Mama Mia! This Italian dressing mix is a staple seasoning mix that my Mama taught me when I was just a bambino. I always keep a generous supply on hand, especially for when I’m making my popular Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Noodles dish or added to the hamburger in these savory foil packets.
In our household, we keep this substitute for dry Italian dressing mix on hand for the many recipes using Italian dressing mix.
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If you are looking for a good seasons Italian dressing mix recipe, then look no further. Use this dry Italian dressing mix to make up your favorite snack of chips and dip, or sprinkle it on some buttered popcorn! I also LOVE marinating chicken with Italian dressing mix.
How Do You Make Italian Dressing From Scratch?
Of course, this homemade Italian dressing mix is designed to help you whip up an amazing Italian salad tossed with the best Italian dressing! My Italian vinaigrette dressing recipe uses this zesty Italian salad dressing mix, blended with just the right combination of oil and vinegar.
This Italian dressing mix recipe has been handed down from my great-mama’s generation to me. Well, OK, just kidding! But really, my mom taught me how to make a homemade Italian dressing dry mix, and I found that it called for various measurements for ingredients, and other recipes varied so much.
I changed it up and made this a super easy Italian seasoning mix that uses only two measurements! That’s right, we use a Tablespoon and teaspoon for the spices. That makes for a simple Italian dressing mix recipe, doesn’t it?
My 2 year old son loves to help in the kitchen and he helps mix the ingredients (and sometimes makes a big mess). That’s his little hand helping me below :). My daughter eats it right out of the jar, she loves it so much! Speaking of jar, I use my favorite jar lids, meaning no fussy rings and lids to tinker with. You should definitely try them. Some people call them mason jar caps and you can find them right on Amazon.
What Can I substitute for Dry Italian Dressing Mix?
This dry Italian dressing mix recipe is the perfect substitute for an Italian dressing mix packet. Simply mix it up and keep it in your cupboard for a quick replacement for package Italian dressing mix.
Is Italian Seasoning the Same as Italian Dressing Mix?
The short answer is no. There are 4 types of herbs which represent Italian seasoning in this dry Italian dressing mix recipe and 11 other ingredients that are commonly found in your kitchen cupboards. This simple recipe for dry Italian salad dressing mix uses a combination of parsley, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, thyme among other ingredients.
But don’t be intimidated by the number of seasonings in this Italian dressing mix. If you’re missing one, or even a couple, just leave them out, and it will still taste delicious!
The lemon pepper is the secret ingredient that makes this a zesty Italian dressing mix. Whenever I think of lemon pepper, I can’t help but think about our homemade baked french fries, since we use lemon pepper on them pretty much every time!
How Many Tablespoons are in a Packet of Italian Dressing Mix?
Use two tablespoons of homemade Italian dressing dry mix in place of one packet of Italian dressing mix.
Enjoy!

Italian Dressing Mix
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon parsley
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery salt or celery seeds or celery flakes
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Place in a sealed container to store. I love using mason jars with my favorite mason jar caps, but any storage will work
Notes
- Makes approximately 7 Tablespoons of dry Italian dressing mix.
- Mix may settle, so be sure to stir before measuring.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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This recipe looks good (haven’t actually tried it yet), but when I look at packets from the store Xanthan Gum is typically included as a thickening agent/stabilizer. I have found that using homemade mixes without this ingredient causes different results. Since I’m using this mix for a hot dish and not to make a dressing, I assume I could use corn starch for thickening purposes, but I’m not sure how much to use. Any suggestions?
Hi Lauren, I have not added cornstarch, even when using this in hot dishes. If you’d like to add cornstarch, I’d suggest adding about 1/2 Tablespoon per cup of liquid. Hope that helps!
Hello. I’ve used this recipe a few times when making Italian beef sandwiches and it’s very yummy. I’ve always left out the lemon pepper because I didn’t have it but recently I bought some McCormick lemon&pepper spice at the store to add. Once I got home I noticed it is loaded with extra stuff (coloring, preservatives) and just wondered if there was a certain brand of lemon pepper you like? Thank you so much!
Hi Susan. I’m so happy to hear that you love this Italian dressing mix! I personally usually buy whatever spices are on sale or buy them from Costco. Have you tried Lawry’s brand or Simply Organic? I have tried both and like them. Enjoy!
I really need to know can you use liguid italian dressing as a substitute to the dry one and if the recipe calls for one package then how much of the liquid italian dressing mix should I use please help me as soon as possible
One packet is equal to two Tablespoons of this dry mix. Check out the recipe for Italian Dressing. It uses 2 Tablespoons of the dry mix to make the dressing. Hope that helps.
Delicious! Thank You for sharing this great recipe
Great seasoning mix. For dressing and marinating. Thanks!
A very versatile mix!
Like!! thank you!
Hi. You answered no to the question, “IS ITALIAN SEASONING THE SAME AS ITALIAN DRESSING MIX?” But, I didn’t find you answered why? I am still curious what the difference is with the two. Thanks, 🙂
Hi Brenda, thank you for your question! Italian seasoning is a more simple mix of seasonings, mainly oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary and is often used for flavoring pizza sauce or tomato sauce. The Italian dressing mix contains more seasonings and flavors and is used to flavor many different dishes, and is a rounded out seasoning to make a simple salad dressing. Hope that helps!
I have to say this is such a simple recipe with using only two measurements! I love using this to season chicken breasts, sprinkle on veggies I am cooking on the BBQ, as well I use in some of my crockpot recipes.
I’m so glad to hear that you love this recipe, Shauna! We use it on everything too!
Do you have a recipe for using it as an actual liquid salad dressing please?
That recipe is coming soon Martha! I’ll message you once it’s up 🙂
Hi Martha, you’ll find the Italian Dressing using this Italian Dressing Mix is ready! Enjoy!