Za'atar substitute

Best substitute

Oregano + Toasted Sesame + Lemon Zest

1 tsp + 1 tsp + ½ tsp

Best for when there is no sumac in the house

Needs a tweakLikely in your cupboard

Mix it yourself. Per 1 tbsp of za'atar, stir together 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest and 1/8 tsp salt. If you happen to own ground sumac, use 1/2 tsp of that in place of the zest - that is the sour note the blend is actually built on.

Other za'atar substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Oregano + Toasted Sesame + Sumac
Needs a tweak
1 tsp + 1 tsp + ½ tsp
The same three parts a jar of za'atar is made of, so if sumac is already in your rack this is not really a substitute at all - it is the blend.
What changes
Special tripveganvegetariangluten-free
Best for
when ground sumac is already in your spice rack, roast chicken, lamb and cauliflower, making a batch to keep in a jar
Covers
Acid
Salt
Aroma & flavour identity
Ranked below the lemon-zest mix only because most kitchens missing za'atar are also missing sumac. If you have both jars, mix this one.
3Dried Thyme + Toasted Sesame Seeds
You'll taste it
1 ½ tsp + 1 ½ tsp
The herb-and-seed half of za'atar with the sourness left out on purpose, for dishes that already have lemon in them.
What changes
Likely in your cupboardveganvegetariangluten-free
Best for
marinades, dressings and yoghurt sauces that already contain lemon, when you want the herb and the crunch without adding more acid, sprinkling on top of something already dressed with lemon
Taste
flatter, herby
Texture
similar
Covers
Salt
Aroma & flavour identity
Misses
Acid — not covered
This is a deliberate partial swap, not a poor one - doubling the acid in a lemony dressing is a more common mistake than leaving it out.
4Dukkah
You'll taste it
Use 1 tbsp for every tbsp of za'atar
An Egyptian nut-and-seed blend, usually hazelnut or almond with sesame, coriander and cumin - built the same way as za'atar and used the same way, but warm and nutty rather than herby and sour.
What changes
Special tripveganvegetariandairy-free
Best for
roast vegetables and roast meat, where its coriander and cumin suit the dish, scattering over dips and flatbread when you want crunch above all, when it is the only Middle Eastern blend in the cupboard
Taste
nutty, warm
Texture
coarser
Covers
Salt
Aroma & flavour identity
Misses
Acid — not covered
Most dukkah contains hazelnuts or almonds, so it is the one option here that is unsafe for a nut allergy.
5Ground Sumac
You'll taste it
Use ½ to 1 tsp for every tbsp of za'atar
The sour part of the blend on its own.
What changes
It gets you the lemony brightness and none of the herb or the crunch.
Special tripveganvegetariangluten-free
Best for
when sumac is the only Middle Eastern jar you own, finishing grilled meat, onions or a fattoush, when a sesame allergy rules out every blend on this page
Taste
sour, fruity
Texture
powdery
Covers
Acid
Misses
Aroma & flavour identity — not covered
This is also the sesame-free answer here, which matters because sesame is a major allergen and it is in every real za'atar.
6Italian Seasoning + Sesame + Lemon Zest
In a pinch
1 tsp + 1 tsp + ¼ tsp
A last resort when the only herb jar in the house is a mixed Italian blend.
What changes
The oregano and thyme in it are right; the basil, rosemary and marjoram are not.
Likely in your cupboardveganvegetariangluten-free
Best for
when there is no single-herb jar in the cupboard at all, roast potatoes and roast vegetables, where the difference matters least, getting something on the plate tonight
Taste
different, Italian
Texture
similar
Covers
Acid
Salt
Misses
Aroma & flavour identity — not covered
If the jar contains rosemary, this option gets noticeably worse. Rosemary is the one herb in the blend that nothing in za'atar resembles.

Don’t use these

Herbes de Provence
Not for this
It looks like the right kind of jar and it is not. Most Herbes de Provence contains dried lavender, and lavender is unmistakable in a savoury dish.

Check your case

Is the za'atar going on raw at the end, or into something that gets cooked?

You are sprinkling it on raw - over labneh, hummus, feta, a fried egg, or stirred into olive oil as a dip for bread.
Nothing hides here, so the sour note matters most. Mix 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and 1/2 tsp lemon zest per tablespoon and stir it up just before you serve - zest goes dull and slightly bitter within a day.
Jump to Oregano + Toasted Sesame + Lemon Zest or Oregano + Toasted Sesame + Sumac
You are coating chicken, lamb, cauliflower or potatoes before they go in the oven.
Dry oven heat is forgiving and the sesame seeds toast further as they roast, so a rougher mix works. Mix the blend into the oil first rather than dusting it on dry, or the seeds scorch. Dukkah is a genuinely good stand-in in this one case.
Jump to Oregano + Toasted Sesame + Sumac or Dukkah
It is going into a marinade, a dressing or a yoghurt sauce that already contains lemon.
The recipe's lemon is already doing the sour job, so you only need the herb and the sesame: 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme plus 1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame per tablespoon. Leave the sumac and the zest out rather than making the sauce sour twice.
Jump to Dried Thyme + Toasted Sesame Seeds
The dish is named after it - man'oushe za'atar flatbread, or za'atar bread.
There is no swap, because the blend is the dish. Mix the homemade version above, or bake the flatbread with olive oil, salt and dried oregano and serve it as the dish it now is.

Do not start from which jar looks most like za'atar. Start from the three jobs the blend is doing: the dried herb for aroma, the toasted sesame for crunch, and the sumac for a dry sourness. A single correct herb plus toasted sesame plus something sour beats any ready-made blend containing a wrong herb - which is why plain oregano and lemon zest works and Herbes de Provence does not. And if the dish is named after the za'atar, mix the blend rather than swapping it.

