25 Recipes That Use Up The Random Herbs You Bought Before They Go Bad

Fresh herbs go bad fast, and most recipes barely use enough to make a dent. You end up with half a bunch of parsley sitting in the fridge until it wilts and gets tossed. These recipes call for more than a garnish and help you use up what’s already on hand. They’re practical, straightforward, and cover everything from dinners to dressings.

Lentil Tabbouleh

This version of tabbouleh swaps bulgur for lentils, making it a bit more filling while still fresh and herby. It’s packed with chopped parsley, mint, and tomatoes, tossed in lemon and olive oil. If that bunch of herbs in your fridge is starting to look sad, this is a great way to use a lot of them at once and turn it into something that holds up for lunches all week.
Get the Recipe: Lentil Tabbouleh

Feta Beet Salad

This salad hits all the right notes with sweet roasted beets, sharp feta, and crunchy pistachios. A punchy lemon and herb dressing pulls everything together. It’s a smart way to use leftover dill or parsley, and it holds up well in the fridge if you’re planning ahead for a potluck or dinner side.
Get the Recipe: Feta Beet Salad

Herbed Cheddar Sausage & Egg Waffle Sandwiches

These mini sandwiches stack herbed scrambled eggs, sausage, and melty cheddar between waffles. It’s a fun way to use leftover herbs for something a little more creative than another omelet.
Get the Recipe: Herbed Cheddar Sausage & Egg Waffle Sandwiches

Creamy 3-Herb Dressing

This yogurt-based dressing uses whatever three herbs you’ve got left—think parsley, dill, chives—and turns them into something that works on salad, sandwiches, or roasted veggies.
Get the Recipe: Creamy 3-Herb Dressing

Lemon Garlic Herb Tahini Dressing

This tahini dressing is thick, garlicky, and loaded with lemon and herbs. It works on salads, bowls, or grilled meats and makes fast use of herbs before they wilt.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Garlic Herb Tahini Dressing

Baked Wild Sockeye Salmon

Sockeye salmon gets topped with a garlic herb caper crust and baked until golden. It’s done in about 10 minutes and knocks out a good bit of dill or parsley in the process.
Get the Recipe: Baked Wild Sockeye Salmon

Mashed Rutabaga with Garlic Herb Butter

Mashed rutabaga is a hearty side that gets a boost from a simple garlic herb butter. Perfect when you’re out of potatoes but still need something filling, and a great way to use leftover herbs without needing a full recipe built around them.
Get the Recipe: Mashed Rutabaga with Garlic Herb Butter

Herb & Garlic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

This turkey breast gets rubbed down with a mix of garlic and chopped herbs before roasting, keeping it juicy and flavorful. It’s a solid make-ahead option for busy weeks or small get-togethers. If your rosemary or thyme is growing out of control, this is a great way to chop it down and put it to use.
Get the Recipe: Herb & Garlic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Thai Larb Gai

Larb Gai is a chopped chicken salad that comes together fast with lime juice, fish sauce, chili flakes, and loads of fresh herbs like mint and cilantro. It’s bold, bright, and doesn’t require much cooking, which makes it perfect for hot days and using up herbs before they fade in the fridge.
Get the Recipe: Thai Larb Gai

Rosemary and Cinnamon Balsamic Glazed Beets

Earthy beets, tangy balsamic, and a little cinnamon get balanced out by the woodsy bite of fresh rosemary. This recipe works well as a dinner side or lunch salad add-on and gives that leftover sprig of rosemary something to do other than dry out on your counter.
Get the Recipe: Rosemary and Cinnamon Balsamic Glazed Beets

Grilled Baby Potatoes on Skewers

These potatoes are parboiled, skewered, and grilled until crispy, then finished with chopped herbs for extra flavor. They’re perfect for BBQs or casual dinners and make it easy to throw any leftover thyme, oregano, or parsley into something crowd-pleasing without overthinking it.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Baby Potatoes on Skewers

