How To Use Mint Leaves In Cooking

21 Recipes That Use Fresh Mint

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It's true that a sprig of fresh mint makes a lovely garnish for almost anything you serve, but I'm here to remind you that's it's capable of so much more. Mint is a terrific herb to keep around the kitchen — or to grow on your own! (Just keep it away from other herbs you're growing, because it'll overtake them.)

As a kitchen herb, it pairs wonderfully with a variety of dishes. It's bright and fresh (like fellow common herbs, parsley and basil), it provides instant zip to whatever it's added to, and there's definitely no shortage of what to make with it. Throw it into your morning smoothie or happy hour cocktail, make a mint pesto to top chicken, blend it into a cool dip, or toss it into salads. If you have a bunch of mint to work with, look to these 21 mint recipes for a little inspiration.

Orzo Tabbouleh

While this Middle Eastern salad is typically made with bulgur, orzo makes for a fun alternative. Better yet, you probably already have a box of the pasta in your pantry right now.

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Marinated Feta-Beet Salad

You can use a mix of whatever fresh herbs you have for this cheesy beet salad, but mint and dill pair especially well with all the flavors here.

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Creamy Greek Tzatziki Sauce

It's always a good idea to have a bowl of this tzatziki sauce in the fridge. Dip veggies into it as a snack, swipe it on sandwiches, and dollop it on grilled chicken, steak, and fish.

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Greek-ish Grain Salad

This grain salad is pretty customizable: Use brown rice in place of farro, try different varieties of olives, skip the chile, and even add other vegetables to it like cherry tomatoes or roasted red peppers.

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Pitcher Mint Juleps

While mint juleps are most traditionally enjoyed for the Kentucky Derby, they're too refreshing to save for only one day a year.

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Watermelon Mint Frosé

Watermelon and mint are natural partners, and if you're looking to cool off, this is the way to do it.

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Portuguese-Style Mint Rice

Fresh mint is steamed with the rice, so its sweet aroma is infused throughout the whole pot. You'll want to partner this with anything and everything you're grilling this summer.

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Minty Snap Pea Salad

This fresh and crunchy salad has a way of feeling fancy, yet comes together in a flash and knows how to play side dish to just about anything you're cooking up.

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Minty Sweet Pea and Mascarpone Dip

A bag of frozen peas, a bunch of fresh mint, and creamy mascarpone are the trio that will really help you up your dip game.

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Dairy-Free Raspberry Mango Mint Smoothie

Yes, you should definitely be adding mint to your smoothies (if you're not already!). Pair it with any sort of berry, pineapple, and coconut for an ultra-refreshing drink.

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Snap Peas with Meyer Lemon and Mint

Get a head start by blanching the snap peas and whisking together the vinaigrette in advance, but wait until just before serving to add the mint so its color stays vibrant and doesn't muddy.

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Halloumi, Kale, and Mint Gozleme

Gozleme is a traditional Turkish street food, and this version from Hetty McKinnon starts with a 2-ingredient flatbread that's stuffed with halloumi and greens, then cooked on a griddle.

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Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Fresh mint infuses these crinkle cookies with bright, herbal notes that have long been an ideal match for rich chocolate.

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Kelli Foster

Food Editor, Plan & Prep

Kelli is the Food Editor for Plan & Prep content for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls , The Probiotic Kitchen , Buddha Bowls , and Everyday Freekeh Meals . She lives in New Jersey.

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