12 Best Substitutes for Sage in Recipes

✔ Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 ranked swaps with fresh and dried ratios and the best pick for each dish

Sage has a strong, earthy, slightly peppery and piney flavor that is hard to copy exactly, but several herbs from the same family come close, and I keep at least two of them on hand.

The best alternative to sage depends on what you are cooking and whether the recipe calls for fresh leaves or dried, rubbed or ground sage. Below are the 12 best sage substitutes, ranked, with the right amount to use for each, a fresh-to-dried conversion chart and the best pick for stuffing, sausage, poultry, pasta and brown butter sauces.

What Does Sage Taste Like?

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a member of the mint family, like rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano and savory, which is why those herbs make the best substitutes. Its soft, fuzzy gray-green leaves taste earthy, savory, slightly peppery and piney, with a hint of eucalyptus. It is a classic in Thanksgiving stuffing, breakfast sausage, roast chicken and turkey, pork, butternut squash and brown butter pasta sauces.

Fresh sage is usually cooked rather than eaten raw; I fry a few leaves in butter for Thanksgiving. Dried sage comes in two forms: rubbed sage, which is light and fluffy, and ground sage, which is a fine powder and stronger by volume.

The 12 Best Sage Substitutes, Ranked

Amounts are for replacing 1 teaspoon of dried rubbed sage, or 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage with the fresh version of the herb. I start with the smaller amount, taste and add more if needed.

• 1. Poultry seasoning (1:1, dried): the closest match, because most blends contain sage along with thyme, marjoram and rosemary. Best for stuffing, gravy, chicken, turkey and sausage. Cut back on any other thyme or rosemary in the recipe.
• 2. Marjoram (1:1, fresh or dried): sweet, woodsy and gently peppery, it is the single herb that tastes most like sage. Best for poultry, sausage, sauces and soups. Add it toward the end of long cooking.
• 3. Thyme (1:1, fresh or dried): milder, earthy and slightly lemony, and the easiest swap to find. Best for stuffing, roast chicken, soups, stews and roasted vegetables.
• 4. Savory (1:1, fresh or dried): summer or winter savory has a peppery, thyme-like bite that stands in well for sage. Best for sausage, beans, stuffing and pork.
• 5. Rosemary (use half, fresh or dried): a close cousin with a similar piney flavor, but stronger and more resinous. Best for roast pork, lamb, chicken and potatoes. Chop it finely.
• 6. Oregano (use 3/4, fresh or dried): peppery and bold, with a more Mediterranean taste. Best for tomato sauces, pork, beans and meatballs.
• 7. Italian seasoning (1:1, dried): a mix of basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram and rosemary, and some blends include sage. Best for pasta sauces, meatballs, soups and roasted vegetables.
• 8. Herbes de Provence (use 3/4, dried): a French blend of thyme, savory, marjoram and rosemary, sometimes with lavender. Best for roast chicken, pork and vegetables. Skip blends with a lot of lavender for sausage or stuffing.
• 9. Breakfast sausage seasoning (1:1, dried): most blends are built on sage with black pepper, thyme and sometimes red pepper flakes. Best for sausage patties, sausage gravy and stuffing. Many contain salt, so reduce the salt in the recipe.
• 10. Basil (1:1, fresh or dried): another mint-family herb, sweeter and less earthy than sage, so the result will taste different but still savory. Best for tomato sauces, pasta, chicken and vegetables rather than stuffing.
• 11. Bay leaf (1 dried leaf per 1 tsp sage, long-cooked dishes only): bay adds a similar woodsy, slightly piney background note. Best for soups, stews, braises, beans and stock. Simmer it in the liquid and remove the leaf before serving.
• 12. Mint (use 1/2, fresh or dried, last resort): also in the mint family, but cooler and sweeter than sage. Use a small amount with pork, lamb, peas or beans, and avoid it in stuffing and sausage where sage is expected.

