The Best Substitutes for Rosemary When You're out of the Real Thing

The smell of something cooking with rosemary is perhaps one of the most warm and cozy things we can experience. Between that and its year-round availability, it's a popular herb to use. Its aroma and flavor tend to conjure images of cold weather cooking, its use often synonymous with "roasted", and it becomes more prevalent in the cooking and baking of the fall and winter seasons.

Rosemary grows easily in gardens, and stays fresh for quite a long time. It allows you to just cut what you need and leave the rest. But if growing your own isn't an option, you can't get to a store, or if you're fresh out, here's what you can use instead.

What Does Rosemary Taste Like?

Rosemary is an intense, pungent herb that properly lives up to its distinction as an aromatic. Other good descriptors are piney, earthy, peppery, lemony, woodsy, and minty. It's a hearty herb with a complex flavor, doting extremely well on rich meat dishes as well as potatoes or other root vegetables.

Best Rosemary Substitutes

When deciding what to use in place of rosemary, think about what would complement the individual dish you're making the best out of what you have to work with. The answer won't always be the same.

You can swap any of the following herbs in their fresh state for fresh rosemary in equal measure. For measurements sake, know that 1 sprig fresh rosemary equals about 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary which would be equal to 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary. So, if the recipe calls for 1 sprig rosemary and you're choosing to use dried thyme, you would use 1/4 teaspoon.

Get the recipe: Grilled Lemon and Rosemary Lamb Chops

Sage

Sage mirrors rosemary in that it is very strong, especially in its dried or ground form and touts a piney, woodsy aroma. Let it step in for rosemary in meat dishes that utilize beef, pork, or chicken, as it will add a bit of an extra dimension. Use equal amounts of fresh sage to fresh rosemary, but 1/4 the amount if using dried. You can always add but you cannot take away.

Thyme

Thyme is another savory roasting herb, often used in tandem with rosemary. It can easily step in to a recipe calling for rosemary, but it is much more mild and can lean more floral or even more minty at times. It'll be as readily available in stores and though the flavor might not be the best match to rosemary, it'll be a welcome addition to whatever you use it in. Add thyme in equal proportion to any poultry dish, tomato-based dish, or roasted potatoes or vegetables.

Marjoram

Marjoram has a similar flavor, but it's a bit more unique, with an added citrus element. Use fresh marjoram in equal parts and dried in 1/4 the amount, adding more if needed or if your spice isn't the freshest (marjoram isn't exactly in the top of our commonly used spices on the rack). Its delicately sweet flavor with bitter notes pairs well with meat. Marjoram also loves mushrooms, stews, soups, and casseroles.

Savory

With a similar flavor to rosemary (though admittedly lacking the depth and woodiness), savory might not be a commonly used herb and might not be on hand, but if you happen across some, it will work in a pinch. Summer savory would be better, even if winter would seem to be the best choice, just because of its milder, more tame nature. Try it with chicken or fish.

Oregano

Oregano is another readily available, woodsy herb in the mint family. Use it in equal proportion fresh to fresh or dried to dried. It's big savory flavor is a good all-around swap for pork, beef, lamb, chicken, mushrooms, and especially tomato-based dishes.

Italian Seasoning

This is a handy spice blend that already includes rosemary, along with marjoram, basil, oregano, sage, and thyme. Italian seasoning would make a fine substitution anywhere that dried rosemary is used but would work on a roast in place of fresh as well. Use half the amount of rosemary called for and season to taste.

Bay Leaf

This aromatic leaf of the laurel tree would be great for stew or a hearty roast. It tastes woody and floral with bitter notes underneath. Never use more than two per dish, period. If swapping with rosemary, 1 leaf equals 2 tablespoons rosemary.