• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tastylicious
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Subscribe
  • Recipes
  • Health
  • Cooking
  • Reviews
  • Food
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Subscribe
  • Recipes
  • Health
  • Cooking
  • Reviews
  • Food
×

Home » Ingredients » Herbs and Spices

Rosemary Guide - Best Uses, Tips, Recipes

Nate TeagueWritten by Nate Teague · Updated on March 29, 2019

Rosemary is a fragrant, evergreen herb that has characteristic pointy green leaves and bright blue, white or purple flowers. Although native to the Mediterranean, this plant is hardy and thrives in many parts of the world. Droughts and cold weather will not bother it.

If you've ever tried growing rosemary at home you'll have probably found it grows like a weed. You'll never have to visit the supermarket to buy this ingredient again once it's established itself. The only challenge will be to keep it pruned back. An added bonus of growing rosemary is that it will help ward off pesky insects in summer.

Back in 500 BC the Romans and Greeks used rosemary for food, medicine and even for rituals such as weddings and funerals.

Table of Contents
  • Best uses for rosemary in the kitchen
  • Alternatives to Fresh Rosemary
  • Preparation
  • Storage options
  • How to make rosemary potatoes

Best uses for rosemary in the kitchen

Rosemary has a strong, bitter flavor with a mild hint of pine. It is a tasty additive to many dishes including:

  • sprinkled on roast lamb
  • used in stuffing for roast meats
  • tossed fresh into a salad
  • sprinkled over barbecued food
  • steeped as a tea
  • mixed with salt and butter
  • rosemary potatoes
  • fruit salads

benefits of rosemary

Alternatives to Fresh Rosemary

There are a wide range of recipes that include rosemary as an ingredient - thanks to it's mosaic of complex flavors. If you ever find yourself without this key ingredient, you can still save the dish!

Fresh rosemary is unique so it's hard to completely compensate if you don't have it. However, you still have some great options at your fingertips.

1. Dried Rosemary

For every teaspoon of fresh rosemary, use ⅓ tsp of the dried version instead.

2. Thyme

The subtle, slightly minty flavor makes it an excellent option.

3. Oregano

Bitter, earthy notes, in many ways similar to rosemary.

4. Marjoram

Spicy, pungent and bitter offering a lovely sweet aroma.

Preparation

For many recipes I simple pick the rosemary leaves off the stem and sprinkle them over the meat or vegetables. If a recipe calls for the herb to be finely chopped then keep reading.

What you'll need: Chopping board and sharp knife.
How it's done: Take a sprig of rosemary and gently remove the leaves. Place them on the chopping board and bunch them together tightly before slicing them into fine pieces.

Storage options

  1. If you have sprigs with the leaves still intact you can fill a glass with water and place the herbs in there until you're ready to use.
  2. Lightly wrap unused rosemary in a damp paper towel then place in a plastic bag or a plastic container. It will last 1-2 weeks refrigerated.

How to make rosemary potatoes

This is a hugely popular dish that pairs perfectly with roast lamb, chicken or fish. An excellent midweek recipe if you don't have time for long-winded recipes!

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 lb diced potatoes
  • 6 cloves garlic (minced)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp rosemary (chopped finely)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Coat potatoes with oil.
  3. Stir in garlic until well combined.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Add potatoes to a lined oven tray in one layer.
  6. Pop into the oven for 40 minutes (or until crispy).
  7. Once cooked, sprinkle with rosemary and add additional seasoning if required.

Note: If you are looking for an alternative roast potato recipe that is a little more indulgent then try this recipe for potatoes that are roasted in duck fat. They give the potato skins a crispy texture and extra flavor that you won't get from using olive oil.

Now that you know a little more about rosemary, you may want to check out one of these guides: sage substitutes or tarragon substitutes. It's amazing how often we go to the store to buy an entire container of dried herbs for one recipe, never to use it again. A better option could be to simply use an alternative that you may already have in the cupboard.

Related posts:

  1. Lavender vs. Rosemary: Top 5 Differences From Garden to Kitchen
  2. Chef Ranks & Reviews the 9 Best Air Fryers After 21 Tests
  3. Chef's Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Review [10 PHOTOS]
  4. The Fail-Proof 7 Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combos
  5. Thyme vs. Rosemary
  6. Nuwave Bravo XL Air Fryer Review: 3 Meals Cooked [10 Photos]

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Nate Teague

Nate Teague is a food writer who has been working in the food industry for the past decade. He writes for various cooking blogs and has a passion for making fine dining recipes accessible to the at-home cook.

More about us →

More Posts

  • Lavender vs. Rosemary: Top 5 Differences From Garden to KitchenLavender vs. Rosemary: Top 5 Differences From Garden to Kitchen
  • Chef Ranks & Reviews the 9 Best Air Fryers After 21 TestsChef Ranks & Reviews the 9 Best Air Fryers After 21 Tests
  • Chef's Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Review [10 PHOTOS]Chef's Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Review [10 PHOTOS]
  • The Fail-Proof 7 Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven CombosThe Fail-Proof 7 Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combos

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023