30 Recipes With Rosemary, From Cocktails to Dessert
Fresh rosemary can take a boring meal and make it an exceptional one. We've rounded up our favorite recipes that highlight the fragrant herb: Whether you're looking for a fresh-tasting cocktail (we recommend this Rosemary Collins), an impressive meal (like this Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic), or an unexpected dessert (these Lavender-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies are heavenly), you're sure to find something you love in this collection of our best rosemary recipes.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Rosemary and Goat Cheese
Sweet Potato Casserole with Rosemary and Goat Cheese Recipe
This savory take on sweet potato casserole has a lovely nuttiness and aromatic nature. The tang of the goat cheese plays nicely with the sweetness of the potatoes, while the crunchy pecans and crispy rosemary give a great texture and incredible looks.
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Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes Recipe
Nicknamed "Anytime Chicken" by Test Kitchen Specialist Vanessa McNeil Rocchio, this winner of a chicken dinner is our new favorite roasting-pan supper for weeknights or easy entertaining with friends.
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Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic
Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic Recipe
This lamb roast is seasoned with just a simple rub of rosemary and garlic; sprinkle the lamb with coarse salt after removing from the oven to really accent the flavors.
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Olive Oil Popcorn with Garlic and Rosemary
Olive Oil Popcorn with Garlic and Rosemary Recipe
Make a batch of this delicious popcorn for your next movie night and you’ll start a new tradition. Flavored with olive oil, fresh rosemary, Parmesan cheese, and minced garlic, it’s a sophisticated take on a favorite snack. This popcorn recipe can be tailored to what you like or have on hand.
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Rosemary-Crusted Pork with Mushrooms
Rosemary-Crusted Pork with Mushrooms Recipe
Feeding a crowd this season? This recipe’s a cinch to double—simply brown the pork in batches, then proceed as directed. If you can’t find instant polenta, regular is fine; start cooking it before you prep the pork so it’s ready on time.
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Raspberry-Rosemary Jam Bars
Raspberry-Rosemary Jam Bars Recipe
Using fresh raspberries and making your own jam is actually pretty easy, and gives you a lot more control over the sugar content, which makes these desserts healthier, but also keeps them from being cloying or overly sweet. The real genius is in the rosemary, which adds a surprising adult twist on the taste.
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Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken and Leeks
Grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken and Leeks Recipe
Chicken cutlets get great flavor from a lemon-rosemary marinade while the leeks cook into a silky, caramelized vegetable side dish. If you’ve never enjoyed the darker green leek tops, give them a try in this recipe. The chicken marinade seasons the chicken while the leeks cook and then becomes a light sauce for the whole meal.
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Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Rosemary Focaccia Bread Recipe
Pair flavorful Rosemary Focaccia Bread with Turnip Green Pesto for a mouth-watering appetizer.
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Candied Yams with Rosemary and Orange Zest
Candied Yams with Rosemary and Orange Zest Recipe
Every Southern Thanksgiving table needs at least one sweet potato dish, and even though Mama cooks the same classic sweet potato casserole every year, you should add these candied yams to your lineup. Flavored with fresh orange zest and aromatic rosemary, these potatoes have a perfect texture; they do not fall apart or become too mushy.
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Spiced Lamb Chops with Rosemary Crumbs
Spiced Lamb Chops with Rosemary Crumbs Recipe
These spiced lamb chops are great for cocktail parties, since you can eat them one-handed.
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Halibut with Tomatoes, Rosemary, and Zucchini in Foil Packets
Halibut with Tomatoes, Rosemary, and Zucchini in Foil Packets Recipe
Grilling in aluminum foil packages is a practical riff on the French technique en papillote, where ingredients are wrapped in parchment paper and baked. The food steams, making it tender and flavorful. For the grill, use heavyduty foil, or double up the regular kind.
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Roasted Rosemary Chicken Quarters with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Rosemary Chicken Quarters with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Recipe
This fantastic sheet pan chicken supper is simple to throw together and packed with robust fall flavor. While it’s a great dish to add into your weeknight dinner rotation, this roasted chicken dinner is impressive enough for casual entertaining.
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Fennel and Rosemary Turkey Rub
Fennel and Rosemary Turkey Rub Recipe
If you're looking for a last-minute rub for your holiday turkey, try this Italian-style blend. We translated the licorice-y, mildly spicy flavors of the grand Porchetta-style Roast Turkey into a quick rub for a whole bird. Once you get the turkey seasoned, follow our Turkey Roasting Guide.
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Rosemary Almonds
These savory almonds are a great after-dinner or movie-watching snack. You can’t say we didn’t warn you though—these Rosemary Fried Almonds are addicting. One test kitchen professional said these crispy and dangerously delicious almonds are “fantastic—more deeply flavored and crisp than any toasted nut.”
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Slow Cooker Rosemary Beef Chuck Roast
Slow Cooker Rosemary Beef Chuck Roast Recipe
Set your slow cooker on low and go on about your day knowing that dinner is gonna be delicious. In this simple set-it-and-forget-it dish, beef chuck roast cooks in a flavor-packed rosemary marinade, full of fresh rosemary leaves and onions for a succulent, highly comforting entree.
