Fresh to Dried Herb Converter
Three to one is the starting rule, and it is wrong often enough to matter. Choose the herb, the amount, and the job it is doing, and this gives you the spoonful — or tells you the swap should not be made, which for cilantro in salsa is the only honest answer.
Convert a herb
Straight swap
Use about one third the volume dried
Add an amount above for the exact spoonful.
Tomato sauce, chilli, beans, and marinades all take the full three-to-one.
When to add it: Add it with the onion and garlic, before the liquid goes in.
What you lose: A little of the fresh green top note; the peppery body survives.
Ratios and refusals from Fresh vs Dried Herb Conversion, and the oregano profile. Volume ratios are a starting point; taste before you add more.
Every herb, and what it does when dried
| Herb | Fresh : dried | Cooked in | Dressing or rub | Raw or garnish | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basil tender | 3 : 1 | Care | Stop | Stop | The sweet anise top note — the reason anyone buys basil. |
| Chives tender | 3 : 1 | Care | Care | Stop | The snap and the mild raw onion bite. |
| Cilantro tender | no ratio | Stop | Stop | Stop | All of it — the raw green aroma is the whole ingredient. |
| Dill tender | 3 : 1 | Yes | Yes | Stop | The grassy lift, and the feathery texture entirely. |
| Marjoram woody | 3 : 1 | Care | Yes | Stop | The floral sweetness that separates it from oregano. |
| Mint tender | 3 : 1 | Yes | Yes | Stop | The cooling snap of the fresh leaf. |
| Oregano woody | 3 : 1 | Yes | Yes | Stop | A little of the fresh green top note; the peppery body survives. |
| Parsley tender | 3 : 1 | Care | Stop | Stop | The green bulk and the clean finishing lift. |
| Rosemary woody | 6 : 1 | Care | Care | Stop | The pine-resin freshness; what is left is more medicinal. |
| Sage woody | 3 : 1 | Care | Care | Stop | The soft velvety leaf and the gentler fresh aroma. |
| Thyme woody | 3 : 1 | Yes | Yes | Stop | The lemony lift at the top; the woody base gets louder. |