Fennel can be a hard ingredient to get right in the kitchen, especially when it is ground as it becomes a lot stronger. Surprisingly, fennel derives from the carrot family and is native to the Mediterranean – hence why it is featured in a lot of Mediterranean dishes.
It is an ingredient most often used in marinades for fish or poultry as an additional flavour rather than the base of the seasoning.
Recipes that use ground fennel have been carefully designed to not be too overpowering. But what can you use instead if you run out of ground fennel but don’t want to ruin a recipe?
Our 4 Substitutes for Ground Fennel
Ground fennel has a specific anise flavour that requires a perfect balance when used in any dish. The herb is easily identifiable by its aroma, making your whole kitchen smell like liquorice.
Here are our top substitutions for ground fennel:
1) Dill
The pungent anise flavour (and aroma) of ground fennel can be found in dill, too. Though it releases a far more subtle anise flavour than the smell will have you believe.
Dill isn’t usually ground, but you can buy it ground or fresh. For the purpose of replacing ground fennel, it is better to use dried dill as it will have a more intense flavour like ground fennel.
Remember that dill has slightly tangy notes that ground fennel doesn’t have, so it is better paired with fish than chicken.
Use More Dill Compared to Fennel
Because dill’s anise notes are more in its aroma, you will need to add a little more to replicate the flavour of ground fennel. Add about a ¼ of the measurement extra.
2) Anise
Of course, one of the best ways to replicate the unique anise flavour of ground fennel is to use… well, anise!
It is better to buy full anise seeds and then grind them yourself to ensure a pure, clean flavour.
Anise does grind finer than ground fennel which can often lead to people using more than they should. Though it is small, anise packs a punch, so use it in equal measures to ground fennel.
Works in Sweet and Savoury Dishes
Due to the liquorice like flavour of anise, it can be incorporated into sweet and savoury dishes. Ground fennel isn’t often used in sweet dishes, so anise is a more versatile choice.
3) Caraway
Aesthetically, dried caraway looks very similar to dill and is also not used ground. Though this will not affect the texture of your dish.
You will find that caraway is a more popular herb in Asian dishes but is commonly used in Mediterranean recipes too. This means that it is often paired with ground fennel, so it will not alter the taste of your dish if you substitute ground fennel for caraway.
With a flavour and smell that is reminiscent of ground fennel, caraway can be a good substitute if a little weaker for those who don’t enjoy the strong flavour of fennel.
Add Some Tang
Caraway is known to have bitter undertones that can be balanced out with a little hint of tanginess, such as dill or lime.
4) Cumin
Just like ground fennel, cumin is used in all types of cuisine and is a handy ingredient to have to hand.
The main difference between cumin and ground fennel is that cumin is a spice. It will give your meal a slightly spicy, earthy kick that is different to ground fennel’s flavour.
If cumin is all you have to hand, but you don’t want to make your dish too spicy, simply use less and balance out the spice with something a little sweeter – perhaps a drizzle of honey.
Expect a Lack of Liquorice Flavour
The key flavour of liquorice will be missing if you use cumin but it will add a layer of smokiness that works well in place of fennel.
Other Substitutes for Ground Fennel
If you are not a fan of the above flavours or do not have them to hand, here are a few more you could use instead when substituting ground fennel:
- Coriander – A wildly debated herb, if you are a lover of coriander, then you can use it to replace ground fennel in fish recipes. It is not as flavourful as ground fennel but will still make a dish work if you like it.
- Mustard Seed – They lack the anise flavour of ground fennel, but mustard seeds have a powerful aroma and work great when used in marinades or spice rubs.
Summary
Ground fennel is a unique, often difficult herb. So much so that most people just chose a different recipe rather than try to balance out the dish themselves. But using dill or anise, you can easily replace ground fennel without ruining your dish.