Cooking
Substitute for Lemongrass
No fresh lemongrass? Frozen stalks swap 1:1, tube paste at ¾ the volume of chopped, and lemon zest plus a lime leaf fills in for a stalk in soups and curries.
- vegetarian
- vegan
- gluten free
Quick answer
Out of lemongrass? The most versatile swaps:
- 1
Frozen lemongrass
1:1, stalk for stalk or spoon for spoon
- 2
Lemongrass paste (tube)
1½ tbsp paste per 2 tbsp chopped fresh
- 3
Lemon zest
1 tsp finely grated zest (about half a lemon) per stalk
Lemongrass gives a lemony aroma without acidity, with grassy and floral notes no citrus fruit has. It goes into dishes in two ways: bruised chunks that steep in a broth and are left behind, or finely pounded stalk that becomes part of a paste or marinade and is eaten. The choice decides whether a substitute must be edible and smooth or only fragrant.
Soups and broths
In tom yum, tom kha, pho broth and other simmered liquids, the stalk is only an infusion, so almost any fragrant swap works. Makrut lime leaves are the closest match in spirit, since they belong to the same dishes. Add lemon zest in the last five minutes. Dried lemongrass is acceptable here because the liquid rehydrates it; America’s Test Kitchen used half as much dried as fresh and found it fine in soup but woody.
Curry pastes and marinades
Here the lemongrass is eaten, so it must be tender. Frozen lemongrass and tube paste both blend smoothly. Viet World Kitchen’s guide converts 2 tablespoons of chopped lemongrass to 1½ tablespoons of grated or paste, because the finer texture packs tighter. Lemon zest blended into a paste works if you also add a few torn lime leaves or a little extra galangal to supply the herbal side.
Stir-fries and grilled dishes
Vietnamese lemongrass chicken and grilled pork with lemongrass rely on minced stalk that browns in the pan. Frozen lemongrass is the only good swap. Dried lemongrass stays tough and papery in a quick stir-fry because it has no time to rehydrate.
When not to substitute
Where lemongrass is the main flavor, as in Vietnamese bò lá lốt marinades, lemongrass chicken or Balinese sambal matah, zest and leaves produce something pleasant but different. Freeze trimmed stalks when you find them so you always have some.
Lemon juice is not a substitute: lemongrass has aroma without sourness, and juice adds acid the dish may not want.
Common mistakes
- Using the green tops in a paste. They are woody and leave fibers in the mouth; save them for stock.
- Simmering lemon zest for half an hour. It turns bitter; add it at the end.
- Putting dried lemongrass in a stir-fry. It never softens and stays like hay.
- Not bruising whole pieces. Uncrushed chunks release little aroma; smack them with the back of a knife first.
All 5 substitutes at a glance
| Substitute | Ratio | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen lemongrass CookingRaw & finishing | 1:1, stalk for stalk or spoon for spoon | curry pastes, marinades, soups, grilled meat | Freezing keeps nearly all the aroma. Chop or slice while still partly frozen; the stalk is firmer and easier to cut thin than a thawed one, which turns limp. |
| Lemongrass paste (tube) Cooking | 1½ tbsp paste per 2 tbsp chopped fresh | curries, marinades, stir-fries, dressings | Already finely ground, so it packs more lemongrass into a spoon than chopped stalk; that is why less goes in. Most tubes contain oil, salt or sugar, so taste before seasoning. |
| Lemon zest CookingRaw & finishing | 1 tsp finely grated zest (about half a lemon) per stalk | soups, salad dressings, marinades, rice | Gives the citrus side of lemongrass but not its grassy, floral side. Add it late in cooking, since zest turns bitter if simmered for a long time. Avoid the white pith. |
| Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves Cooking | 2 leaves per stalk | tom yum, tom kha, green and red curries, steamed fish | A different citrus aroma, but one that belongs in the same dishes. Tear the leaves and simmer them like lemongrass, then remove them before serving. |
| Dried lemongrass Cooking | 1 tbsp dried per 2 tbsp chopped fresh, in liquid only | broths, soups, teas, simmered curries | Drying removes water and concentrates it, so half the volume is enough. It tastes woodier and less bright, and it never softens: strain it out or tie it in muslin. |
Substitute calculator
How much lemongrass does your recipe call for?
- Frozen lemongrass1 frozen lemongrass stalk
- Lemongrass paste (tube)1½ tbsp paste per 2 tbsp chopped fresh
- Lemon zest1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves2 makrut lime leaves
- Dried lemongrass1 tbsp dried per 2 tbsp chopped fresh, in liquid only
Amounts are rounded to practical kitchen measures. Swaps without a fixed ratio, or that can't be measured in the unit you picked, show their ratio instead.
Frequently asked questions
How much chopped lemongrass is in one stalk?
Viet World Kitchen's lemongrass guide gets 1 cup of chopped lemongrass from 3 large stalks, so a large stalk gives roughly ⅓ cup. Supermarket stalks are often smaller, and only the tender lower part is used.
Which part of the lemongrass stalk do I use?
Cut off the hard root end and the dry green top. Peel away the outer layer or two. The pale, tender inner section is what gets sliced or pounded; the trimmed tops can still flavor a stock or tea.
Can I use lemongrass powder instead of fresh?
Use it only in curry pastes and spice blends where it disappears into other ingredients. It loses most of the fresh aroma and tastes dusty in broths. Start small, about half the volume of chopped fresh, and taste.
Does lemongrass have to be removed before serving?
Bruised chunks in a soup are left in the pot to flavor it and pushed aside when eating, since they stay fibrous. Finely minced or pounded lemongrass in a paste or marinade is eaten.
Sources
- Lemongrass 101: How to Buy, Prep, and Grow the Aromatic Stalks, Viet World Kitchen
- Dried vs. Fresh Lemon Grass, America's Test Kitchen
- In a Pinch Ingredient Substitution (E-131), New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension
More cooking substitutes
Substitute for Fish Sauce
No fish sauce? Use 1 tbsp soy sauce plus ¼ tsp salt per tablespoon, mashed anchovies for real fish depth, or coconut aminos with salt if avoiding soy.
Read
Substitute for Fresh Cilantro
No cilantro, or can't stand it? Use flat-leaf parsley with lime zest 1:1 in salsas, culantro at half, Thai basil in curries. Dried cilantro barely works.
Read
Substitute for Kaffir Lime Leaves
No kaffir (makrut) lime leaves? Frozen leaves swap 1:1 and dried ones at two per fresh leaf; otherwise use ½ tsp lime zest per leaf, plus a bay leaf in long simmers.
Read
Substitute for Lime Juice
Out of limes? Lemon juice or bottled lime juice swap 1:1. For Thai and Vietnamese dressings, use 2 tsp rice vinegar per tbsp; citric acid covers sourness only.
Read