Lemon Oregano Salt
This easy 3-ingredient recipe for Lemon Oregano Salt is a simple way to add fresh flavor to everyday cooking. Bright, citrusy, and wonderfully aromatic, it’s made with just lemon zest, fresh oregano leaves, and coarse salt. This homemade flavored salt brings a delicious balance of zesty lemon, savory oregano, and salty goodness to your dishes. This versatile homemade seasoning is an easy kitchen staple and a beautiful way to preserve the fresh flavor of lemon and oregano. Use it as a cooking or finishing salt.
For a flavorful finishing salt, use coarse sea salt. Or use kosher salt as a cooking salt to season chicken, fish, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, and grains. To learn how to make this aromatic herb salt recipe, see the printable recipe card below or take a look at the recipe video. To find out the many ways you can use this salt, please visit my Blog Comments & Tips below.
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RECIPE
(Printable recipe card below.)
LEMON OREGANO SALT
Brighten up your cooking with this easy 3-ingredient recipe for Lemon Oregano Salt! Made with fresh lemon zest, oregano leaves, and coarse salt, this homemade flavored herb salt adds fresh citrus and savory herb flavor to chicken, fish, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, and more. Use this homemade salt as a cooking salt or finishing salt for an instant flavor boost!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Fill a bowl or sink basin with cool water, and a splash of white vinegar (optional). Swish, then soak in water for 5 minutes. Drain, then fill bowl or basin with fresh cool water, rinse oregano well, drain, and shake off excess water. Dry completely on paper towels (this may take several hours), so there is no moisture left on the leaves.
- Strip oregano leaves from stems, and discard stems. You want just the leaves for this recipe, so make sure there are no stems left on the leaves. Using a vegetable Y-peeler, and zest the lemon in long strips.
- To a small mini-prep food processor (4 cup), add only half of the salt (½ cup), then add the lemon zest strips, and oregano leaves, and pulse about 30 seconds (or until finely chopped). Add remaining ½ cup salt, and pulse for another 15 seconds until combined.
- Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour Lemon Oregano Salt onto baking sheet, and spread in a thin, even layer. Allow the salt to dry uncovered for a minimum of 24 hours at room temperature (or up to 48 hours if needed - see Note #2), until it’s completely dry and there is no moisture left (it should easily flake and sprinkle at this point).
- Transfer to a salt cellar (16 ounce), or mini round cocotte (8 ounce), or a few airtight glass spice jar with lid (3.4 ounce). They make a great hostess gift!
Notes
- To use this Lemon Oregano Salt as a finishing salt, I recommend coarse sea salt. If using this homemade herb salt as a cooking salt, use kosher salt. For other recommended types of salt, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in my Blog Comments & Tips for this recipe.
- This is a small batch recipe, so you will need to use a small mini-prep food processor (4 cup). Do not use a large food processor for this recipe unless you are at least doubling the recipe (or more), otherwise it won’t chop or combine it properly. This recipe is easy to double, triple, or even quadruple. You can put the finished herb salt in nice containers and use it as small hostess gifts (see Note #4 below for suggestions).
- If you live in a humid climate, you will likely need to dry the herb salt for 48 hours. It all depends on the humidity.
- Store at room temperature in a salt cellar (16 ounce), or a mini round cocotte (8 ounce) and an airtight glass spice jar with lid (3.4 ounce) for up to 4 to 6 months. If stored properly, you can use the salt for up to 1 year. However, the flavor of the oregano and lemon will diminish over time.
- For suggestions on how to use this homemade herb salt, visit my Blog Comments & Tips for this recipe on the website. You’ll find numerous recipes and suggested ways to cook with this salt or use it as a finishing salt.
- Makes about 1 ⅓ cups of herb salt - about 480 servings (⅛ teaspoon per serving).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
0Fat (grams)
0 gSat. Fat (grams)
0 gCarbs (grams)
0 gFiber (grams)
0 gNet carbs
0 gSugar (grams)
0 gProtein (grams)
0 gSodium (milligrams)
236 mgCholesterol (grams)
0 mgNutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Nutritional calculations are based on a ⅛ teaspoon serving.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Store at room temperature in a salt cellar and/or airtight glass spice jar(s) with lid for up to 4 to 6 months for best flavor.
Note: If stored properly, you can use the salt for up to 1 year. However, the flavor of the oregano and lemon will diminish over time.
VIDEO
How to Make this Quick & Easy Lemon Oregano Salt!
Blog Comments & Tips
So Many Ways to Use Lemon Oregano Salt!
This simple 3-ingredient Lemon Oregano Salt recipe is an easy way to add bright, savory flavor to almost any dish. Made with fresh lemon zest, fresh oregano leaves, and coarse sea salt or kosher salt, it combines the fresh citrusy flavor of lemon with the earthy, aromatic taste of oregano. Although you can use other hardy herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, or marjoram to make herb salt, I find that fresh oregano yields the best results with the quantities and technique outlined in this homemade herb salt recipe.
