Let’s talk about all things tarragon and the best tarragon substitute! As a foodie at heart, tarragon is an ingredient I love to cook with, but you may wondering what tarragon is and what the taste of tarragon is. As you make it further down, I’ll be sure to share all the flavor details with you.
Now, you should know that tarragon isn’t a super common ingredient, especially in American cooking/recipes. You’re much more likely to see tarragon as an ingredient if you’re exploring French cooking or making gourmet pasta dishes or meat dishes.
What is Tarragon?
First, I think it’s important for you to know a bit more about tarragon so you know what the best substitutes will be. Tarragon is a plant (perennial herb) that’s part of the daisy family. It’s considered an aromatic, and tarragon is used in many recipes, but is very popular in French cuisine. It’s a key ingredient in a classic Béarnaise sauce and has a sweet and light flavor profile with notes of fennel. Some say that tarragon also has a bit of a peppery taste.
In France, tarragon is one of the four Fines herbs of French cooking (parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil), making it a staple int heir recipes. Most commonly, tarragon is used in chicken, egg, and fish recipes. That doesn’t mean you can’t use it in other recipes, but if you’re new to cooking tarragon, I’d start with one of those. You’ll want to find a recipe that lets the tarragon shine so you have a better idea of its potential.
Before you buy a pound of fresh tarragon, it’s important to know that tarragon has a very loud presence in food and a little can go a long way. This means it’s not really a versatile herb when compared to something like marjoram which has a milder taste (but also a different flavor than tarragon).
Additionally, unlike many other fresh herbs, you’ll want to avoid over-chopping fresh tarragon leaves. Some chefs feel that three chops are all you need, and past that, you can give this aromatic herb a bitter taste.
Here in North America, fresh tarragon and dried tarragon aren’t commonly called for, probably due to the strong flavor. However, in small amounts, I think you’d love it in a range of dishes, especially if you’re cooking French dishes. With a little creativity, you could incorporate tarragon into classic American meals like mac-n-cheese, burgers, and pizza.
French tarragon, Russian tarragon, and Mexican tarragon are the main types of tarragon that are grown world wide for commercial use. Whilst tarragon is popular in France, it’s also popular in Russian and Middle Eastern recipes.
Choosing a Fresh Tarragon Substitute
Tarragon is an herb that can stand up well on its own, and doesn’t need to be combined with other herbs to shine. It has an anise-like flavor (think mild licorice flavor) and reminds a lot of people of eating fresh fennel. Now, in some cases, that’s a good thing, but one of my kids will tell you that it’s like eating toothpaste. To each his own.
If you’re making a fish dish, fresh dill is a perfect substitute for tarragon.
In cream sauces, I personally think marjoram would be a great option for replacing tarragon, even though it doesn’t have a similar taste. Marjoram has a bit of a sweet smell, and a bit of an earthy flavor. Parsley is another good tarragon substitute in cream sauces.
When making poultry dishes, depending on the other ingredients, options to replace tarragon’s flavor include fresh chervil, fresh oregano, and fresh parsley. Each of these fresh herbs has a different flavor and lacks the licorice taste that tarragon can bring to a dish. However, as long as you use the right amount of herbs, you’ll still be happy with the end results. If you happen to have a fresh head of celery in your fridge, fresh celery leaves can also be a pretty good fresh tarragon substitute.
Choosing a Great Substitute for Dried Tarragon
When replacing the dried version of tarragon, I personally think you have more options. This is because dry tarragon isn’t as pungent, but it’s still a flavorful herb. Each of these herbs would be an excellent choice when replacing dry tarragon:
- Celery Seeds
- Dried Oregano
- Fennel Seeds
- Dried Marjoram
- Dried Parsley
Keep in mind, whilst these are some of the best tarragon substitutes, they won’t bring the same flavor of tarragon to your dish. The fennel seeds will bring in a hint of tarragon due to their shared anise-like flavor and the hint of licorice in fennel. Additionally, you’ll need to know how to really use these ingredients well.
Dried oregano as an example has a pretty unique flavor and smell, and some feel it has an almost bitter taste in large amounts. What that means is if your recipe calls for a tablespoon of tarragon, you won’t want to replace it with a tablespoon of dried oregano. Instead, you’d want to combine a few ingredients such as oregano, parsley (which is milder), and a little celery seed. These can work together to bring a robust flavor to your dish without the bitterness of large amount of oregano.
If the recipe in question calls for a teaspoon of dried tarragon, you’d be fine to use any of the above dried herbs in equal amounts. At one teaspoon, their flavors won’t necessarily blow you away, especially when combined with other elements of your dish.
The Key to Choosing a Substitute in Any Recipe
This is a bit more generalized, and you can apply it to more than just tarragon substitutes. When you’re needing to swap one herb for a different herb, you want to look at the overall composition of the recipe.
