substitutes
Lemongrass substitutes
Out of lemongrass? Here are the best substitutes — what to reach for, why it works, and how much to use. Lemon zest is the top pick.
- 01Lemon zestbest pick
Delivers the citrus aroma lemongrass brings.
1 tbsp zest per stalk
- 02Kaffir lime leaf
Bright citrus-floral note for Thai dishes.
to taste
Cooking with lemongrass?
Paste your recipe into Mise — we'll find every ingredient as a real product you can buy, and swap the ones you can't, like lemongrass, for the closest match in stock.
Turn a recipe into a basket →How we choose these
These are tested kitchen substitutes, chosen for matching flavor, texture, and role — with ratios so the swap actually works. Taste as you go; substitutes shift intensity, not just flavor.
Flavor data: Epicure (Radzikowski & Chen, 2026), arXiv:2605.22391, CC-BY-4.0.