18 Highly Recommended Dill Substitutes

A suitable dill substitute is easier to find than you think. Whether it's out of season, you run out of it while cooking, or you're serving someone allergic to it or doesn't want its taste, you can find an herb that will work for your recipe. These herbs are highly available in your local grocery stores and most are probably already in your kitchen pantry.

So without further ado, let me share with you my list of the best fresh dill, dried dill, and dill seed substitutes.

Jump to:

• 10 Best Fresh Dill Substitutes
• 4 Best Dry Dill Substitutes
• 4 Best Dill Seed Substitutes
• No Longer a Big of a Dill!
• Recipe

10 Best Fresh Dill Substitutes

Also known as dill weed, fresh dill includes the plant's feathery leaves (or fronds) and stem. It has a distinct grassy, buttery flavor with hints of anise or licorice flavor and a touch of lemon or citrus flavor.

As complex as its flavor may sound, I have found the best herbs to use as a great substitute for fresh dill in your recipes.

1. Dried Dill

When asking, "What can I substitute for dill weed?", nothing can come close to the herb's flavor than its dried version. However, you must remember that dried dill has a more concentrated flavor and aroma than the fresh variety, as they were preserved during the drying process.

As such, when you substitute dry dill for fresh dill weed, you will need to use less to have a dish with a good balance of flavor. The ratio that I follow and recommend that you use is for every tablespoon of fresh dill weed required in your recipe, replace it with a teaspoon of dried dill.

While dried dill lacks the brightness the fresh variety brings to salad dressings and salads, it's also possible to use dry dill weed as a garnish. Simply sprinkle the ingredient on your dressing or salad.

Best for just about anything.

2. Fresh Fennel

If you can't substitute dried dill for fresh dill weed because you don't have it or your dish requires the freshness of an herb, then fennel should be your top choice. It has the same licorice or anise flavor as dill, although milder with hints of sweetness.

But this mild flavor and sweet herbal flavor pair well with most ingredients commonly used in recipes requiring dill.

The fennel fronds resemble dill leaves, making them the perfect garnishes for salads, dips, and salad dressings. Meanwhile, the fennel's stem is a suitable ingredient for your hot dishes.

To use fresh fennel fronds and stem as a dill weed substitute, follow a 1:1 ratio.

Best for just about anything.

3. Tarragon

A popular ingredient in French cuisine, tarragon has a similar licorice or anise flavor profile to dill weed. It's my top choice when I'm in dire need of a dill substitute for salmon that I need to pan-sear.

Its advantage over dill is that tarragon can withstand heat better. As such, it's always best to add the herb in the earlier stages of the cooking process instead of the latter stage.

When it comes to this herb, you can choose between dried and fresh tarragon. The amount you need to use when using fresh tarragon is the same as the amount of dill required in the recipe.

On the other hand, use less amount of dried tarragon. Like the dried dill substitute for fresh dill weed, replace one tablespoon of fresh dill with one teaspoon of dried tarragon.

Best for dressings, sauces, stews, and seafood dishes.

4. Fresh Parsley

Parsley and dill belong to the same family, but parsley has a mild flavor, so it's the best dill substitute when serving individuals who don't like dill's strong flavor. It's also an excellent garnish for your potato salad and salad dressings, thanks to its bright green leaves. Fresh parsley is also my top choice when I need a substitute for dill in tzatziki.

When you shop for fresh parsley, you'll find different varieties. I highly recommend the flat-leaf or Italian parsley because it's more versatile and can withstand heat better than the curly-leafed ones.

When using this fresh herb as a substitute, measure the same amount as the recipe calls for fresh dill leaves. You can add more if you want to or find that your dish needs more earthy flavors. After all, parsley has a milder flavor than dill.

Best for just about anything.

5. Rosemary

Another good substitute for dill weed when you want a dish with a milder herbal aroma and flavor is rosemary. It's a key ingredient in some Mediterranean cold and cooked dishes, thanks to its floral notes.

