Best Lemongrass Substitutes (With Ratios)
The best lemongrass substitute is finely grated lemon zest: use 1 tsp zest per stalk of lemongrass, plus a thin slice of fresh ginger for its gentle, floral heat. Zest carries the same main aroma compound as lemongrass but no sourness, so it won't make a curry or soup tart.
Lemongrass substitutes
| Substitute | Amount per 1 stalk lemongrass | Best for | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon zest + ginger | 1 tsp zest + 1 thin slice ginger | Curries, soups, marinades | Citral-rich peel oil; ginger adds the earthy note |
| Lemongrass paste | 1 tbsp | Curry pastes, stir-fries, marinades | Puréed lemongrass, ready to use |
| Frozen lemongrass | 1 stalk or 1 tbsp chopped | Everything | Freezing keeps the aroma oils well |
| Dried lemongrass | 1 tsp, steeped and strained | Broths, teas, braises | Same plant; less aromatic and very woody |
| Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves | 2 leaves | Tom yum, Thai curries, coconut soups | Intense citrus-floral aroma from the same cuisines |
| Lime zest | 1 tsp | Thai and Vietnamese dishes | Citrus oils with a slightly sharper edge |
| Lemon verbena or lemon balm | 2–3 leaves | Teas, desserts, light broths | Herbs rich in citral, with a sweeter, softer lemon note |
Why lemon zest works
Lemongrass's lemony smell comes mostly from citral, a blend of two aroma molecules, geranial and neral. Citral makes up most of lemongrass essential oil. Lemon peel is also rich in citral, along with limonene, which is why zest is the closest pantry match.
The key word is peel. Lemon juice is acidic with very little aroma oil, while lemongrass is not sour at all. Swapping juice for lemongrass changes the dish's acid balance instead of its aroma. If you do use juice, add it at the end, a teaspoon at a time.
Getting the most flavour out
Citral and its partner oils sit in tiny oil cells inside the fibrous stalk. To release them, smash the stalk with the back of a knife before simmering, or slice it very thinly across the grain and pound it into a paste.
These oils dissolve in fat far better than in water. That is why Thai curry pastes fry the lemongrass in oil or coconut cream first: blooming it in fat pulls out more aroma and carries it through the whole dish. Do the same with zest: stir it into the hot oil for 30 seconds before adding liquid.
Citral is also volatile and breaks down with long boiling. For long braises, add half the substitute at the start and half in the last 5 minutes.
When NOT to swap
- Lemongrass skewers and stalks used as aromatic tools: there is no substitute for the structure.
- Lemon juice in coconut-milk curries: too much acid can make coconut milk look split and taste sour.
- Makrut lime leaves in large amounts: two to three leaves per stalk is plenty; more tastes soapy and medicinal.
- Dried lemongrass in salads or curry paste: it never softens and stays unpleasantly chewy.
Questions
How much lemongrass paste equals one stalk?
Use about 1 tbsp lemongrass paste per stalk. Pastes often contain oil, salt or acid, so taste before adding the recipe's full salt.
Can I use lemon juice instead of lemongrass?
Only as a last resort, and with less. Lemongrass is aromatic but barely sour, while lemon juice is mostly acid. Zest gives the lemon aroma without making the dish tart.
How much dried lemongrass equals fresh?
Use about 1 tsp dried, chopped lemongrass per fresh stalk. Steep it in the simmering liquid and strain it out, because the dried pieces stay woody.
Which part of lemongrass do you use?
Use the pale, tender lower 10–15 cm (4–6 in) of the stalk after peeling off the dry outer layers. The green tops are too fibrous to eat but are good for infusing broths and teas.