Pizza Seasoning Recipe

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Elevate the flavor of your pizzas, calzones, strombolis, breads, bread sticks, pasta sauces, soups and more with this versatile blend. Make your own homemade pizza seasoning in less than 5 minutes and then use it to elevate your entire kitchen game in creative ways with a shake and a sprinkle! This flavorful and versatile pizza seasoning recipe firmly belongs in your homemade spice blends lineup!

Homemade Pizza Seasoning

Pizza seasoning is very similar to Italian seasoning except that Italian seasoning generally only has leafy herbs in it, whereas pizza seasoning includes garlic, onion, fennel, and pepper flakes…you know, the stuff that really gives you the oomph! And for that reason pizza seasoning is something I grab all the time when I want to quickly add some Italian flavor to dishes. Just as one example, my kids really like what we’ve called “meatloaf burgers” – a quick lunch or dinner where I’ll chop up some onion and add it to ground beef along with some salt, pepper, natural ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a generous amount of this homemade pizza seasoning (I keep a jar of it in my spice drawer). I mix that all together, form it into patties, and fry them up. The burgers taste like meatloaf and are ready in all of 5 minutes.

Beyond its obvious application as a seasoning for pizza, this blend is wonderfully versatile and I’ll share some ideas further below on how you can use this pizza seasoning in a variety of dishes.

Ingredients

Everything you need you likely already have in your spice cabinet. The one exception may be fennel seeds, but I’ll tell you right now that they’re a must (more on that below). I’ve experimented with different ratios of these ingredients and this is the blend I like best. I’m not a heat lover, I just like a reasonable amount of kick, so I add just a bit for a mild heat element but feel free to add more or omit entirely. I also omit salt in my blend because that’s something I want direct control over with whatever I’m cooking. Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade pizza seasoning recipe:

• Oregano: this forms the foundation of the blend with its boldly fragrant and slightly spicy-pungent flavor.
• Basil: this gives off sweet, slightly peppery notes that round out your pizza’s flavor profile.
• Thyme: this adds a nice minty flavor laced with citrus notes.
• Rosemary: this rounds out the flavors with its citrusy-earthy-pine notes.
• Sage: just a touch to balance out the flavors with its fresh yet woodsy notes.
• Fennel Seeds: The secret flavor ingredient in many Italian sausages and traditional Italian dishes. These tiny seeds lend a subtly sweet, licorice-like flavor that complements tomato-based sauces beautifully. Where other pizza seasonings fall flat, the fennel adds an incredible depth of flavor but it’s subtle, so don’t worry about it being overpowering.
• Dried Onion Flakes: this contributes a mild sweetness that balances out the acidity in tomato sauce.
• Garlic Powder: because more garlic is always the right answer. It deepens the flavor profile and adds a savory punch.
• Red Pepper Flakes:  a staple for heat lovers. A pinch of these fiery little guys adds a kick that plays beautifully with anything tomato based. Like heat? Add more. No heat? Omit it.
• (Optional): If you have some finely minced dried bell peppers, those also make a great addition depending on what you’re using your pizza blend for.

Pizza Seasoning Recipe

Simple gather up the herbs and spices and let’s make our pizza seasoning blend:

• Combine: Measure the herbs and spices into a small bowl and stir to evenly combine. Alternatively, place them directly in a glass jar and give it a shake.
• Storage: Store your blend in an airtight jar fitted with a lid. It will keep for up 6 months at room temperature, but I like to make mine in small quantities like this recipe so that I can have a fresh batch on hand every couple of months or so.
• Before Each Use: Give it a shake before using it to redistribute the ingredients.

How to Use Pizza Seasoning

This homemade pizza seasoning pairs with so many different dishes, whether authentic Italian, Italian-inspired, or in dishes that can simply benefit from an herbaceous flavor boost. Here are a few ways you can use it:

• Pizza, Calzones, Stromboli: Sprinkle it on top of your pizza, calzone or stromboli dough before proceeding with the other ingredients, or mix it into to your pizza sauce (whether red or white), or sprinkle some on top of the assembled pizza before baking.
• Pasta Sauce: Add some to your tomato-based pasta sauces for added flavor. Opening up a can or jar of plain tomato sauce, adding some of this seasoning, and letting it simmer will give you a quick and tasty pasta or pizza sauce. These same seasonings are what I use to make my popular and reader-favorite Marinara Sauce.
• Bread, Breadsticks, and Focaccia: Brush your bread, breadsticks or Focaccia with some melted butter and sprinkle on some of this pizza seasoning before baking. It’s perfect for garlic bread!
• Soups and Stews: This pairs great with a lot of tomato-based soups and stews, whether Creamy Tomato Soup, Minestrone Soup, Creamy Spinach Tortellini Soup, or Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup,
• Pasta: Add this to your lasagna or spaghetti for a flavor boost.
• Meatloaf and Meatballs: Add some of this pizza blend to your ground meat mixture.

Storage

Store your homemade pizza seasoning in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place. It will keep for up 6 months. Give it a shake before each use to redistribute the herbs and spices.

Enjoy!

For more homemade seasonings be sure to try my:

• Greek Seasoning
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Creole Seasoning
• Poultry Seasoning
• Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
• Hamburger Seasoning
• Everything Bagel Seasoning
• Seasoned Salt
• Curry Powder
• Garam Masala
• Chaat Masala
• Za’atar
• Chinese Five Spice
• Chili Powder
• Dukkah
• Berbere
• Baharat