For example, if you’re cooking Italian cuisine, try to swap Italian herbs for other common herbs found in Italian cooking. The same is true of French cuisine (in the case of tarragon). You want to choose something that’s common to French cooking.
Another way to think of this: you wouldn’t swap turmeric for tarragon. These two herbs have completely different tastes and if you were to add turmeric to your French recipe, there’s a good chance the turmeric would clash with the other ingredients.
The best way to start swapping herbs when you’re cooking is to start with color, plant family, or cuisine popularity. Think of ingredients such as ancho chili, paprika, and chipotle powder. They all have a similar red/brown colour, and they’re all part of the pepper family. As long as you keep the spice levels in check, these are pretty interchangeable in recipes.
When we apply that to green herbs, you start to see the patterning. You will need to take it a step further and think about herbs with strong flavors vs mild flavors. Strong flavors would be oregano, tarragon, basil, dill, and rosemary. Milder green herbs would be parsley, marjoram, and thyme.
If a recipe calls for marjoram and parsley (both have a milder taste) and you swapped them for rosemary and oregano, your recipe may not work out very well. The spices may be too loud and pungent, depending on what else is in the recipe.
When in doubt, do a quick check online for herbs and spices that are common in the type of cuisine you’re cooking. You’d search for something like “popular French cuisine herbs” or “common Middle Eastern herbs”. If your swap is something commonly used in the cuisine you’re cooking, you’ll probably have great results.
Answering Your Tarragon Substitute Questions
Is there a big difference between the Russian variety, French variety, and the Mexican variety of tarragon?
Yes, there is some difference. The Russian variety of tarragon is generally weaker in taste and doesn’t have the same aromatic qualities as the French variety. Mexican tarragon is closer to the French variety and has more of that anise seed flavor running through it.
It’s also important to note that of the three varieties, Russian tarragon generally loses its flavor quickly, especially as it ages. That’s one of the big reasons it’s not nearly as popular as French tarragon.
If you have a green thumb (I sure don’t), how the three varieties are grown also differs. The plant features are also pretty different.
Is tarragon a common herb to find at the grocery store?
I think it’s really going to come down to where you live and the types of grocery stores in your area. For example, if you live in an area where French cuisine is popular, you’ll absolutely find tarragon at the grocery store. The same is true of areas that cater to Russian cuisine and Mexican cuisine.
With stores that are very “American” for lack of a better word, it’s going to be hit and miss. I’ve found tarragon pretty easily in stores that are natural/organic/Co-op leaning. I’ve found that “regular” large chain grocery stores are less likely to have tarragon on the shelves, especially in some regions of the US.
The good news is, you can order tarragon online pretty easily. My personal fave brand is Spicely Organics, and you can order their tarragon here.
Would fennel seeds or fennel fronds work as a tarragon substitute?
In some recipes, yes, both fennel seeds and fennel fonds would be an excellent tarragon replacement. Part of the reason this is a good tarragon substitute is because of the light anise flavor that fennel has.
Now, you’ll still need to assess the overall recipe. For example, if you’re making a Bearnaise sauce, parsley would be a better choice. If you’re making a meat dish, fennel can work out very well. With fish and eggs, to each his own. You may not love fennel and eggs together, and the same goes for fish.
Would fresh basil be a good substitute for tarragon in a recipe?
That’s going to depend on the recipe. In a fish recipe, I’d opt for fresh dill (or dried dill in a pinch) before I reached for the basil. The fresh leaves of basil are great in things like pesto and with lamb, chicken, and other game meats. It’s not as great with eggs and fish recipes.
Ultimately, you’re going to have to assess how much tarragon was called for and if fresh basil in that amount would taste good alongside the other ingredients. You want the ingredients to work together like a symphony (you’re the conductor of course). An easy way to check is to put the herbs together and smell them. Do they smell nice together or is the smell a bit offending? You can also do a small taste test if you’re brave.
Could I use fresh parsley or fresh rosemary in place of tarragon?
Depending on the recipe, fresh parsley may be your best bet. Rosemary is a pretty unique herb and has a strong flavor. Now, if you know that you love rosemary and it’s appropriate for the recipe, I say go for it.
You’ll need to asses the recipe. For example, if you’re making a fish dish, I would not use rosemary but would opt for the parsley. If you’re making a chicken dish, the rosemary would be an awesome option.
If we’re talking about salad dressings, again, it depends on the final use. However, fresh parsley will always be the safer option since it has more mild flavor that compliments many different recipes and ingredients.
What would be a good substitute for tarragon in a Bearnaise sauce?
Most Bearnaise sauce recipes call for a tablespoon of fresh tarragon leaves. An excellent substitute for fresh tarragon in this scenario is to use fresh parsley (I’d opt for flat leaf parsley personally). Another great alternative is to combine fresh parsley and fresh chervil. They’re each a member of the parsley family and will have a similar flavor, but, they’ll each bring something a little different to the table.
