Fresh to dried herb conversion, plus garlic, ginger and onion
Drying removes most of the water from a herb, so the flavour that was spread through a tablespoon of fresh leaves ends up in about a teaspoon of dried ones. This fresh to dried herb conversion calculator uses that standard 3 : 1 rule, adjusts it where a herb needs something different, and goes one step further to ground herbs. It also handles the pantry aromatics people swap most often: garlic cloves and garlic powder, fresh and ground ginger, and onions and onion powder.
Pick the herb or aromatic, type the amount from the recipe, choose the form the recipe uses and the form you have, and read the answer. Every other form of the same amount is listed underneath, with a tip about when the swap works well and when it does not. It works in either direction, for example dried back to fresh.
How to use the Fresh to Dried Herb Converter
- Choose the herb or aromatic, or “Most leafy herbs” for the general rule.
- Type the amount and pick teaspoons, tablespoons, cups or millilitres. Cloves, bay leaves and onions are counted instead.
- Choose the form in the recipe (for example fresh, chopped) and the form you will use (for example dried leaf).
- Read the amount to use, then check the list for the other forms and the tip for that ingredient.
Fresh to Dried Herb Converter features
Eleven herbs plus aromatics
Basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, chives and tarragon, plus bay leaves, garlic, ginger and onion.
Both directions
Fresh to dried, dried to fresh, powder back to cloves or onions.
Ground herbs too
Ground herbs pack more tightly than crumbled leaves, so the page gives a smaller ground amount.
Kitchen measures
Answers come as teaspoons, tablespoons and cups with fractions you can actually measure.
Sourced ratios
Figures follow a university extension substitution guide; where no extension figure exists the page says it is a common kitchen figure.
Fresh to dried herb conversion table
NMSU Extension is New Mexico State University’s guide E-131, “In a Pinch: Ingredient Substitution” (revised May 2016). The ingredient substitution finder on this site uses the same garlic, ginger and onion figures.
| Fresh | Dried or powdered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Tbsp fresh, finely cut herbs | 1 tsp dried leaf | NMSU Extension |
| 1 Tbsp fresh herbs | about ½ tsp ground (published range ¼–¾ tsp) | common kitchen figure |
| ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped | 1 Tbsp dried mint | NMSU Extension |
| 1 whole bay leaf | ¼ tsp crushed bay | NMSU Extension |
| 1 small to medium garlic clove | ⅛ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp granulated, ½ tsp jarred minced | NMSU Extension; common figures |
| 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger | ¼ tsp ground ginger (NMSU: ⅛ tsp) | common figure; NMSU Extension |
| 1 medium onion (about 1 cup chopped) | 1 Tbsp onion powder or 3 Tbsp dried minced onion | NMSU Extension |
When the 3 : 1 rule needs judgment
- Woody herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage dry well and keep most of their flavour, so the rule works and many cooks prefer them dried in slow-cooked food.
- Tender herbs such as basil, parsley, cilantro, chives and chervil lose much of their aroma when dried. The swap is fine in a sauce or stew, but for a garnish, salad or pesto use fresh or frozen leaves.
- Age matters. Dried herbs fade over months. If the jar smells weak when you rub a pinch between your fingers, use a little more.
- Timing. Add dried herbs early so they rehydrate and release their flavour, and fresh herbs in the last few minutes.
Garlic, ginger and onion swaps
Powders are concentrated and dissolve into the food, so they suit rubs, dressings and sauces but will not brown like fresh garlic or onion. Avoid garlic salt or onion salt unless you reduce the recipe’s salt, and use the kosher salt converter if the recipe’s salt also needs translating. For other swaps such as buttermilk or eggs, use the ingredient substitution finder; to change the size of a whole recipe, the recipe scaler.
Fresh to Dried Herb Converter FAQ
What is the fresh to dried herb conversion?
Use one third as much dried herb as fresh: 1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped herbs equals about 1 teaspoon of dried. Mint is closer to 4 : 1.
How much dried basil equals fresh basil?
About 1 teaspoon of dried basil for 1 tablespoon of fresh. Dried basil tastes quite different, so use it in cooked dishes rather than pesto.
How much garlic powder equals one clove?
About ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder for a small to medium clove, or ½ teaspoon of jarred minced garlic.
How do I convert fresh ginger to ground ginger?
About ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger for each tablespoon of grated fresh ginger; start with ⅛ teaspoon if you prefer it mild.
How much onion powder equals one onion?
About 1 tablespoon of onion powder for a medium onion, or 1 teaspoon for a small one.
How do I convert dried herbs to fresh?
Use three times as much fresh: choose dried as the form in the recipe and fresh as the form you will use.