15 Incredible Oregano Substitutes for Pizza

Oregano, a robust and pungent fragrant plant from the mint family, enhances the taste of meats, particularly when coupled with tomatoes. Oregano elevates every food, particularly pizza. Consider how your pizza would taste without oregano.

It’s reasonable to worry when you realize you’re short of oregano when making your favorite pizza recipe. Don’t worry, since there are many of alternatives to oregano.

Here are some of them

1. Tarragon
2. Marjoram
3. Fresh Thyme
4. Dry or Fresh Basil
5. Parsley
6. Basil & Parsley
7. Rosemary
8. Sage
9. Italian Seasoning

If you can’t locate the following choices in your kitchen, keep reading.

But first, you must grasp the taste profile of oreganos in order to select the best substitutes for the herb in your pizza recipes.

15 Best Substitute For Oregano 

Oregano has a strong, pungent aroma. Its leaves have a fragrant perfume that is crisp, robust, and savory. The plant has an earthy and woody aroma, as well as a powerful floral and minty flavor.

To summarize, oregano and mint camphor have some similarities. It also has a citrus taste to it, as well as a subtle peppery and bitter undertone. In terms of taste and flavor, we feel that tarragon and marjoram are some of the finest Oregano alternatives.

Other oregano replacements may be found farther down the page.

Tarragon

Tarragon is one of the closest (in terms of taste profile) alternatives for oregano. It has the same bitterness and earthiness of oregano, but a brighter taste. It’s also quite fragrant.

It’s a great substitute for oregano in vegetables, tomato-based recipes, meats, salad dressings, and, of course, pizza! When substituting tarragon for oregano, use a 1:1 replacement ratio.

Marjoram

Marjoram is similar to oregano in many respects. That is why many people mistake one for the other. They have a similar scent and flavor. As a result, marjoram is an excellent oregano alternative in pizza recipes. Despite their obvious similarities, the two have some significant distinctions.

For one thing, marjoram is sweeter and gentler. Marjoram has a flowery and more poignant scent than oregano, which has a minty, harsh aroma. Marjoram’s earthy scent is much stronger than oregano’s.

When replacing marjoram for oregano, be sure to use slightly more marjoram than the recipe calls for. A ratio of around 3:2 is good. This is done to produce the same taste level as oregano.

It is also ideal to add marjoram at the conclusion of the cooking process to avoid losing its scent, since the herb is known to lose part of its taste after prolonged cooking.

Fresh Thyme

Thyme and oregano are similar in many aspects, including look and taste character. Although oregano is stronger and more delicious, both contain earthy, minty, and citrus qualities. The taste of thyme, on the other hand, is sweet rather than bitter. And, unlike oregano, thyme leaves have a little acidity to them.

Thyme is often used in meats (particularly white meat), sauces, stews, seafood, beans, vegetables, and tomato-based dishes. Thyme, like oregano, does not lose taste when cooked.

This is why it’s great for pizza and pasta sauces that need a longer cooking time. When replacing oregano for thyme (1:1), be sure to add it at the start of the cooking process.

Dry or Fresh Basil

Basil is a popular Italian herb, and although it differs from oregano in many ways, it may be an excellent substitute. It is delicate, gentle, sweet, mild, and flowery, yet it lacks the earthy, pungent, and bitter qualities of oregano.

However, basil may be used in place of oregano in pizza recipes. Simply add a bit more basil than the quantity of oregano called for in the recipe. You may obtain a similar flavor this way.

Because basil has a stronger scent, a little trial and error may be required to find the proper quantity to add.

Parsley

Parsley is well-known for its strong scent and flavor. It’s salty, herby, flowery, and quite aromatic. While oregano has a strong flavor, parsley is gentler. Nonetheless, parsley may be used in lieu of oregano in pizza.

To replace oregano, use a 1:1 substitution. Don’t forget to add the parsley at the conclusion of the cooking process.

Basil & Parsley

While each are useful on their own, combining them may be much more beneficial. When you substitute equal parts basil and parsley for oregano, the results are generally more than adequate.

Because both herbs lose their scent fast, apply the combination towards the conclusion of the cooking procedure. If the recipe asks for one tablespoon of oregano, use one teaspoon of the basil and parsley mixture.

