pantry storage, no. Fresh herbs carry too much moisture for a shelf-stable mix, so if that’s what you have, make only a small same-day batch and use about 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs for each 1 teaspoon dried herb called for.
Use extra thyme or marjoram if savory is hard to find. Savory has a peppery, slightly thyme-like bite, so replacing the 3 tablespoons with 1 1/2 tablespoons thyme plus 1 1/2 tablespoons marjoram keeps the blend balanced without turning it into a completely different animal.
Yes, you can leave it out if needed. The amount is only 1/2 teaspoon, so the mix will still work, but you’ll lose a little of that subtle savory backbone that helps the lemon and herbs taste rounder instead of sharp.
Keep moisture out and the jar sealed tightly. Let the mix cool and stay completely dry before sealing it, store it away from heat and steam, and shake some into your hand or a spoon instead of holding the jar over a simmering pot.
Crush a pinch between your fingers and smell it. If the aroma is faint, flat, or mostly gone, the blend won’t ruin dinner, but it also won’t do much for it, which is a tragic waste of perfectly good chicken.
Absolutely, as long as you keep the ratios exactly the same and use a container large enough for easy shaking. Bigger batches are handy, but only make what you’ll use in about 6 months if you want the best flavor instead of a giant jar of tired herbs.
Leave it as-is for longer flavor life, then crush or grind a little as you use it if you want a finer texture. Whole and leafy dried herbs hold their aroma better in storage than fully ground blends.
You can, but it’s smarter to keep the master batch salt-free and season each dish to taste. That gives you more control when you’re using it on foods that already bring their own salt, like broth, canned beans, or bottled dressing ingredients.
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Did you make this recipe? Tell us how you used it and what you seasoned with it in the comments. Practical ideas help everybody eat better for less.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Mediterranean Herb Mix
Mediterranean Herb Mix
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons parsley flakes
- 3 tablespoons savoury leaves
- 3 tablespoons thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons marjoram leaves
- 1-1/2 tablespoons basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground bay leaf
- 1-1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel dried
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
Equipment
Instructions
- Measure the parsley flakes, savoury leaves, thyme leaves, marjoram leaves, basil leaves, ground bay leaf, dried lemon peel, and celery seed into a bowl.
- Stir until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Transfer the blend to a zip-top bag, vacuum-seal bag, or clean jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Seal tightly and label with the name and date.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Prep time is an estimate based on measuring, mixing, and packaging the dry ingredients.
For best quality, store airtight in a cool, dry, dark place and use within 6 months.
