If mixed herbs have turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use them with confidence and how to choose them, cook them, store them, what to substitute, and 73 recipes to try them in.

What are mixed herbs?

Mixed herbs is the everyday jar of dried savory herbs that lives in nearly every kitchen. It is the workhorse you shake over a roast or stir into a sauce without thinking too hard about it. One jar, a dozen uses.

The classic blend leans on Mediterranean leaves: oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, parsley, and sometimes rosemary or sage. The exact mix depends on the brand and the style.

An Italian-style blend pushes oregano and basil, while an herbes de Provence style brings in lavender and fennel for a more floral, southern-French character.

It is a savory blend, not a sweet one, so it belongs in dinner, not dessert.

How to Use Mixed Herbs

Mixed herbs do their best work in long, wet cooking where dried leaves have time to soften and release their oils. Stir a teaspoon into a tomato sauce or a stew or a casserole early on, and let it simmer.

It is a natural in baked savories. A teaspoon goes into the crumb of Baked Crusted Cod with Italian Breadcrumbs, into a Corned Beef Quiche, and into a Cherry Tomato, Feta-Swiss Cheese & Herbs Bread.

It also seasons roasts and bakes from the outside. Rub it onto a Herb Roasted Turkey or a chicken, scatter it over potatoes before roasting, or work it into the meat for a Lamb & Apple Casserole or an Easy Cabbage Casserole.

Because the herbs are dried, crush them between your fingers as you add them. That cracks the leaves and releases far more aroma than dropping them in whole.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Mixed herbs sit comfortably with tomato and garlic and onion, with olive oil, cheese, and roasted meats. Anything Mediterranean or hearty is fair game, which is why this jar earns its everyday spot.

The most common mistake is adding dried herbs at the very end like fresh ones. Dried leaves need heat and time to bloom, so a late sprinkle just tastes dusty and dry. Add them early in anything with liquid.

The other slip is a heavy hand with an old jar. Stale dried herbs taste of nothing but hay, tempting you to pile on more, when the real fix is a fresher jar.

Substitutes

The closest swap is Italian seasoning, used one for one, since it draws on the same oregano-basil-thyme family. Herbes de Provence works too, though its lavender and fennel push the dish a little more floral and French.

If you have none, build your own from what is on the rack. Equal parts dried oregano and basil and thyme covers most of the ground, and a pinch of dried rosemary or marjoram rounds it out.

For a fresh-herb version, use about three times as much, since fresh leaves are far less concentrated than dried, and add them later in the cooking.

Buying and Storage

Buy mixed herbs in small jars rather than big ones, because dried herbs fade and you want to use them up while they still smell of something. A good jar smells green and sharp when you open it; a tired one smells faintly of grass.

Stored in an airtight jar away from heat and light, dried mixed herbs keep usable flavor for about one to two years, though they are at their best within the first year. Keep them out of the cabinet right above the stove, where heat and steam kill them fastest.

Mixed herbs turn up in more than 70 recipes here, from breadcrumb coatings to casseroles to roasts, which is a fair sign of how often a single jar gets reached for.

Quick facts

In Chinese

混合草药

British (UK) term

Mixed herbs

en français

herbes mixtes

en español

hierbas mezcladas

Recipes using mixed herbs

There are 73 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 73 recipes

More mixed herb recipes

• Baked Ricotta with Roast Tomatoes & Prosciutto
• Basic Dumplings
• Bean & Cornmeal Pie
• Corn Bacon Bread with Tomato Salad
• Creamy Potato Wedges
• Crockpot Beef Casserole
• Fried Rice No. 1
• Lamb & Apple Casserole
• Lentil Vegetable Soup
• Lentil-Nut Loaf
• Sausage Rolls (Australian)
• Sausage, Leek & Potato Stew
• Spiced Turkey & Lettuce Wraps
• Spicey Wine Pot Roast
• Steak & Veggie Soup
• Sylvie's Salad Dressing
• Yuletide Ring