Rosemary

Another fantastic Mediterranean herb, rosemary, may be used in place of oregano. It’s fairly popular and adaptable, while its taste may be a little strong and powerful. It may be used in any pizza recipe, whether dried or fresh rosemary is used.

Rosemary, like oregano, has a piny, earthy, and minty flavor. However, unlike oregano, which has a sweeter, flowery, and milder taste, rosemary has a more pungent and powerful flavor that is similar to eucalyptus. This is why you should add rosemary at the start of your cooking time.

As an oregano alternative, use 1 pinch rosemary for every teaspoon of oregano called for in the recipe.

Sage

Sage has a strong taste. It has a lemony tone with a minty-piny freshness reminiscent of eucalyptus. While it has a stronger lemony flavor than oregano, the grassy sensation and harsh taste may not be ideal for many recipes.

If you’re seeking for an oregano substitute for pizza and want to try something different, you may still use sage.

To substitute oregano, use one teaspoon of sage for every two teaspoons of oregano needed.

Italian seasoning

While oregano is one of the components of Italian spice, the taste is not the same. This is due to the seasoning’s other constituents, which include thyme, rosemary, and basil, among others. This explains the variation in taste characteristics.

When replacing Italian spice for oregano in your pizza recipe, start with little quantities and taste as you go. Make modifications until you get the taste you want.

Ajwain Leaves or Carom

A popular Indian ingredient with the same scent as oregano, ajwain leaves or carom may be used in place of oregano as needed. It has a strong aroma and flavor. It also has a bitter flavor, similar to oregano.

When substituting carom for oregano, use a 1:2 carom to oregano replacement ratio. This is due to the fact that ajwain leaves may be overbearing, and you don’t want your meal to lose the taste you’re aiming for.

Dill Weed

Dill weed is often found on the spice shelf in most houses. As a result, when the need comes, you may have an immediately available substitute to oregano. While dill has a distinct taste character than oregano, it is a suitable replacement.

Dill weed has an anise-like flavor and a rich, strong scent. It does, however, have the same minty freshness, bitterness, and earthy feel as oregano.

In terms of look, oreganos tiny leaves resemble fennel or rosemary leaves more than dill leaves. In terms of aroma, oregano has a stronger perfume than dill, which has a more pungent scent.

To prevent overpowering your food, use less dill when replacing for oregano. Similarly, wait until the end of the cooking time before adding the dill. This way, you may keep the whole taste.

Fennel Leaves

While it may seem to be an unusual substitution, fennel leaves will work well as an oregano alternative in your pizza.

Fennel is related to oregano in certain ways, but in terms of flavor, it tastes more like anise, comparable to dill. Because it has a licorice scent, it is best to use less fennel when replacing for oregano.

While fennel is delicious on pizza, it should not be used in lieu of oregano in a 1:1 ratio.

Use 1 teaspoon of fennel for every 2 teaspoons of oregano in the recipe. If fennel leaves are unavailable, you may use fennel bulbs.

Summer Savory

Summer savory is a good substitute for oregano in your pizza recipe. While less harsh than oregano, summer savory has the same earthiness and freshness that oregano is recognized for.

When used as an oregano substitute, use a 1:1 ratio, which means that 1 teaspoon of oregano in the recipe may be substituted with 1 teaspoon of summer savory.

Bay Leaf

If you’re searching for a nice oregano substitute, bay leaves are an excellent choice. It has the same bitterness as oregano, but it has a piny taste and a lot of earthiness.

It may fall short of the zesty fresh taste of oreganos. To get the greatest results when substituting bay leaves for oregano, add the leaves early in the cooking process.

Allow the bay leaves to simmer for as long as possible; the longer they remain, the better the outcomes. Just be sure to take off the leaves immediately before serving. This is due to the fact that bay leaves are not edible.

As an oregano substitute, use 1 bay leaf for every teaspoon of oregano specified in the recipe.

Fenugreek

If you run short of oregano for a recipe, fenugreek will suffice.

Although fenugreek has a sweeter and milder taste than oregano, it is still a viable substitute that is much superior than none at all.

Fenugreek has a buttery, nutty flavor. When substituting it for oregano, start with a little amount of fenugreek and then taste. Add extra to get the appropriate amount of taste.