Fresh to Dried Herb Converter

If a recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs, use ¾ to 1 tablespoon of dried.

The converter above works this out for any amount. Choose whether your recipe’s amount is fresh or dried, then enter the amount and the unit. You get a range, with the metric amount alongside, because the rule behind it is a range. For small amounts, use teaspoons: 3 teaspoons of fresh comes out as ¾ to 1 teaspoon of dried, which is easier to measure than a fraction of a tablespoon.

The converter is for cooking. For a medicinal preparation, follow the recipe’s own fresh or dried instruction rather than converting.

Fresh to dried herb conversion

The rule comes from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) at the University of Georgia, on its page about drying herbs:

“Dried herbs are usually 3 to 4 times stronger than the fresh herbs. To substitute dried herbs in a recipe that calls for fresh herbs, use 1/4 to 1/3 of the amount listed in the recipe.” (NCHFP)

The converter divides your fresh amount by 4 for the low end of the range and by 3 for the high end. A cup of fresh herbs becomes ¼ to ⅓ cup of dried. If you’ve seen “1 tablespoon fresh equals 1 teaspoon dried,” that’s the ⅓ end of this range.

Notice the word “usually.” NCHFP gives one rule for herbs in general, not a figure for each herb. Our advice: start at the low end, taste, and add more toward the high end if the dish needs it.

Dried to fresh herb conversion

NCHFP gives its rule in one direction: dried herbs in place of fresh. The converter’s other direction turns the rule around and multiplies by 3 to 4. That’s our arithmetic from NCHFP’s rule, not a figure NCHFP gives.

So in place of 1 teaspoon of dried herb, use 3 to 4 teaspoons of fresh. In place of 1 tablespoon of dried, use 3 to 4 tablespoons of fresh, and in place of ¼ cup of dried, use ¾ to 1 cup of fresh.

What the converter doesn’t cover

• Ground herbs. We found no cited ratio for ground or powdered herbs, so the converter has no setting for them. We suggest using it for leaf herbs, whole or crumbled.
• Individual herbs. NCHFP gives no separate figure for basil, parsley, or any other herb. The converter uses the same rule for all of them.
• Sprigs and bunches. The converter takes measured amounts only. Chop the fresh herb and measure it first.
• Weight. NCHFP’s “amount listed in the recipe” doesn’t say whether it means volume or weight. The converter also takes ounces and grams; applying NCHFP’s rule to weight is our step.
• Herbal preparations. Tincture and tea recipes give their own amounts for fresh and dried herbs, so follow the recipe rather than converting. Our tinctures guide has separate steps for fresh herbs, and our hot infusions guide gives its own amount for fresh herbs in tea. Our infused oils guide uses only fully dried herbs, because fresh herbs in oil are a food-safety risk, so don’t convert an oil recipe to fresh.

Drying your own herbs

If the garden gives you more fresh herbs than a recipe can use, dry the rest. Our guide to drying herbs covers air drying, a dehydrator, and the oven. It also shows how to tell when herbs are dry and how to store them. Once they’re dry, come back here: when a recipe gives a fresh amount, the converter tells you how much of your dried herb to use.

Haven’t planted yet? Our thyme guide covers growing, harvesting, and drying one herb, or start with your first medicinal herb garden.

Common questions

How much dried herb equals fresh?

Use ¼ to ⅓ of the fresh amount. For ½ cup of fresh herbs, that’s 6 to 8 teaspoons of dried.

Is dried basil stronger than fresh?

NCHFP says dried herbs in general are “usually 3 to 4 times stronger” than fresh. It gives no figure for basil, so the converter uses the same rule. NCHFP does list basil among the tender-leaf herbs that “have a high moisture content and will mold if not dried quickly.” If you’re drying your own, see the drying guide’s section on tender herbs.

Can you use dried herbs instead of fresh?

Yes. That’s the swap NCHFP’s rule is for. Our advice from above applies: start at the low end and taste. For 2 cups of fresh herbs, start with ½ cup of dried, and add more toward ⅔ cup if the dish needs it.

How much fresh parsley equals dried?

NCHFP gives no figure for parsley either. With the same turned-around rule as above, use 6 to 8 teaspoons of fresh parsley in place of 2 teaspoons of dried.