Sage Substitute Chart

Substitute	For 1 tsp dried rubbed sage	For 1 tbsp fresh sage	Best for
Poultry seasoning	1 tsp	1 tsp	Stuffing, gravy, poultry, sausage
Marjoram	1 tsp dried	1 tbsp fresh	Poultry, sausage, sauces, soups
Thyme	1 tsp dried	1 tbsp fresh	Stuffing, chicken, soups, vegetables
Savory	1 tsp dried	1 tbsp fresh	Sausage, beans, pork, stuffing
Rosemary	1/2 tsp dried	1 1/2 tsp fresh	Roast pork, lamb, chicken, potatoes
Oregano	3/4 tsp dried	2 1/4 tsp fresh	Tomato sauces, pork, meatballs
Italian seasoning	1 tsp	1 tsp	Pasta sauces, meatballs, soups
Herbes de Provence	3/4 tsp	3/4 tsp	Roast chicken, pork, vegetables
Breakfast sausage seasoning	1 tsp	1 tsp	Sausage, gravy, stuffing
Basil	1 tsp dried	1 tbsp fresh	Tomato sauces, pasta, chicken
Bay leaf	1 dried leaf	1 dried leaf	Soups, stews, braises, beans
Mint	1/2 tsp dried	1 1/2 tsp fresh	Pork, lamb, peas, beans

Fresh, Rubbed and Ground Sage Conversions

Dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh, and ground sage is more concentrated than rubbed. Use these equivalents when you have one form of sage but the recipe calls for another:

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage = 1 teaspoon rubbed sage = 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• About 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves = about 1 tablespoon chopped
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage = 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon ground sage = about 2 teaspoons rubbed sage

The Best Substitute by Dish

• Thanksgiving stuffing and dressing: poultry seasoning, or equal parts thyme and marjoram with a pinch of rosemary. Try it in our Pepperidge Farm-style stuffing.
• Breakfast sausage and sausage balls: savory or marjoram, plus a pinch of thyme, as in our Bisquick sausage balls.
• Roast chicken and turkey: thyme or poultry seasoning; rosemary for a bolder flavor.
• Pork chops and roast pork: rosemary (half the amount) or savory.
• Pasta, gnocchi and butternut squash: thyme or marjoram. For brown butter sauce, frying a few fresh thyme sprigs in the butter gives a similar savory aroma, though it won't look or taste exactly like crispy sage leaves.
• Soups, stews and beans: thyme, savory or Italian seasoning.

When It's Worth Waiting for Real Sage

In dishes where sage is the main flavor, such as sage brown butter, crispy fried sage leaves, saltimbocca or a sage-heavy stuffing, a substitute will taste noticeably different. If you can, buy fresh sage in the produce section or use dried rubbed sage. For more herb swaps, see our guides to rosemary substitutes, tarragon substitutes and fennel substitutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best alternative to sage?

Poultry seasoning is the closest, because it is a blend that usually includes sage with thyme, marjoram and rosemary. Use it 1:1 for dried sage. If you want a single herb, marjoram is the nearest match, followed by thyme and savory.

Can I use thyme instead of sage?

Yes. Thyme is the easiest swap because most kitchens have it. Use the same amount as the sage called for. It is milder and slightly lemony, so it works especially well in stuffing, poultry, soups and roasted vegetables.

What can I use instead of sage in stuffing?

Use poultry seasoning 1:1 for dried sage, or a mix of equal parts dried thyme and marjoram with a small pinch of rosemary. Taste the stuffing mixture before baking and add a little more if the herb flavor is faint.

What can I use instead of fresh sage leaves?

Use fresh marjoram or thyme 1:1, or about half as much fresh rosemary. If you only have dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon of a dried substitute for every tablespoon of chopped fresh sage, since dried herbs are about three times stronger.

Can I substitute ground sage for rubbed sage?

Yes, but use less. Ground sage is packed more densely, so 1 teaspoon of rubbed sage equals about 1/2 teaspoon of ground sage. Going the other way, use about twice as much rubbed sage as ground.

🍂 Getting ready for Thanksgiving? Grab more easy Thanksgiving menu ideas, from copycat sides to dessert.