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Rosemary Focaccia with Stewed Grapes and Olives
Rosemary Focaccia with Stewed Grapes and Olives Recipe
Making your own bread at home might sound intimidating, but this simple Rosemary Focaccia recipe will turn you into a full-time bread-baker. Even though the homemade dough needs time to rise, this bread recipe isn’t extremely time-intensive, especially for how decadent it tastes.
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Lavender-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
Lavender-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies Recipe
These delicate, crispy shortbread cookies are incredibly impressive given how easy they are to make. With just the right balance of gentle herbaceous, floral flavor and saltiness, these not-too-sweet shortbread cookies are the perfect treat to pair with anything from coffee and tea to lemonade or rosé. While both have fairly potent flavors, when applied with an expert touch (i.e. knowing restraint), lavender and rosemary make an amazing team—delivering sophisticated personality to whatever they touch. Culinary lavender buds are readily available in many nationwide supermarkets, but you can also order them online if you have trouble finding them locally. One key baker's tip to remember when it comes to making shortbread, definitely don’t skip out on chilling your dough before baking. This resting period helps the dough relax (resulting in a more tender, delicate cookie) and helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven. If you plan to make these lavender shortbread cookies for a special occasion (or you just love them so much you want to keep them around), you can easily whip up a double or triple batch of dough in advance and keep the unbaked logs frozen; when you’re ready for cookies, just pop the logs out of the freezer, then slice and bake. If you wanted to dress them up even further, a simple lemon glaze would be a delightful addition drizzled over the baked and cooled lavender-rosemary shortbread.
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Pan-Seared Shrimp with Rosemary Spaghetti Squash
Pan-Seared Shrimp with Rosemary Spaghetti Squash Recipe
For a faster option, you can use an equal amount of raw zucchini noodles or ribbons in place of the spaghetti squash. For a heartier dinner, serve with 1 cup steamed green beans.
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Rosemary-Citrus Parfaits
Rosemary-Citrus Parfaits Recipe
You'll make more rosemary syrup than you need, but it's great to have extra on hand. It keeps well in the refrigerator, where it will last for 2 to 3 weeks. Molly suggests stirring some into club soda to make a rosemary soda, and mix with vodka or gin for a cocktail.
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Orange-Rosemary Cashew Brittle
Orange-Rosemary Cashew Brittle Recipe
The light caramel flavor of this unique brittle is complimented by the brightness of orange zest and fresh rosemary. This step up from traditioinal peanut brittle is the perfect special holiday treat for gift giving. Use the freshest rosemary and orange possible and use a candy thermometer to ensure that the candy forms the right consistency.
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Roasted Parsnips with Rosemary, Garlic, and Parmesan
Roasted Parsnips with Rosemary, Garlic, and Parmesan Recipe
If you're not familiar with parsnips, they look like white carrots and have a decidedly sweet, earthy flavor. Avoid larger parsnips, which tend to have tough, woody cores.
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Rosemary-Asiago Whole-Wheat Pull-Apart Rolls
Rosemary-Asiago Whole-Wheat Pull-Apart Rolls Recipe
Bake these light and tender whole-grain rolls ahead and freeze up to 1 month, or make the dough ahead and bake on the day: Punch down the risen dough to form a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill 8 hours or overnight. Return to a bowl and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours before shaping.
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Roasted Cranberries and Grapes with Rosemary
Roasted Cranberries and Grapes with Rosemary Recipe
"Since the ladies in my family are fabulous cooks, the offerings haven't changed much over the years--and everyone is quite happy about that. When I came home from culinary school with ideas about how to shake up the menu, my assault on tradition was not met with enthusiasm. So I started small, with the cranberry sauce."
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Grilled Camembert with Macerated Cherries and Rosemary
Grilled Camembert with Macerated Cherries and Rosemary Recipe
Camembert with Macerated Cherries and Rosemary is a gooey, melty, grilled treat. Tip: If you can't find Camembert cheese, Brie works as a nice substitute. Serve with table water crackers.
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Rosemary Chicken Paillards
Rosemary Chicken Paillards Recipe
Paillards, pieces of meat that have been pounded thin, are great for weeknights because they cook fast. If you have time the night before to rub them with seasonings, they'll be all the more flavorful.
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Ginger Rosemary Smoked Pork Ribs
Ginger Rosemary Smoked Pork Ribs Recipe
These maple-glazed ribs with a subtle touch of ginger are a mainstay at Odys + Penelope restaurant in Los Angeles. At home, chef-owner Quinn Hatfield smokes them using either a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker or a Pit Barrel Cooker.
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Rosemary-Orange Roast Turkey
Rosemary-Orange Roast Turkey Recipe
This recipe comes from the Khalil Hymore, Cooking Light contributor. Khalil likes to give his bird a pretty finishing sheen by brushing on savory-sweet marmalade glaze. If you don't like the slightly bitter flavor of marmalade, you can substitute currant jelly for tart, bright flavor.
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Nana's Rosemary Biscuits with Cranberries
Nana's Rosemary Biscuits with Cranberries Recipe
"My Irish grandmother added fresh rosemary from the garden to her biscuits. We like to include cranberries for the best mini turkey sliders the next day--if there are any biscuits left over."
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Rosemary Collins
Have all the fixings for this easy cocktail on the bar cart this holiday season to ensure you're always ready for drop-in guests.
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Savory Crisps with Bacon and Rosemary
Savory Crisps with Bacon and Rosemary Recipe
Keeping the bacon very cold makes it much easier to cut.