Za'atar Spice Recipe (2024)

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By Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home • November 10, 2011

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4.9 from 62 reviews

171 comments

An authentic Za’atar Spice Recipe, a Middle Eastern spice blend that can be used in a multitude of ways. Use this as a rub for chicken, beef, lamb or fish, sprinkle it over hummus, Labneh or baba ganoush! Video.

Looking for more spice blends? Try ourChinese Five Spiceand ourGaram Masala Recipe!

The true miracle lies in our eagerness to allow, appreciate, and honor the uniqueness, and freedom of each sentient being to sing the song of their heart.― Amit Ray

What is za’atar?

Here is a simple recipe for Zaatar Spice – a flavorful Middle Eastern spice blend used in many dishes throughout the Middle East, and like curry, varies from region to region depending on where you are.

What is Zaatar made of?

Za’atar Spice is a blend of savory dried herbs like oregano, marjoram or thyme, and toasted earthy spices like cumin and coriander, with sesame seeds, salt and the most important ingredient of all… sumac! Sumac gives it the delicious unexpected tanginess that to me, is the key to the best zaatar.

How to make Zaatar | 60-second video

How to use Zaatar Spice?

My Egyptian father would make his own version of zaatar (this one here!) and would sprinkle it over hummus, labneh, baba ganoush or over freshpita bread drizzled with olive oil before going in the oven to toast. But there are a multitude of uses for Za’atar spice and I’m so excited for you to get acquainted with it and discover your own delicious uses!

Avocado Toast with Poached Eggs, Arugula and Zaatar
Zaatar Meatballs with Green Tahini Sauce
Lebanese Slaw (Salatet Malfouf)
Roasted Eggplant with Zaatar
Grilled Zucchini with Zaatar, Garlic and Labneh
Roasted Sunchoke and Barley Bowl with Zaatar Tahini Sauce
How to Make Labneh
Authentic Baba Ganoush (Grilled or Baked!)

You can also purchase Za’atar Spicehere at our Bowl and Pitcher Storeand most Middle Eastern stores or upscale specialty grocery stores. I really love this Villa Jerada Zaatar Spice Blend! We also have their sumac.

I hope you enjoy making the Za’atar. Please share how you use it in the comments below.

xoxo

Sylvia

Other flavorful Spice Blends to try:

Dukkah Recipe
Ras el Hanout Spice Blend
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Furikake Seasoning Recipe
Homemade Yellow Curry Powder
Garam Masala Recipe
Chinese Five Spice

Authentic Za’atar Spice Recipe

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 62 reviews

Description

An authentic recipe for Za’atar Spice – a flavorful Middle Eastern Spice that can be used to season hummus, baba ganoush, vegetables, meats, etc.(My Egyptian Dad’s recipe.)

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon dried thyme- crushed (or sub oregano)
1 tablespoon cumin (see instructions about whole or ground)
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sumac
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon or more aleppo chili flakes- optional

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Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
For the most flavor, toast whole seeds (cumin seedsand coriander seeds) until fragrant, then grind.This will make the most flavorful zaatar. If you don’t have whole seeds, feel free to use ground spices.

Notes

There are many variations of Zaatar. This was my dad’s recipe- he was Egyptian. Other regions have different versions. There is not one “right” way. It varies from area to area, and even household to household.

This Villa Jerada Zaatar Spice Blend is lovely if you rather purchase it! Made in Seattle!

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/2 tablespoon
Calories: 15
Sugar: 0.1 g
Sodium: 88.2 mg
Fat: 1.6 g
Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
Carbohydrates: 0.8 g
Fiber: 0.4 g
Protein: 0.3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Comments

So good!
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perfect mix, and always fresh (contrary to most of the za’atar spices sold by stores). Loved it!
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1. Great to hear!
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Excellent!
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excellent za’atar recipe and it’s always great to have fresh za’atar rather than stale (how long has this been in the cupboard?) LOL
See Also
Classic Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread Recipe - crave the good
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1. Thanks Marsha. Yes it hard to keep track of all the goodies sometimes!
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“Thanks for sharing this fantastic video and recipe on Za’atar! It’s always great to learn more about authentic Middle Eastern flavors. If you’re in the USA and looking for genuine Za’atar from Palestine, I’ll definitely check out greenlandfood.net. It’s essential to support and savor these traditional tastes. Keep up the excellent work!”
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1. Thanks Ahmed, appreciate this!
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I love this spice mix, like others, I use it on just about everything! It is so flavorful. The first time I made it, I could not find sumac but even without, delicious.
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1. Awesome to hear CAP!
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2. Sumac is available in Turkish stores.
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I try to make my own spice and herb blends–I love trying international dishes and experiencing the “local” flavors that make the regional food so divine, I just found a recipe for chicken with za’atar and I’m going to make a jar of it for not just this dish, but maybe to toss the blend into other dishes,
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1. Great to hear Barbara!
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Hi Sylvia, very proud of you for honoring yr Father and mentioning he’s Egyptian, I’m from Egypt, Zaatar wasn’t as popular as Dukkah, although I
loved Zaatar, I bought a version made by Castle Foods
but it looked brownish in the jar, and had paprika?? Could
I add some Oregano and Thyme to fix the recipe, what’s yr expert opinion,thanks Sylvia, Edward
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1. Of course- adjust it to taste!
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I made this recipe. What a wonderful addition to my spice journey.
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1. Glad you are enjoying it Shirley!
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Thank you, I love this recipe. Next time I’ll use whole spices, today I just needed a quick version and it was perfect.
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1. Oh good Cinde- the whole toasted spices do elevate when you get more time!
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Used to make spiced chickpeas. Was really good.
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1. Yum… sounds tasty!
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DELICIOUS. I doubled the recipe and did 1/2 thyme and 1/2 oregano and had to sub regular red chili flakes as aleppo chili flakes are impossible to find where I am. That was 3 days ago and today I already am having to make more!
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1. Great to hear Megan!
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