The Ultimate Herb & Spice Pairing Guide
Walking down the spice aisle is always the highlight of my grocery trips. The colors and textures of all the spices neatly displayed in tiny glass bottles lets me imagine for a moment I am in an medieval apothecary. When reality sets back in though, I realize that I only know how to use a fraction of the spices on the shelf: garlic, cinnamon, oregano, basil, and dill. That’s it. I leave the aisle defeated and accept my culinary limitations.
After making some serious lifestyle changes to get my health goals back on track, I have become much more willing to venture outside my comfort zone. I really have to be adventurous to keep things interesting enough to stick to a healthier diet. I thought it would be nice to share some of the things I’ve learned so far by preparing a spice pairing guide that can be referenced at a glance in the kitchen. I will be updating this over time as I uncover new things and feel free to leave suggestions in the comments below!
A Word of Caution
When preparing food for children, pregnant women, or people with compromised immune systems; it is always best to do a little research on the herbs or spices you plan to use in your dish. Erring on the side of caution is especially important when using herbs from your own garden or making tea. Some of the plants used to make popular spices have very poisonous leaves, stems, or berries. Stay safe and have fun!
General Spice Pairing Guide
Popular Ingredients
| Pairs Well With
|
|---|---|
Asparagus
| Chives, Lemon Balm, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Beans, Dried
| Cumin, Garlic, Mint, Onions, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Savory, Thyme
|
Beans, Green
| Basil, Caraway, Clove, Dill, Marjoram, Mint, Sage, Savory, Thyme
|
Beef
| Basil, Bay Leaf, Caraway, Cumin, Fenugreek, Garlic, Ginger, Marjoram, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Bread
| Basil, Caraway, Chervil, Chives, Cinnamon, Dill, Fennel, Garlic, Lavender, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Broccoli
| Basil, Dill, Garlic, Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Oregano, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Cabbage
| Basil, Caraway, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Dill, Fennel, Marjoram, Sage, Savory
|
Carrots
| Anise, Basil, Chervil, Chives, Cinnamon, Clove, Cumin, Dill, Ginger, Marjoram, Mint, Parsley, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Cauliflower
| Basil, Caraway, Chives, Cumin, Dill, Garlic, Marjoram, Parsley, Rosemary, Savory, Tarragon
|
Chicken
| Anise, Basil, Bay Leaf, Borage, Chives, Cinnamon, Cumin, Dill Fenugreek, Garlic, Ginger, Lovage, Marjoram, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Corn
| Chervil, Chives, Lemon Balm, Saffron, Sage, Thyme
|
Eggplant
| Basil, Cinnamon, Dill, Garlic, Marjoram, Mint, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Savory, Thyme
|
Eggs
| Anise, Basil, Caraway, Cayenne Pepper, Chervil, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Fish
| Anise, Basil, Borage, Caraway, Chervil, Chives, Dill, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Fruit
| Anise, Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Lemon Balm, Mint, Rosemary
|
Lamb
| Basil, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Dill, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Mint, Onion, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Mushrooms
| Coriander, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Parsnips
| Basil, Dill, Marjoram, Parsley, Savory, Thyme
|
Peas
| Caraway, Chervil, Chives, Rosemary, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Pork
| Anise, Caraway, Cardamom, Dill, Garlic, Ginger, Oregano, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Tarragon
|
Potatoes
| Basil, Caraway, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Lovage, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Rice
| Basil, Fennel, Lovage, Saffron, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Spinach
| Anise, Basil, Caraway, Chervil, Chives, Cinnamon, Dill, Rosemary, Thyme
|
Squash
| Basil, Caraway, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, ginger, Marjoram, Dill, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory
|
Stuffing
| Garlic, Marjoram, Onion, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme
|
Teas
| Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Peppermint, Citrus Peels, Hibiscus, Lemon Verbena, Licorice Root, Nettle Leaf, Spearming, Ginger, Red Clover, Rosehips, Roses, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Lavender, Thyme, Jasmine, Marjoram, Fennel, Rosemary
|
Tomatoes
| Basil, Bay Leaf, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Garlic, Lovage, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Turkey
| Basil, Garlic, Marjoram, Onion, Oregano, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme
|
Popular Spice Blends
In this section, I've taken some of the guesswork out of creating your very own herb blends for popular main ingredients.
