9 Best Store-Bought Italian Seasonings

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Whether you're a beginner or experienced home cook, odds are one of the first seasoning mixes you reach for is one marked Italian. Lots of people like to create their own custom blends, but those who don't have the time, or simply like having a great backup for when individual herbs run out, can easily find great store-bought mixes from a wide variety of retailers. The blends typically contain oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme, and marjoram, with individual companies adding other herbs and spices, like garlic, crushed red pepper, sage, and fennel to make a unique proprietary mix.

There's a reason you see Italian seasoning so often; it adds flavor to just about anything. From dishes like spaghetti and meatballs to condiments like salad dressings to sides such as roasted potatoes, the combination of savory herbs gives each item an earthy depth, and depending on what's added to the base mix, a bit of zing. So, if you've been looking for a good Italian seasoning to add that little something extra to your meals, the ones on this list have come highly recommended by shoppers, who praise the blends' value, taste, and overall quality.

1. Simply Organic Italian Seasoning

Simply Organic Italian Seasoning is widely available and highly praised. The mix is made from a combination of seven herbs that are certified organic and Kosher. The herbs are packaged without additives or preservatives, keeping the flavor of the oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary, sage, and spearmint as potent as possible. And if you are wondering why spearmint would be included in this mix, the herb adds a delicious, subtle sweetness and slightly cooling element that's surprisingly great on a variety of pastas.

Fans of the blend say it has great flavor and that it is high quality, with one Walmart shopper declaring, "I can tell an immediate difference in the taste and quality of this brand of Italian spice versus cheaper options." Other customers agree with that assessment and add that the Italian seasoning mix is great in numerous recipes and that they can taste the freshness.

2. Frontier Co-op Herbs of Italy

Frontier Co-op Herbs of Italy seasoning has a unique combination of eight herbs and spices. The mix contains herbs you'd expect, like oregano, basil, and thyme, alongside black pepper, chives, red bell pepper, garlic, and tarragon. This gives the blend a strong, slightly spicy flavor that works in everything from marinated veggie salads to pork-free meatballs to Italian subs.

The mixture is Kosher and is sterilized through steam pasteurization, instead of being irradiated or treated with ethylene oxide (ETO). Sold in stores like Walmart and Whole Foods Market, it can also be found on online retail sites like Amazon and iHerb.

Fans of the blend enjoy the unexpected mix of herbs, saying they use it often and buy it again and again. They also appreciate that it doesn't contain salt, which allows them to adjust the recipe as they like. Customers note how aromatic the seasoning is, although the mix doesn't overpower their dishes. One iHerb shopper said, "Some Italian herb blends are too pungent for me, and/or have too many big pieces of straw-like herb shards that interrupt the texture of my food. This one is a win for me with both texture and taste."

3. McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning

McCormick has been one of the biggest names in seasoning brands for more than a century. The company sells hundreds of extracts, spices, herbs, and seasoning blends, including its Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning. The brand has a commitment to using sustainable ingredients and has recently stopped using ethylene oxide (ETO) in its sterilization process. That means this Italian blend is all-natural, with no additives or MSG included with the herbs. The mix has sage and savory alongside the usual five herbs found in Italian seasonings.

The company sells the blend in a variety of sizes, so customers can buy a small container for occasional use or a bulk one if they plan to cook with the mixture often. One Walmart shopper said, "The flavor is noticeable without being overpowering, which I appreciate." That makes it one of the best Italian seasoning options out there for you to buy.

4. Badia Italian Seasoning

Badia is a value brand that makes a myriad of different seasoning blends. Sold at major retailers like Walmart and Amazon, the company's Italian Seasoning Mediterranean Blend is Kosher, Halal, and MSG free. It has the same herbs as McCormick's Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning, but in different proportions, to give it a distinctly savory taste all its own. 

People report using the blend often, noting that it works well on a wide variety of meals, and saying it has become a go-to product after they tried it. Customers also praise the mixture for its fresh taste and overall quality. People also note that it's not too overpowering or too mild, making it a good middle-of-the-road option. It's convenient to find, is at a solid price point, and you can locate it in larger quantities, which is perfect if you're cooking for a lot of people, or if you use Italian seasoning nearly every day.

