Simple Uses for Marjoram

When you have a large crop of marjoram from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include it in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use it up before it goes bad without getting sick of it. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.

Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve marjoram:

Sauté it with chicken, broccoli, and arugula.

Sauté it with green beans, red onions, and feta.

Sauté it with brussels sprouts, shallots, and pine nuts.

Add it to other sautés and stirfry dishes.

Cook a steak in marjoram and lemon juice or lemon balm.

Grill it with eggplant slices and garlic.

Grill it with cod and tangerines or mandarin oranges.

Roast it with parsnips, garlic, and basil.

Bake it with chicken and thyme.

Bake it with potatoes and thyme.

Bake it with chicken, tomatoes, and basil.

Bake it with zucchini, oregano, and lemon verbena or lemon balm.

Top a pizza or flatbread with marjoram, tomatoes, and garlic.

Add it to egg dishes like quiches and omelets.

Add it to beef or sausage dishes.

Add it to pasta dishes, both stovetop and baked.

Add it to soups and broths.

Make a creative pesto with marjoram, asiago, and walnuts.

Make a simple spread by mixing marjoram with cream cheese. This can be spread onto your other garden-fresh vegetables and fruits or on crackers, toast, crostini, or bagels.

Make a simple tapenade with marjoram, minced olives, and minced capers.

Use it as Decor in an Interesting Salad. (Wondering why I capitalized those letters? Read more about Interesting Salads here!)

Add it to other salads.

Use it as a substitute for oregano. Although there are differences between these 2 botanical cousins, marjoram complements most of the same dishes as oregano and can be a good stand-in for it in many cases.

Make herbal vinegar. Marjoram can be infused on its own or co-infused with leeks or shallots to make a delicious salad dressing.

Make herbal oil. Marjoram-infused oil can also be a good salad dressing, or it can be processed further into salves, lotions, and more.

Make herbal honey. An herbal honey is a tasty way to preserve the herbal properties of your marjoram, extend its shelf life, and get benefits of honey too.

Make a tea or add it to other tea blends. Marjoram tea is best as an infusion.

Add it to infused water.

Dry it to save it for later. See our How to Dry Your Herbs articles here for more information.

Freeze it as another way to preserve it. Marjoram can be frozen whole, chopped, or in herbal ice cubes. Learn about different freezing methods and how to make herbal ice cubes in our Freezing Overview here.

Add it to pickles such as those made with green beans.

Further Reading

Growing marjoram? Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.

Marjoram is also featured in these articles:

Quick Facts: Growing Marjoram