Beef
- lemon juice, rosemary, black pepper
- thyme, cloves, orange peel, black pepper
- garlic, herbed vinegar, black pepper
- mashed green peppercorns, onions, marjoram
Poultry
- ginger, orange peel, sage
- marjoram, thyme, apple cider vinegar
- tarragon, shallots, lemon juice
- basil, white wine vinegar, garlic
Fish
- dill, lemon juice, mustard seed
- lovage, celery seed, lemon juice, black pepper
- fennel seed, mustard seed, bay, lemon peel
Green Vegetables
- savory, chives, onions
- dill, bay, rice vinegar
- basil, nutmeg, marjoram
Yellow & Orange Vegetables
- cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice, thyme
- ginger, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, lovage, celery leaf
- beebalm, thyme
Cheese & Eggs
- dill, chives, parsley, paprika
- nutmeg, dry mustard, black pepper
- oregano, garlic, thyme
Beans, Rice, & Grains
- chilies, cumin seed, oregano, garlic
- saffron, garlic, parsley
- mint, parsley, lemon peel, caraway seed
Herb Butters
- mint and dill
- beebalm and lovage
- lemon verbena and dash of orange peel
- costmary and tansy
- basil, sweet pepper, oregano, thyme
- marjoram and garlic
- garlic, sesame seeds, chives
Flavored Oils
- oregano, thyme, garlic, olive oil
- chervil, tarragon, shallots, peanut oil
- ginger, cardamom seed, coriander leaf, safflower oil
- saffron, garlic, olive oil
- dill, garlic, sunflower oil
- basil, chili, garlic, and olive oil
- lemon verbena, lemon thyme, walnut oil
- lovage, garlic, celery leaf, olive oil
Flavored Vinegars
- rosemary, raisins, orange peel, garlic, white wine vinegar
- sage, parsley, shallots, red wine vinegar
- borage, dill, shallots, white wine vinegar
- chilies, garlic, oregano, cider vinegar
- mint, honey, cardamom seed, white vinegar
- coriander leaf, garlic, rice vinegar
- rose petals, violet petals, rice vinegar
- dill, nasturtiums, garlic, cider vinegar
- fennel leaf, garlic, parsley, white wine vinegar
Popular Spices Around The World
Region
| Popular Herbs & Spices
|
|---|---|
African
| ginger, garlic, fenugreek, chilies, black pepper, cloves, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, turmeric, peppercorns
|
Cajun
| allspice, basil, bay leaves, caraway, cardamom, cayenne, celery seed, chives, chilies, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon, mace, marjoram, mustard seed, nutmeg, onion, oregano, paprika, parsley, peppercorns, saffron, salt, savory, tarragon, thyme
|
Caribbean
| thyme, marjoram, basil, cilantro, shallots, allspice, arrowroot, ginger, garlic, chilies, Jamaican jerk seasoning*, nutmeg, lemon, mace, lime
|
Chinese
| Chinese 5 Spice*, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seed, ginger, Szechuan peppercorns
|
French
| Fines Herbes*, Persillade*, Herbes de Provence*, nutmeg, tarragon, saffron, chives, chervil, parsley, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, lavender, sage, bay leaf, peppercorn
|
German
| bay leaves, borage, caraway seeds, chives, dill, juniper berries, marjoram, parsley, thyme, white pepper, mustard seed, celery seed, coriander, dill seed
|
Indian
| ginger, turmeric, chilies, saffron, cumin, garam masala, curry powder*, coriander, black pepper, fenugreek, fennel, nutmeg, cardamom, star anise, basil, mint, bay laurel, cloves
|
Italian
| oregano, black pepper, parsley, bay leaves, sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram
|
Japanese
| cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, ginger, turmeric, orange peel, sesame seeds, wasabi powder, Japanese 7 Spice Blend (Shichimi Togarashi)*
|
Latin America
| cilantro, oregano, thyme, parsley, mint, allspice, cayenne pepper, chilies, chili powder*, cloves, coriander, sage, Adobo*, cacao, celery seed, sea salt, chia seeds, cumin, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning*, lime, paprika, peppercorns
|
Mediterranean
| arugula, basil, bay leaf, dill, fennel leaves, marjoram, spearmint, oregano, parsley, purslane, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme, garlic
|
Thai
| basil, lemon basil, ginger, shallots, lemongrass, lime leaves, spearmint, coriander, garlic, chilies, turmeric, bay leaves, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, curry powder*, galangal, green peppercorns, holy basil, mace, nutmeg, star anise
|
Tips for Maximizing Flavors
- To get more mileage out of dried herbs, soak them for several minutes in a liquid that can be used in the recipe; such as water, broth, oil, lemon juice, or vinegar.
- When using herbs for salad dressings, allow the herbs to soak for at least 15 minutes to 1 hour.
- Before working the flavors of herbs into meat, poultry, or fish, rub them with your hands before cooking.
- For steamed or boiled vegetables, add the herbs to melted butter and allow to stand for 10 minutes before seasoning the vegetables with it.
- Generally speaking, dried and fresh herbs can be used interchangeably in recipes. Use 3-5 times more fresh herbs than dried, depending on the strength of the herb.
- For best flavor of foods with a long cook time, add the herbs during the last 20 or so minutes of cooking.
Questions & Answers
- Helpful 3
What spice works well with dill?
Dill typically goes well with basil, mint, cilantro, bay, borage, chervil, chives, garlic, onion, parsley, sorrel, and tarragon.
Helpful 2- Helpful 1
What is jerk seasoning made from?
The history of jerk seasoning is pretty interesting...but for the most part modern jerk seasoning includes scallions, black pepper, hot peppers, thyme, cinnamon, garlic, and nutmeg.
Do fresh fennel and basil pair well together?
Yes, fennel goes well with basil...as well as cilantro, chives, garlic, oregano, parsley, sage, shallots, and tarragon
© 2017 Marla Watson
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