Za'atar

Name: Za'atar
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 19 min
Ingredients: 12 g dried thyme, raw, rubbed between your palms; 6 g dried oregano, dried, raw, rubbed; 4 g dried marjoram, dried, raw, rubbed; 15 g sumac, raw; 20 g sesame seeds, lightly roast until pale golden; 4 g salt, raw, fine

Vegetarian

زعتر · zaʿtar

Dried wild-thyme-style herbs mixed with tart sumac, toasted sesame and salt. The Levant's everyday table blend, stirred into olive oil for bread, sprinkled on labneh and baked onto manakish.

Za'atar is a Levantine condiment from Lebanon, ready in about 19 minutes and made with dried thyme, sumac and sesame seeds. It serves 10 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

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Prep: 5 min
Cook: 4 min
Rest: 10 min
Total: 19 min
Serves: 10
Level: Beginner
Calories: 22

Ingredients

10 tablespoons (about 6 g each)

12 g Dried thyme (opens in a new tab), raw, rubbed between your palms
6 g Dried oregano (opens in a new tab), dried, raw, rubbed
4 g Dried marjoram (opens in a new tab), dried, raw, rubbed
15 g Sumac (opens in a new tab), raw
20 g Sesame seeds (opens in a new tab), lightly roast until pale goldenContains sesame
4 g Salt (opens in a new tab), raw, fine

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Roast the sesame seeds (opens in a new tab) in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until pale golden and starting to jump. Tip onto a plate and cool completely, about 10 minutes.
- 4 min
- medium-low heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Crush the thyme (opens in a new tab), oregano (opens in a new tab) and marjoram (opens in a new tab) with the salt in a mortar for a minute so the herbs break into fine flakes — do not grind to dust.
- 2 min
- Mortar and pestle (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Mix the herbs with the sumac (opens in a new tab) and the cooled sesame seeds (opens in a new tab) in a bowl. Leave the sesame whole.
- 1 min
- Mixing bowl (opens in a new tab)
4
Step 4
Store in an airtight jar.
- 1 min
- Spice jar (opens in a new tab)

About this dish

Origin: The Levant, Lebanon · Well documentedZa'atar is both a wild herb (Origanum syriacum) and this blend. Outside the region a mix of dried thyme, oregano and marjoram stands in for the herb.Also popular in Syria, Palestine, Jordan, IsraelMore food from Lebanon
Dish: Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method: Toasted, No-cook
Taste: herby, tangy, nutty, salty
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Dried thyme · Sumac · Sesame seeds · Dried oregano · Dried marjoram
Techniques: Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

Contains: Sesamefrom sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

22 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 6 g · recipe makes 10

Where the energy comes from

Protein 12%
Carbohydrate 42%
Fat 46%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	22 kcal	361 kcal
Protein	0.8 g	13 g
Carbohydrate	2.7 g	45 g
Net carbohydrate	1.1 g	18 g
Sugars	0.2 g	3.7 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	1.6 g	27 g
Fat	1.3 g	22.2 g
Saturated fat	0.2 g	3.6 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	157 mg	2623 mg
Salt equivalent	0.4 g	6.6 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 67 mg
Calcium: 63 mg
Iron: 2.6 mg
Magnesium: 15 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 41 µg
Vitamin C: 1 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 8 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
Sumac: Paprika (FDC 171329) as a stand-in dried ground red spice; values are approximate.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

For manakish, mix 1 part za'atar with about 1.5 parts olive oil to a loose paste.
Palestinian blends are greener and more herb-heavy; Lebanese blends often use more sumac.

Common mistakes

Adding the sesame while warm, which makes the herbs damp and clumpy.

Serve with

Manakish za'atar, ka'ak al-Quds, labneh with olive oil, fattoush, roast chicken and eggs.

Food safety

Store in a clean, completely dry, airtight jar away from light and heat; always use a dry spoon. Ground blends lose aroma steadily after the first month.
Contains sesame.

Storage

Airtight jar, cool and dark, up to 3 months (the toasted sesame eventually goes stale).

Variations

Za'atar halabi (Aleppo style) (Syria): Adds Aleppo pepper and sometimes cumin and roasted chickpea for a redder, spicier mix.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 2 Nov 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

About this masala

Type: Dry spice blend
Texture: Coarse powder
One batch makes: about 60 g
Keeps: about 3 months
Store: Airtight jar, cool dark cupboard
Recipe: Traditional

The Levant. Makes Za'atar, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas

Used in

Amounts are each dish’s own quantity, for the servings it is written for. “Make enough” opens this recipe scaled for that dish.

Ka'ak al-Quds4 tbsp · 21 g for 6 rings · optionalMake enough
Labneh with za'atar and olive oil6 g · 6 g for 4 servings (about 70 g with garnish)Make enough
Manakish za'atar6 tbsp · 31 g for 6 flatbreadsMake enough
Taboon bread2 tbsp · 10 g for 6 breads · optionalMake enough

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Dried thyme, raw, rubbed between your palms12 g
Dried oregano, dried, raw, rubbed6 g
Dried marjoram, dried, raw, rubbed4 g
Sumac, raw15 g
Salt, raw, fine4 g

Used in steps 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

Manakish za'atar
Lebanese · 1 h 41 min · 424 kcal · Vegetarian
Ka'ak al-Quds
Palestinian · 2 h 18 min · 502 kcal · Vegetarian
Taboon bread
Palestinian · 2 h 40 min · 344 kcal · Vegan
Labneh (strained yoghurt cheese)
Levantine · 24 h 10 min · 73 kcal · Vegetarian