13 Best Marjoram Substitutes List For Your Delicious Cuisines

You can substitute Marjoram with dried oregano in all your favorite recipes and I promise, you won’t notice the difference. The taste of dried Oregano is almost interchangeable with the one of Marjoram.

So, if a recipe calls for one teaspoon of Marjoram you can go ahead and substitute it with one teaspoon of dried Oregano.

Fresh Basil

This is one of my all-time favorite herbs to either cook with or prepare fresh. From amazing Italian pesto to using it on top of pizza Margherita with some amazing fresh Mozarella.

Is there anything that this herb can’t blend in to? The answer is no, this herb can fit in almost any flavor profile but it is typical to Italian cooking.

 

Seriously, Basil is a miracle herb that comes from the Lamiaceae family. It originates from the tropical regions of Africa but it has been cultivated to grow in cold regions as well.

Basil can either be annual or a perennial herb, depending on the type of Basil you’re growing. But, mostly it is an annual herb. This means that it can grow during the spring and summertime and it has to be re-planted each year.

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Herbes De Provence

If you haven’t already figured it out, Herbes De Provence is a French spice blend made out of all kinds of dried herbs, including dried Marjoram.

Other herb blends that are traditionally used in this mixture are thyme, basil, rosemary, savory, oregano, bay leaf, and tarragon. Herbes de Provence is commonly used in French cuisine but this herb mix is getting its way around the whole wide world. It is mainly used in meat dishes like roast chicken, roast beef, roast venison, and roast lamb.

Don’t fire up the grill during the summer season without this blend of spices, it would totally be a crime.

The reason why this blend is great for Marjoram substitution is that it actually contains Marjoram in it, so you actually get the real deal out of it.

Dried Basil

There isn’t much to say about dried Basil except that is the sun-dried version of fresh Basil. Dried Basil is mostly used to aromatize salads, salad dressings, pizza sauces, and can even be put on top of pasta.

Dried Basil is a great alternative for when fresh Basil is out of season around the year. The dried version has a more concentrated and strong taste than the fresh one so, you gotta use it in moderate doses or otherwise it can dominate in your dishes.

Fresh Sage

Believe me, no smell can compare to one of fresh Sage leaves, especially in the winter. Sage is most commonly used the time around the holidays. You can season sausages, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, and root vegetables like parsnip, and carrots.

Sage is an amazingly aromatic herb, you can smell it all around your house when cooking with it. It is considered to be a perennial plant, which means that it lives for more than two years and you can find it all year long.

Summer Savory

Summer savory has a sweet and kinda peppery taste and it is an annual plant. It mostly grows in some parts of Canada. The sweet taste of summer savory comes very close to the taste of Marjoram itself, which is also kinda sweet.

It is a plant with small, delicate, light-green leaves that is just like sage, used in cooking around the holiday season.

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Winter Savory

Winter savory is a classic winter thyme-like herb that does an amazing job with slow-cooked meats as well as preserving and seasoning sausages.

Summer savory and Winter Savory come from the same plant family but they are quite different in taste. Winter Savory has a stronger aroma than the Summer one, with just a hint of sage and thyme flavor.

Fresh Thyme

Fresh thyme has a strong, herby flavor with woody and citrus notes but it does depend on the version of the Thyme. Lemon thyme has a citrus-like smell that goes amazing in all types of savory dishes like roasted meat, roasted fish, vegetables.

Lemon thyme can be great in savory baking. It can also be used for marinades, soups and, and even drinks like cocktails and teas.

Za’Atar

Just like herbes de Provence, za’atar is a spice blend that also includes Marjoram. This is why it is one of the better substitutes for Marjoram. It also includes toasted sesame seeds, sumac, oregano, thyme, and salt.

Fresh Lemongrass

Lemongrass is a herb with a lemony aroma and taste. It is mainly used to add a fresh note for soups, stews, chicken dishes, and even teas.

Lemongrass can be used for its aroma in deodorants, soaps, and many other cosmetic products. Just like any other herb, Lemongrass can either be used dry or fresh. I always prefer the fresh type because of its really fragrant notes.

Dried Lemongrass

Dried Lemongrass gives out a woodsy flavor and aroma to any dish that is mixed into. I prefer to put it in stir-frys, Thai food, and creamy soups.

Dried Lemongrass is an excellent herb for making tea. In fact, there are lots of lemongrass-infused teas that you can easily find on the market.

Fresh Oregano

Fresh oregano is a little bit harder to find in your local grocery store but maybe you can have some luck if you check in the vegetable market. Fresh herbs like this can always be planted in your backyard for everyday usage.

So, why not take some oregano seeds and have Oregano grow in your backyard for your convenience? Fresh oregano is used just like the dried type. It is so versatile that you can put it wherever you please.

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Dried Thyme

Dried thyme is commonly used for seasoning soups, sauces, potatoes, all kinds of rice dishes, roasted vegetables, pasta dishes, and even for baking bread.

Conclusion

Marjoram is a spice that is used in Middle Eastern, as well as Mediterranean cuisine. You can put it in almost every meat dish that you can think of, it really brings out the flavor. But what can you substitute it with when you don’t have it laying around at home?

Alternatives for Majoram are dried Oregano, fresh Oregano, fresh and dried Basil, Herbes de Provence, Sage, fresh and dried Lemongrass, dried and fresh Thyme, Za’Atar, Winter Savory, and Summer Savory.