Lemon Basil Pasta

This pasta uses thin noodles and a white wine cream sauce, but the real stars are the fresh basil and squeeze of lemon that keep it bright and fresh. It’s on the table in under 30 minutes, and it’s a great reason to trim that basil plant that’s taking over your counter.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Basil Pasta

Blackberry Thyme Ice Cream

This homemade ice cream pairs sweet blackberry flavor with earthy thyme for a mix that somehow works. Swirling in a blackberry sauce keeps it interesting and makes it a great way to use herbs in something that isn’t savory for once.
Get the Recipe: Blackberry Thyme Ice Cream

Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Chicken and potatoes roasted together with a handful of chopped rosemary make this a no-brainer dinner when you need something reliable. If you’ve got rosemary that’s past its prime, this is a great way to cook it down and still get the flavor out of it.
Get the Recipe: Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Herbed Potato Salad

This potato salad gets a sharp kick from preserved lemon and mustard dressing and uses a bunch of chopped herbs to keep it fresh. It’s easy to prep ahead, holds up in the fridge, and knocks out a solid chunk of any leftover parsley, dill, or mint.
Get the Recipe: Herbed Potato Salad

Kuku Sabzi

Kuku sabzi is basically a baked omelet loaded with herbs—like, loaded. It’s dense, green, and meant to soak up all the dill, parsley, cilantro, and scallions that are sitting in your fridge waiting for a purpose. Works great for brunch or lunch and tastes good cold or warm.
Get the Recipe: Kuku Sabzi

Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Mozzarella balls soak up flavor fast when you toss them in olive oil, garlic, and a ton of herbs. They’re great with bread, tomatoes, or on a snack board and are an easy way to turn extra herbs into something that feels way more planned than it is.
Get the Recipe: Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls

These noodle bowls use lemongrass chicken, rice noodles, crunchy veggies, and loads of herbs like mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. It’s fast, light, and makes the most of those fresh herbs before they go mushy.
Get the Recipe: Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls

Greek-style Roast Chicken With Garlic, Lemon & Herbs

This roast chicken uses a Greek-inspired marinade with lemon, garlic, and herbs to lock in flavor. Any mix of oregano, thyme, or parsley will work here, making it a flexible way to use whatever’s on its last leg.
Get the Recipe: Greek-style Roast Chicken With Garlic, Lemon & Herbs

Naan Bread

Homemade naan cooked in a hot pan and brushed with garlic herb butter makes for a simple but satisfying side. If you’ve got fresh herbs lying around, they’ll punch up the butter and make this flatbread feel like something from a restaurant.
Get the Recipe: Naan Bread

Creamy Lemon Dill Butter Chicken

Chicken thighs get simmered in a creamy lemon and dill sauce that’s bright, rich, and done in half an hour. Great for weeknights and perfect if you’ve got fresh dill taking up space in the fridge.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Lemon Dill Butter Chicken

Za’atar Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

This chicken is seasoned with za’atar and fresh herbs, then roasted with lemon for a bold, earthy meal. It’s a perfect use for oregano or thyme you need to clear out and comes together without a ton of effort.
Get the Recipe: Za’atar Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

Thai Basil Eggplant

This stir-fried eggplant dish uses garlic, chilies, and loads of Thai basil for a fast and flavorful meal. If you’ve got fresh basil starting to droop, throw it in here and call it dinner.
Get the Recipe: Thai Basil Eggplant

Rosemary Almond Apple Galette

A rustic galette filled with apples and homemade almond paste, topped with a sprinkle of rosemary sugar. It’s not too sweet and gives you a solid excuse to use up the rosemary you forgot you had.
Get the Recipe: Rosemary Almond Apple Galette

Red Brussels Sprouts and Zhoug Sauce

Roasted red Brussels sprouts get a spicy, herby upgrade with zhoug sauce, which uses fresh cilantro, parsley, and garlic. It’s a smart way to clean out the crisper and still end up with a great side dish.
Get the Recipe: Red Brussels Sprouts and Zhoug Sauce