What You Can Substitute for Lemongrass? 10 Best Lemongrass Alternatives!

Lemongrass is a perennial herbal grass. It is grown well in some Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, and more countries.

The lemongrass plant is used for cooking and herbal medicine. It provides citrusy flavor and aromatic flavor in the recipes. 

The benefits of lemongrass are many. It has vitamins A, vitamin B complex, and folates. Essential lemongrass oil and lemongrass tea are made from it. 

Do you know what the best substitute for lemongrass is? If you do not know about it, in this case, you are not alone because many people all over the world do not know this question answer.

Read this article if you really want to know what is the best substitute for lemongrass?  Here you will also find some frequently asked questions answer about lemongrass.

In Short! What Can You Use As A Lemongrass Substitute?  

  1. Lemon Zest
  2. Kreung Lemongrass Paste
  3. Dried Lemongrass
  4. Kaffir Lime Leaves
  5. Lemon Balm
  6. Lemon Verbena
  7. Preserved Lemon
  8. Arugula and Lemon Zest
  9. Ginger and Coriander
  10. Japanese Yuzu

Buy Now The Top 10 Best Substitute For Lemongrass

10 Best Substitutes for Lemongrass

1. Lemon Zest

If you have lemon zest on your hand, it can be your best bet because lemon zest is considered one of the best and perfect substitutes for lemongrass. And fresh Lemon Zest is easily available in local markets and online marketplaces. 

If you decide to use it as a lemongrass substitute, you have to use one medium-sized lemon instead of two stalks of lemongrass in a recipe because the zest from 1 lemon is equal to 2 stalks of lemongrass.

Keep in mind; you can increase the amount of lemon zest depending on your food requirements. Along with lemon zest, arugula leaf can also provide a lemony flavor to your recipe.

But when you use arugula leaf, you must combine one teaspoon of lemon zest with an arugula leaf in place of one stalk of lemongrass.

2. Kreung Lemongrass Paste

Kreung is one kind of lemongrass paste. It is made in Cambodia. You can also use it as the best substitute for lemongrass, like lemon zest.

Kreung contains lemongrass, shallots, and galangal. There are also some other ingredients mixed with it. It gives extra flavor to the recipe.

If you make the decision to use Kreung lemongrass paste as the lemongrass substitute, In this respect, you have to use one tablespoon of lemon paste instead of one tablespoon of fresh lemongrass.

Kreung lemongrass paste is easily available in the market. You can buy lemongrass paste (Kreung) in Asian stores. Also, you can buy it in the local grocery stores or online.

3. Dried Lemongrass

Generally, the flavors of plants become more concentrated when they are dried. You can also use dried lemongrass as the best substitute for fresh lemongrass.

But you should be careful when you add dried lemongrass to your recipe. If you add it in the amount of too much, your recipe’s flavor could be destroyed. 

Dried lemongrass has a significant citrus aroma and herbal flavor. It is best for poultry and meat dishes. It is also best for the sauce.

For substituting dried lemongrass in recipes, use one tablespoon of dried lemongrass in place of one stalk of fresh lemongrass. In simple terms, 1 stalk of lemongrass is equal to 1 tablespoon of dried lemongrass.

You May Also Like:

4. Kaffir Lime Leaves

Kaffir Lime leaves are also considered the best substitute for lemongrass like the above-mentioned lemongrass substitutes.

You can use kaffir lime in place of lemongrass. It has a unique aroma. Its aroma is much closed to lemongrass’s smell. It is flavored, both citrusy and spicy.

In recipes, Kaffir Lime is used like bay leaves. You have to tear the leaves before adding them to your recipes. Also, you have to remove kaffir leaves before serving the recipes.

Since it is used not for eating, used just for the aroma, the combination of Kaffire lime and lime juice brings a tremendous flavor to the soup recipe. Use one kaffir leaf for every stalk of lemongrass in a recipe.

But when you make soup or curry, then you have to use one Kaffir lime leaf, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, & 1 tablespoon of lemon zest in place of one fresh lemongrass.

Good to know, Kaffir lime is also known as porcupine oranges. Popular kaffir lime leaves are greatly used in Asian dishes and Thai, Indonesian, and Cambodian food recipes.

5. Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is another ideal lemongrass alternative. This herb has a sweet and aromatic smell. It is used in a certain number of food recipes like desserts. For example, it is used in Lemon curd tartlets and Apricot Mojito.

You can use lemon balm chop, half-cut, or full-sized in the recipe, but it should be added at the end of the cooking process.

If you set up your mind to use lemon balm as a lemongrass replacement, In this respect, you have to use 3 fresh lemon balms in place of one stalk of lemongrass. 

Keep in mind fresh lemon balm has excellent health value. It helps to get rid of headaches as well as digestive problems. Fresh lemon balm also increases digestion.

You May Also Like:

6. Lemon Verbena

High-aromatic lemon verbena is used widely as a good substitute for lemongrass. It is almost similar to lemongrass. It will provide citrus flavor and herby flavor to your recipe.

For its intense aromatic characteristics, it is used in small amounts in recipes. You should be careful when adding lemon verbena to your food recipes. If you add too much, your recipe’s flavor will be destroyed, as well as you’re all effort.

You can use it chopped or whole-sized in the recipe. But you have to remove lemon verbena leaves before serving the recipe. Since it is not used for eating, use one or two lemon verbena fresh leaves in place of one stalk of fresh lemongrass.

You May Also Like:

7. Preserved Lemon

For seafood dishes, preserved lemon will be the best substitute for lemongrass. It will completely add a citrus flavor to your recipes.

But preserved lemon will not dominate over other flavors of your recipes. You can use both preserved lemon pulp and peel in your recipes.

You know fresh lemongrass is more flavored than preserved lemons. So, you have to use one and a half tablespoons of preserved lemon in place of one stalk of fresh lemongrass.

8. Arugula and Lemon Zest

Arugula and Lemon Zest. These two ingredients are also widely used as the best alternatives to lemongrass.

The combination of arugula and lemon zest provides citrus flavor and herbal flavors to any recipe. You should be used 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1 arugula leaf for every stalk of fresh lemongrass in the recipes.

9. Ginger and Coriander

A combination of both ginger and coriander is also a good lemongrass alternative, like the above-mentioned Arugula and lemon zest combination.

If you make the decision to use this ginger and coriander combination in place of lemongrass, you have to use 2 tablespoons of crushed coriander stalks mixed with 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root in place of one stalk of fresh lemongrass.

Remember, you have to use coriander stalks more than leaves since their stalks are high in flavour. The combination of coriander and ginger will provide a sweet and intense flavor to your recipes. It is best for soups and broths.

You May Also Like:

Bodum Bistro Electric Milk Frother Review

10. Japanese Yuzu

Like the above-mentioned lemongrass substitutes, Japanese yuzu can be your best bet. But it is not easy to find it because Japanese Yuzu is not available in every vegetable store.

The Japanese Yuzu is popularly used in traditional savory and sweet foods. It is also best for curry and seafood recipes.

To use Japanese Yuzu in the recipes, add it until your recipes reach your liked levels of lemongrass flavor. 

You May Also like:

Final thought

If you don’t have lemongrass on your hand, you can use the above-mentioned things in place of Lemongrass. These things will make the best substitute for lemongrass, especially lemon zest, Kaffire lime, and dried lemon.

Now, if someone asked you what the best alternatives to lemongrass?? You will be able to answer this question easily and quickly. 

If you feel this article is informative and helpful for you, please share it with your friends. And leave a comment if you have any questions in your mind about substituting for lemongrass.

Leave a Comment