Herbs de Provence (French Spice Blend)
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Herbs de Provence is a fragrant, versatile blend of spices commonly used in French cooking. It’s a great DIY herb blend to keep on hand, as it works well in many recipes!
Herbes de Provence (or herbs de Provence, if you want to keep things casual) is a classic French herb blend—think of it as the French cousin to Italian seasoning. Many herbs overlap, so you can often substitute one for the other. Next time a recipe calls for Italian seasoning, try using this blend instead. It’s aromatic, versatile, and lovely with chicken, roasted vegetables, baked fish, or stirred into soups.
Is this an authentic recipe?
I have created this recipe to replicate the Herbs de Provence spice blends commonly found in North America. As most of the blends for sale here include lavender, I have included it in my recipe.
However, a helpful reader pointed out that lavender, basil, and tarragon are not included in Provence. If you’re aiming for a more traditional version, leave those out. If you want a blend that tastes like what you’ll find in most North American grocery stores, go ahead and include them. Either way, you can’t go wrong.
What’s in herbs de provence
Herbs de provence is a mix of herbs that you likely have in your pantry right now. While we love using lavender for the pretty purple specks of color, rosemary is very similar in flavor and can be easily used instead.
- Savory
- Marjoram
- Lavender or rosemary
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Basil
- Tarragon
- Bay leaf
How long will this spice mix last?
Dried herbs will keep their flavor for up to two years. While they are safe to eat after that point, they won’t be as flavorful.
How long this spice mix will last depends on the freshness of the dried herbs you use. If you dried your own herbs, this mix will last for two years.
How to store dried herbs?
The best way to store dried herbs is to keep them in a sealed container away from light, heat, and humidity. We use ½ and 1-cup Mason jars to store our spice blends. But dark-colored glass jars are even better for the job.
A pantry is often the perfect place to store dried herbs!
Recipes to use herbs de provence
As this is such a versatile herb blend, you’ll have no problem using it all. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Chicken Provençal
- Herbs de Provence Chicken
- On roast potatoes
- Or roast cauliflower
- As a seasoning for baked salmon
- Sprinkled over a salad
Herbs de Provence (French Spice Blend)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dried savory
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender or rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
- Optional: 1 teaspoon dried bay leaf (see notes)
Instructions
- Add the dried spices to a bowl and mix them well.1 tablespoon dried savory, 1 tablespoon dried marjoram, 1 tablespoon dried lavender or rosemary, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon dried tarragon, Optional: 1 teaspoon dried bay leaf
- Store in a container in a cool, dark area like your pantry for 6-12 months.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Please understand, this is cultural vandalism. My family,going back ten generations, is from Provence. We do not use Lavender in Herbes de Provence. Not ever. Nor basil, nor tarragon.
If you like these things, by all means do what you feel. But please don’t name it after a region where nomenclature is understood as a means of communication. Call it Herbs de Whatever, but it’s not Herbes de Provence, and it’s neither a matter of taste nor of opinion. It’s our food and our language, please, show it the proper respect.
Hi Niko. Thank you for sharing that. The reason I included lavender is it is in all store-bought herbs de Provence blends here in North America, so I always assumed it was a key ingredient – obviously I’m wrong. I’ve updated the post to include the information that you shared.
Hi Kristen,
I have been to Provence, mainly because my (then) husband is French and his family took annual vacations there. While visiting Provence, I found numerous herb vendors there, and most sold multiple varieties of herb blends. Some did include lavender, but my husband informed me that French do not put lavender in their herbs or foods. Those were marketed to tourists. I do agree that the basic blend includes thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and savory but I am not aware of any hard rules regarding proportions. I love thyme so I personally add more to my mix, but I am not claiming that this is the correct formula. Most cooks in any country have found personal preferences prevail. After all. You are the one who will eat your cooking.
That said, Herbes de Provence is one of my favorite and most used herb blends in my kitchen. Roasting chicken with Herbes de Provence smells heavenly in my kitchen. Love love love! Glad you made people aware of the idea. I do prefer the basic ingredients but other blends can be good, too. They just won’t be the typical blend nor technically Herbes de Provence.
Thank you so much for sharing this — I loved reading your perspective! 💛
I completely agree that there’s no single “correct” formula, just the deeply aromatic, cozy spirit of Provençal cooking. Roasting chicken with Herbes de Provence really does make the whole kitchen smell like a dream.
Thank you again for such a thoughtful and beautifully written note!
Hey Niko, show a little respect for the lady. You come off as a snobbish French person. It’s her recipe version, not yours. Go back to France and make your own recipe. By your standards you would need to buy the herbs in Province to make it. Get a life.
p.s. I dig her recipe.
Quelle est donc la recette traditionnelle en Provence? Prière de nous faire l’honneur de la partager!
I have made this recipe many times now in various dishes. Was prepared to make a Mediterranean Salad and use my Herbs-de-Provence, until I realized I had used it all the last time. So this time I think I will double the recipe so that I won’t have to make again so soon. If I didn’t let you know I love the recipe. It goes so well with so many dishes, including sauteed green beans.
What a great idea to add it to sauteed green beans! I’ll have to try that!
I made this last night to use on chicken and it was wonderful. Really nice flavor. I’m happy that I have lots left to use in other recipes!