However, this distinct flavor and aroma make rosemary unsuitable for recipes wherein the main ingredient is fresh dill. You should only choose it if you need a fresh dill substitute to use as a garnish or as one of the many flavor enhancers in the recipe.

It's also one of my top recommendations when you need a dill substitute for salmon recipes, especially if you need to pan-sear, bake, or grill it.

When substituting dill with rosemary, use half the amount the recipe calls for and just add more if you want or need to.

Best for salmon dishes, dressings, sauces, potato salads, and rubs and marinades for lamb, chicken, and meat.

6. Bay Leaves

Bay leaf is another fresh dill substitute most of you are familiar with and probably already used a few many times in your recipes. With earthy notes, it will make your dish more appetizing due to its enhanced taste and aroma.

One problem you might encounter with bay leaves is the right amount to use. What worked for me is one to two bay leaves, depending on how strong I wanted their distinct flavor to be added to my dish.

Also, don't forget to fish out the leaves from your cooked dishes because the more you expose the herb to heat, the more you bring out their flavor and aroma. You don't want to serve a dish with an unbalanced flavor, right?

Best for slow-cooked stews and soups and stews and meat recipes.

7. Cilantro

When it comes to what to substitute for dill weed, cilantro is among the best fresh herbs to keep in mind since it also belongs to the same plant family. It has a more intense flavor than the two fresh herbs. Specifically, it has a distinct peppery taste and aroma.

For this reason, cilantro is my go-to dill substitute in tzatziki if I want to add a unique flavor to the sauce. It's also why the herb doesn't work well for all recipes requiring dill weed.

To replace fresh dill weed with cilantro, use half the amount of what the recipe calls for. Better yet, I recommend gradually adding cilantro to your recipe. Then, adjust according to your taste and preference. This way, you're assured that the strong flavor of cilantro won't completely overpower the other ingredients.

Best for cold sauces and dips.

8. Mint

Mint is among the most commonly used herbs in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine that I also love using as a dill substitute in tzatziki and other yogurt sauces. It has a bright, grassy, sweet taste that can give your recipe lighter earthy tones than what dill weed brings.

The main issue when using mint as a substitute for fresh dill is that its distinct flavor can overpower the other ingredients' flavor profiles. I recommend that you only add a pinch or not exceed ⅓ of the amount of fresh dill listed in your recipe.

Best for sauces, dressings, dips, and cold dishes.

9. Fresh Thyme

If you love cooking Mediterranean dishes, fresh thyme is another ingredient you'll often find listed in recipes. It belongs to the mint family, so it also has hints of sweetness.

While it has a more pungent flavor, it pairs well and enhances the flavor of most ingredients that fresh dill also compliments. But you must only use a little amount of thyme because its strong flavor can affect the dish's overall quality and balance of flavor.

Start by adding a pinch of fresh thyme, and then adjust accordingly. The maximum amount of thyme I recommend you use is just half the amount of the required fresh dill.

Best for baked, grilled, roasted, and stewed fish and meat dishes.

10. Basil

The last substitute for dill weed that you probably already have in your kitchen pantry is basil, as it's used in many cuisines. It's an aromatic herb with a slightly sweet taste and slight hints of anise. It's the perfect choice for dishes whose main ingredient isn't dill and when serving guests who can't handle the dill flavor.

While I highly recommend using fresh basil because the flavor profile is closer to dill, you can also use dried basil if it's the only thing you have. Substitution-wise, add the same amount of fresh basil to your recipe as the required fresh dill. For dried basil, add it gradually until you achieve the kind of flavor that you're looking for.

Best for sauces, stews, soups, and meat dishes.

4 Best Dry Dill Substitutes

What if my recipe requires dried dill instead of fresh dill? What can I substitute for dill? Here are my tried and tested dry dill weed substitutes:

1. Fresh Dill

Since you can substitute dry dill for fresh dill, it isn't rocket science that you can also use the fresh herb to substitute for dried dill. As mentioned, the dried herb has a more concentrated flavor and aroma than the fresh variety, so you need to add more to your recipe.