5. Unpretentious Baker Italian Seasoning Blend

Unpretentious Baker is a seasoning company you might not have heard of yet, but the brand sells over 200 products. It focuses on quality and sustainability, ensuring its herbs and spices are as fresh-tasting as possible. The brand's Italian Seasoning Blend was crafted to let all of the flavors shine without stronger herbs, like oregano, overpowering the mix. The blend has sage and parsley combined with the typical other five herbs found in most Italian seasonings, and soybean oil helps keep the herbs from clumping together.

Fans say it has a strong scent, as well as it being tasty and versatile. They appreciate the value of the brand's quality and freshness being packaged in larger bottles and bags that they can then use to refill their smaller, everyday bottles. This is a great option that can be found easily on Amazon for all your Italian seasoning needs.

6. 365 Organic Italian Seasoning

The in-house 365 by Whole Foods Market is a value brand with over 3,500 products. Sold at the major grocery store chain and on Amazon, the items encompass a huge variety of categories from household cleaners, to frozen foods, to pantry staples, and more. The food products are organic and sustainably grown and harvested, including the brand's USDA certified organic Italian Seasoning. This blend has the usual five herbs plus sage to create a richly savory mix to add to pastas, popcorn, and even pot roast, in place of Italian salad dressing mix.

Fans call the blend strong but not overpowering, as well as fresh, potent, and flavorful. Those are exactly the words you want to hear when purchasing an Italian seasoning mix. This shopper might have summed it up best when they said, "So fragrant, and higher quality than a typical store bought Italian seasoning. Worth the purchase!"

7. Watkins Organic Italian Seasoning

Watkins is a seasoning company that's been producing herb and spice blends, as well as baking extracts, for over a century. The Minnesota-based business is dedicated to never using BPA-plastics in its packaging, doesn't test on animals, and has many of its products certified Kosher by OK Kosher Certification. The Organic Italian Seasoning blend is one of those. It is also made with non-GMO basil, oregano, and rosemary.

The mix is simple, allowing for the flavor of each individual herb to shine through without overpowering your pasta or pizza. Available at many major grocery stores and supermarkets, the blend even comes with a money back guarantee if it's not to the customer's liking. That's a definite bonus. But given the product's high rankings, it appears most shoppers are more than happy with it and don't have to take advantage of the money back guarantee.

Fans say they use the blend frequently and often re-order it to be sure there's always a bottle on-hand. Others have praised how fresh the mix tastes, as well as the quality, making it an everyday essential in many households.

8. Morton & Bassett Italian Herb Blend

Morton & Bassett Spices is so committed to sustainability that its factory runs solely off solar power. The company is just as passionate about the quality of what it produces, that it is certified by multiple organizations to verify the items are Kosher, gluten free, and don't contain GMO ingredients. Many of the herbs and spices are also organic, and the business ensures all the ingredients are laboratory tested for safety and purity. So this is the brand for you if those are high on your priority list when shopping.

The Italian Herb Blend is all natural, and it is made without salt, MSG, or preservatives. In addition to the usual five herbs, this mix contains sage, parsley, onion, savory, and garlic, making it a quick way to add a lot of flavor in just a few shakes. Customers have raved that the seasoning mix made their cooking more consistent, while others praised the product's versatility and quality.

9. Flavor Seed Godfather Organic Italian Seasoning

Flavor Feed is the youngest company on this list, but it is already making quite an impression on shoppers and professionals. Founded in 2016, the business has already won awards for its spice and herb blends, including The Godfather, an organic mixture of 12 ingredients. Made with a touch of sea salt, the usual five herbs, and garlic, onion, coriander, black pepper, parsley, and red pepper, this blend is certified Kosher, vegan, and both gluten and GMO free. It is also made without additives and it is all natural.

Fans say that this favorite Italian seasoning mix is potent enough that only a small amount will add flavor to a dish, and one person even said their husband refuses to use any other Italian seasoning. Now that's an endorsement. Others have remarked how happy they were to have tried the product, noting how tasty the combination of herbs really is.

Methodology

Choosing which Italian herb seasoning mixes belonged on this list was a challenging task. There are hundreds of different bottled seasonings, so narrowing down the list took a great deal of work. First, we had to find mixes that were highly rated on retail sites, before honing in on which of those herbs were most enjoyed by customers. Then, we had to determine what made the mixes worth buying.

We decided on only using the seasonings that were considered a good value by shoppers because of the cost, the amount, the taste, and the quality. After putting together the candidates for the list, we searched social media, professional reviews, message boards, and user review sites for specific instances of the seasonings being mentioned by customers. Only the herbs with the most positive mentions across those platforms made it onto this list.

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