Don't Have Bay Leaves? Here Are 4 Ingredients You Can Use Instead

If you've ever sat down to a hearty bowl of soup or scooped up a big helping of tender, savory beans, you may have thought, "Hey, why is there a leaf in my food?" Don't worry; a breeze didn't sweep through the kitchen bringing in debris from outside; it's just a bay leaf.

The silent (but mighty!) herb in your spice cabinet is crucial, but when you're out, what can be swapped in its place?

What Are Bay Leaves?

Bay leaves look suspiciously like the leaves you'll find on a tree, as opposed to other herbs like sage or parsley. This is because bay leaves are simply the leaves from a laurel tree. They are used in dry, fresh, and sometimes ground forms.

Fresh bay leaves are somewhat thick, dark green in color, with a shiny, waxy finish. Dried bay leaves are slightly crispy and delicate in texture, with a more washed-out hue. Due to their fibrous nature, bay leaves don't tend to break down at all during cooking.

What Do Bay Leaves Taste Like?

The flavor of bay leaves can be hard to pin down. We often use bay leaves in soup and stocks, but it's a background character that doesn't impart much assertive flavor. The nature of bay leaves is that you can't taste them in most things, but you'd notice if they weren't there.

On their own, they have a slightly minty, herbal flavor, but they certainly don't taste like that in your favorite chicken soup. Blended with other herbs and spices, they contribute to what we know and love as the pillars of savory cooking. Think of bay leaves more as an important part of a dish's whole flavor landscape rather than the prima donna.

Bay leaves are best used in long-cooked dishes like soups, stews, sauces, and beans. Cooking them briefly will impart a strong minty, eucalyptus, and slight tea-like flavor that doesn't always compliment other flavors well. Cook them for more extended periods to allow for a mellow, nuanced taste.

Best Bay Leaf Substitutes

Thyme

Thyme and bay leaves share some of the same flavor undertones, especially in the slightly minty, highly fragrant floral department. Fresh thyme is stronger and more assertive than bay leaves are, so if you add fresh thyme, just know it will have a more dominant flavor.

Juniper Berries

Juniper and bay leaves are often found together in brines, pickling liquids, marinades, and even alcohol. In these types of recipes, double up on the juniper berries if you don't have bay leaves.

Juniper berries aren't a great swap in soups, stews, and sauces since they can be hard to fish out. However, they pair well with woody-stemmed herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme, so add a teaspoon to batches of roasted veggies; just make sure to pull them out before digging in.

Mexican Oregano

Standard oregano can be too overpowering to replace bay leaves. Mexican oregano, on the other hand, is lighter in flavor and has some slight anise notes with a mild citrus finish – perfect for replacing bay leaves. Use about half a teaspoon of Mexican oregano for each bay leaf in a recipe.

Nothing

Ok, this isn't actually a swap, but in some recipes, just leaving it out is better than knocking the flavors of a dish out of wack by adding something else. Bay leaves have a light, subtle flavor, so swapping in something more assertive can sometimes throw off the dish.

Leaving it out is best in recipes with delicate flavors that don't have a lot of other herbs and spices, like light broths or bechamel sauce for mac and cheese.

Related:

• Love It or Hate It—This Polarizing Herb Is America’s Top Pick
• 10 Easy Tips to Keep Herbs and Spices Fresh and Flavorful
• What Is Mexican Oregano?