We love this easy homemade Italian dressing mix (Good Seasons Copycat). It’s made with pantry friendly ingredients and can be using for making salad dressing or meat marinade.
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Hello, friends!
How are you?
It’s been a wild ride around here, that’s for sure.
With the recent challenges making it super inconvenient to go to the grocery store due to long lines and empty shelves, making your own salad dressing is super nice. But even during normal times, the ingredient list is a lot cleaner, making the health benefits something worth mentioning as well.
We love this homemade ranch dressing mix (and we use it all the time). And today I’m excited to share this awesome homemade Italian dressing mix with you.
Here’s why I love this salad dressing mix…
1. You can mix up the dry spices (which are all pantry friendly) ahead of time and it will keep for up to 3 months. And then when it’s time to mix up a batch of dressing, there’s only 4 ingredients to mix instead of 14. And one of those ingredients is water. I’ve found when something is super convenient, it’s a lot more likely that I will use it.
2. The flavor is delicious. There are lots of homemade Italian dressings out there that contain a lot less ingredients, but I’ve found that each ingredient in this mix adds something delicious and I really think this combination is the winner. It tastes like a really good Italian dressing. And I can eat it over and over and enjoy the flavor each time.
3. It works for more than just Italian dressing. In fact I discovered this recipe through a google search for “Copycat Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix” when I was making tortellini soup one day. The recipe called for a packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix and I never keep stuff like that around. Thankfully The Midnight Baker had this copycat recipe that I tried and the soup turned out delicious. Since I already had the mix around, I decided to try the dressing on my salad one day and was blown away by the flavor. That led me to wonder how it would work as a meat marinade and so of course I had to explore that possibility. Wow, it was so tasty as well.
I’m super excited about all the possibilities with this Italian dressing mix.
A few more things to note about the recipe…
Two tablespoons of this homemade Italian dressing mix equals 1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing (e.g. Good Seasons Mild Italian Salad Dressing Recipe Mix).
For the vinegar I normally use either distilled white or white wine vinegar. Red wine or apple cider vinegar should work too, but may give a slightly different color and flavor.
You can use any oil in this recipe that is liquid at room temperature. I normally use avocado or olive oil. The olive oil is probably the most authentic to the flavor of Italian dressing but does tend to separate a bit more than other oils, so keep that in mind.
I love using these small mason jars both to store both the mix and the dressing. These plastic lids work great to allow easy access while still being airtight.
You can store the prepared dressing or meat marinade in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks. The ingredients will separate when refrigerated. For best results, let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour and then shake just before using. Make sure your lid is on tight or you may end up with a face full of Italian dressing. Not that I would know that from experience or anything.
I’ve included instructions for using this dressing mix as a meat marinade and the cooking instructions grilling, broiling or sauteing marinated thin cut chicken breasts. So far I’ve only used this recipe for chicken, but it should work great for beef and pork as well, although the cooking times may need to be adjusted slightly.
Okay, now you’re ready to go make this tasty Italian dressing mix, my friends. I can’t wait to find other awesome uses for it.
Homemade Italian Dressing Mix {Good Seasons Copycat}
Easy homemade Italian dressing mix (can be using for dressing or meat marinade) with pantry friendly ingredients.
Ingredients
Italian Dressing Mix:
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
Italian Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons Italian dressing mix
- ¼ cup vinegar see note
- 2 tablespoons water
- ⅔ cup oil see note
Italian meat marinade:
- 2 tablespoons Italian dressing mix
- 2 tablespoons vinegar see note
- 1 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup oil see note
Instructions
For Italian dressing mix:
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Mix together oregano, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, parsley, pepper, basil, thyme, and celery seed in a small container with an airtight lid (I use a small mason jar).
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Two tablespoons of mix equals 1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
For Italian dressing (makes a little more than a cup–easily halved)
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In a small container with an airtight lid combine Italian dressing mix, vinegar, and water. Tighten lid and shake vigorously until well blended.
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Add oil and shake again until blended.
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Store in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks. Ingredients in dressing will separate when refrigerated, especially if prepared with olive oil. For best results, let dressing stand at room temperature for 1 hour and then shake just before using.
For Italian meat marinade (makes a little more than a half cup):
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In a small container with an airtight lid combine Italian dressing mix, vinegar, and water. Tighten lid and shake vigorously until well blended.
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Add oil and shake again until blended.
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Pour over 2 to 3 pounds of thin cut meat in zip lock freezer bag, refrigerate, and let marinate for 8 to 24 hours (see note for cooking instructions).
Recipe Notes
1. For the vinegar I normally use either distilled white or white wine vinegar. Red wine or apple cider vinegar should work too, but may give a slightly different color and flavor.
2. You can use any oil that is liquid at room temperature. I normally use avocado or olive oil.
3. This meat marinade will work for well chicken, beef, or pork.
4. Cooking instructions for thin cut chicken breasts which can be applied to other meats, keeping in mind that cooking times will vary.
To Grill Chicken: Preheat grill to medium or medium high. Arrange chicken on grill in a single layer and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side or until lightly browned and instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. For additional flavor, reserve some marinade to baste chicken with after flipping to second side.
To Broil Chicken: Preheat broiler to high. Adjust rack so chicken will be about 4 to 5 inches from the broiler. Arrange chicken on a broiler pan in a single layer and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side or until lightly browned and instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. For additional flavor, reserve some marinade to baste chicken with after flipping to second side.
To Cook Chicken in a Skillet: In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the chicken in a single layer (you may need to do separate batches) and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat, adapted from this recipe from The Midnight Baker, added meat marinade instructions and additional recipe commentary
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
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