Recipe Suggestions as a Cooking Salt
I find that making this recipe with kosher salt is best for using it as a cooking salt to season chicken, fish, shrimp, roasted potatoes, vegetables, pasta, grains, eggs, beans, and Mediterranean-inspired dishes. It is especially delicious sprinkled over vegetables before roasting or rubbed onto chicken or fish before grilling. Here are my favorite ways to use it as a cooking salt.
Roasted Lemon-Oregano Chicken: Season chicken thighs, breasts, or a whole chicken before roasting.
Grilled Fish & Seafood: Wonderful on salmon, shrimp, cod, halibut, and sea bass.
Roasted Vegetables: Especially delicious on potatoes, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. It’s delicious in my Easy Roasted Zucchini recipe!
Greek-Style Potatoes: Season potatoes before roasting with olive oil and Lemon Oregano Salt.
Pasta & Grains: Add to pasta water or use to season couscous, farro, quinoa, or rice.
Chicken or Turkey Burgers: Mix a little into the meat before cooking. It’s delicious in my Turkey Feta Burger recipe!
Sautéed Greens: Try it with spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or broccoli rabe.
Eggs: Season scrambled eggs, omelets, frittatas, or baked eggs. Try it in my Baked Eggs with Fresh Herbs & Spinach recipe or my Spinach Feta Egg Bites recipe!
White Beans & Chickpeas: Adds a lovely Mediterranean flavor to beans, hummus, and roasted chickpeas. It’s great in my Quick White Bean Ragu recipe!
Homemade Salad Dressings: Whisk it into olive oil and lemon juice for an instant herb-infused vinaigrette. For an extra punch of flavor, replace the Himalayan salt with Lemon Oregano Salt in my Lively Lemon Vinaigrette recipe!
Recipe Suggestions as a Finishing Salt
For an extra burst of flavor, use the coarse sea salt version as a finishing salt. Sprinkle it over tomato salads, Greek salads, avocado toast, hummus, whipped feta or ricotta, grilled vegetables, steamed or crispy potatoes, homemade sourdough bread, or freshly cooked seafood.
Avocado Toast: For a simple avocado toast, top with a little Lemon Oregano Salt and extra-virgin olive oil is fantastic. Try it as a savory punch on my Napa Avocado Toast recipe.
Tomato Salad: Sprinkle over ripe tomatoes with olive oil and fresh basil or oregano.
Greek Salad: Finish cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, olives, and red onion. It’s wonderful on my Greek Salad with Quinoa recipe.
Caprese Salad: Adds an unexpected lemony twist to tomato, mozzarella, and basil.
Roasted Potatoes: Sprinkle over hot potatoes just before serving. It’s great on my Instant Pot Steamed Potatoes or my Instant Pot Garlic Potatoes!
Grilled Vegetables: Especially zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, and peppers. For an added herbaceous and lemony punch, try it on my Quick Lemony Asparagus!
Grilled Chicken or Fish: Add just before serving for a bright burst of flavor.
Whipped Feta or Ricotta: Sprinkle on top with olive oil and fresh herbs. Replace the sea salt in my Silky Whipped Feta Dip recipe.
Hummus: A beautiful finishing touch, particularly with a drizzle of olive oil. Amp up the flavor in my Red Beet Roasted Garlic Hummus recipe!
Sourdough or Focaccia: Sprinkle over bread with olive oil.
Popcorn: A surprisingly delicious savory, lemony snack seasoning.
French Fries or Crispy Potatoes: The lemon cuts through the richness beautifully. It’s especially tasty on French fries!
Corn on the Cob: Amazing with butter and a sprinkle of this salt.
Grilled Peaches or Nectarines: Just a tiny pinch creates a lovely sweet-savory contrast. Even though my Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone recipe is a dessert, it would add a terrific flavor on the grilled peaches. Just omit the mascarpone for a more savory touch.
Whether you're seasoning a dish while it cooks or adding that final flavorful touch just before serving, homemade Lemon Oregano Salt is a versatile kitchen staple that makes everyday recipes taste fresh, vibrant, and delicious.
How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?
My 5 tips to make this homemade Lemon Oregano Salt recipe:
Use organic fresh oregano and lemon for the best flavor.
Be sure to wash your oregano well, as you won’t be cooking or baking it. After rinsing/washing, make sure all the moisture is gone before you begin processing with the salt. Otherwise, the salt will dissolve.
My recommendations to create the best finishing salts for this recipe are Maldon sea salt flakes and La Baleine coarse sea salt. If you don’t mind a slight grey color in this herb salt, then try the Celtic coarse sea salt light grey for a more nutritional option (contains 70+ trace minerals). If using it as a cooking salt, use kosher salt.
Don’t over pulse your ingredients. Follow the recipe for the perfect texture.
To ensure it’s completely dry before storing, dry out your salt on the baking sheet for a minimum of 24 hours. If you are in a humid climate zone, you will probably need 48 hours (or more) until it’s fully dry. Once you rub the dried herb salt between your fingers, you’ll know if it’s ready to store.
Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Prep My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: It’s important that your fresh oregano has no moisture on it before starting this recipe. Be sure to air dry out your herb salt for a minimum of 24 hours.
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