Consider replacing one teaspoon of dried dill with one tablespoon of fresh dill. For context, this fresh dill amount is approximately a third of the required dried dill in the recipe.

Another important reminder when using the fresh herb as a dried dill substitute is to add it in the last stage of the cooking process. It tends to lose flavor as it cooks. The longer you expose it to heat, the more flavor it loses.

Best for just about anything.

2. Dried Oregano

If you're looking for a dried dill substitute whose taste will work for most people, I highly recommend dried oregano. It's an easily available herb and its sweet herbal flavor pairs well with most ingredients commonly used with dried dill.

Dried oregano's flavor and aroma won't overpower your dish as long as you don't add too much. Ideally, add ⅓ of the amount required for dill when using oregano as a dried dill weed substitute. You can always add more if you find that your dish if you want and need to.

Best for dressings and meat marinades.

3. Bay Leaves

When it comes to what to substitute for dill, bay leaves aren't just ideal for some dishes that require fresh dill. They're also an excellent substitute for dried dill weed and seed.

Follow the same tips as above.

Best for slow-cooked meals.

4. Garlic Powder

When asking, "What is a substitute for dill?", garlic powder won't cross your mind because its flavor is entirely different from dill. But when you don't have any dry dill substitutes and can't run to the grocery, garlic powder will save your day.

It's one of the flavor enhancers that pairs well with most ingredients and will work for any recipe, whether you're preparing cold or hot dishes. Like oregano, it's a crowd-pleasing seasoning. You won't have to worry about your guests, even your kids, not wanting the dish you serve them.

Just make sure you don't add too much garlic powder since it might completely change the flavor of your dish. I suggest using ¼ of the amount of dried dill listed in your recipe.

Best for just about anything.

4 Best Dill Seed Substitutes

Dill seeds have the most intense flavor, so some home cooks, including me, don't recommend it as a fresh or dried dill substitute. You also can't substitute the dried and fresh varieties for dill seeds.

With that in mind, here are my top recommendations for dill seed alternatives:

1. Anise Seeds

What could be the best dill substitute than seeds with the most distinct flavor of the spice, right? Anise seeds are an excellent substitute for dill seed in pickling and most recipes that require dill seeds.

However, you need to go easy on adding them to your dish because the earthy, anise flavor can throw off your dish's balance of flavor. Add just a pinch of the seeds and add another pinch if you think your dish needs more anise notes.

Best for just about anything.

2. Caraway Seeds

Caraway seeds are my go-to substitute for dill seed in pickling because of their licorice or anise-like flavor that will remind you of dill.

Although less intense, they will give your dish the much-needed earthy notes. After all, caraway seeds also have hints of pepper flavor that can further enhance the taste and aroma of your dish.

To use, simply add the same amount of caraway seeds as the amount of dill seeds your recipe calls for.

Best for pickles and cream-based soups.

3. Celery Seeds

No caraway, anise, and dill seeds available in your pantry or the nearest grocery store? Then grab that small bag or bottle of celery seeds.

With their earthy, grassy flavor, you won't need to compute for the right amount of celery seeds to use. Simply follow a 1:1 ratio.

Yes, celery seeds are slightly bitter, but they won't be noticeable as long as you don't use too much of the spice.

Best for potato salad, coleslaw, and dry rub for meat.

4. Fennel Seeds

Another favorite of mine when it comes to substituting dill seeds in dill pickles and tzatziki sauce is fennel seeds. They have a slight sweetness to them that balances the strong anise flavor.

However, these seeds are also slightly bitter, so be careful not to use too much in your recipe.

Like anise seeds, start by adding just a pinch of fennel seeds and add another pinch as and when needed.

Best for pickles and sauces.

No Longer a Big of a Dill!

Fresh and dry dill and dill seeds are among the ingredients that are quite challenging to substitute. But thanks to this list, you no longer have to wonder and ask, "What is a substitute for dill?"

It sums up the best dill seed and fresh and dried dill substitutes and how to use each. Pick the suitable ingredient for the specific dish, sauce, marinade, and dip you're making, and you won't have any problems.

Recipe