Don’t substitute za'atar here

When to keep looking rather than swap

Man'oushe za'atar flatbread, za'atar bread, or any dish that is named after the blend.
The blend is the dish rather than a seasoning in it. Every substitute here is defined by the part of za'atar it does not have, and on a plain flatbread there is nothing else to taste.
Instead. Mix the homemade version - oregano, toasted sesame, sumac or lemon zest - or bake the bread with olive oil, salt and dried oregano and serve it as the dish it now is.
Dusting any dry blend straight onto bread or vegetables going into a hot oven.
Sesame seeds scorch fast and sumac turns acrid, so the topping goes bitter well before the bread is done.
Instead. Stir the blend into olive oil first, about 1 tbsp blend to 2 tbsp oil, and spread that. Or bake plain and scatter the za'atar on the moment it comes out.
Swapping a salted commercial blend in spoon for spoon and then adding the recipe's salt as written.
Jars sold as za'atar range from unsalted to heavily salted, and once salt is in a dry topping there is no way to take it back out.
Instead. Taste a pinch of your blend on its own first. If it tastes salty, leave the recipe's salt out entirely and add it at the table.
Using fresh thyme or oregano leaves spoon for spoon in place of the dried herb.
Fresh herbs are mostly water, so they are roughly a third the strength by volume, and they turn the dry blend into damp green clumps that will not keep or scatter.
Instead. Use dried. If fresh is genuinely all you have, use about three times the volume, mix it with oil into a paste, and use it the same day.

What is Za'atar?

Za'atar is a Levantine dry blend of dried thyme or oregano, toasted sesame seeds, tart red sumac and salt, scattered on flatbread, labneh, eggs and roast vegetables rather than cooked into a dish.

Cooking tips

Mix za'atar with olive oil into a loose paste before it goes on bread or into the oven, about 1 tbsp blend to 2 tbsp oil. Dry blend on dry dough scorches; the oil protects the sesame and the sumac.
Toast the sesame seeds yourself, 2-3 minutes in a dry pan until they smell nutty. This one step is the difference between a mix that tastes like za'atar and a mix that tastes like dried oregano.
Sumac is what makes za'atar sour rather than merely herby. If you buy one extra jar to make this blend properly, that is the jar.
Lemon zest matches sumac on sourness but not on shelf life, so add zest to the portion you are about to eat rather than to the jar.
Taste a pinch of any commercial za'atar on its own before you add the recipe's salt. Jars run from unsalted to very salty and there is no correcting a dry topping afterwards.
Za'atar goes on at the end or on the plate. Long simmering flattens the herb and turns the sumac bitter, so it is not a spice you build a sauce on.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best za'atar substitute?

Mix your own from what you already have: per tablespoon of za'atar, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest and 1/8 tsp salt. If ground sumac is in your spice rack, use 1/2 tsp of it instead of the zest and you have essentially made za'atar rather than substituted for it.

What is za'atar made of?

A dried herb - thyme, oregano or hyssop depending on where the blend comes from - plus toasted sesame seeds, ground sumac and salt. A workable batch is 2 tbsp dried oregano or thyme, 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tbsp ground sumac and 1/2 tsp fine salt, which makes about 5 tbsp. Some blends also carry a little cumin or dried marjoram.

Can I make zaatar without sumac?

Yes, using finely grated lemon zest: 1/2 tsp of zest per tablespoon of blend does sumac's job of adding sourness without adding liquid. Zest only the coloured outer skin, since the white pith is bitter, and mix it into the portion you are about to eat rather than into a storage jar, because zest dulls within a day while the dry ingredients keep for months.

Is za'atar the same as sumac?

No. Sumac is one ingredient, a tart ground berry, and it is one of the four things in za'atar. Za'atar is the finished blend of herb, sesame, sumac and salt. If you have sumac and nothing else, use 1/2 tsp per tablespoon of za'atar called for - it gives you the sourness but none of the herb or the crunch.

Can I use Italian seasoning instead of za'atar?

Only as a last resort, and only on roast vegetables or roast meat. The oregano and thyme in it are right but the basil, rosemary and marjoram are not, so the dish comes out tasting Italian. Use 1 tsp Italian seasoning plus 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds plus 1/4 tsp lemon zest per tablespoon, and never use it for a raw sprinkle where there is nothing else to taste.

Is za'atar spicy?

No. There is no chilli in a traditional blend, so it is herby, nutty and sour rather than hot. That matters when you are choosing a substitute: matching heat is not part of the job, and reaching for a chilli-based blend takes the dish somewhere else entirely.

Does za'atar contain sesame or nuts?

Sesame, yes - toasted sesame seeds are one of the core ingredients, and sesame is a major allergen. Traditional za'atar contains no nuts. Dukkah, which is sometimes suggested in its place, does contain hazelnuts or almonds. For a sesame-free version, use ground sumac with dried oregano and no seeds.

How do I use za'atar on bread?

Stir it into olive oil first, roughly 1 tbsp of blend to 2 tbsp of oil, and spread that on the dough before baking. Dusting the dry blend straight onto bread in a hot oven scorches the sesame and turns the sumac bitter. You can also bake the bread plain and scatter the blend over the moment it comes out.

Related substitutes

More spices & herbs substitutes

Za'atar substitute

Other za'atar substitutes

2Oregano + Toasted Sesame + Sumac

3Dried Thyme + Toasted Sesame Seeds

4Dukkah

5Ground Sumac

6Italian Seasoning + Sesame + Lemon Zest

Herbes de Provence