What Goes With Dill? 24 Best Flavour Pairings

Dill goes best with salmon, lemon, cucumber, potatoes, beets and tangy dairy like sour cream and yogurt. Its fresh, anise-and-caraway aroma cuts through rich and creamy food, which is why it stars in gravlax, pickles and tzatziki.

Herbs

• Parsley — grassy parsley rounds out dill's anise notes in sauces and herb salads.
• Chives — mild, oniony chives and dill are the classic duo for potatoes and soft cheese.

Aromatics

• Garlic — a little garlic gives dill sauces and pickles extra punch.
• Shallot — finely chopped shallot adds a sweet bite to dill vinaigrettes.
• Scallion — fresh scallions and dill make bright herb rice and salads.

Acids & Citrus

• Lemon — lemon highlights dill's bright, anise-like notes in sauces, fish and salads.
• Vinegar — dill and vinegar are the heart of the classic dill pickle.

Vegetables & Sides

• Cucumber — mild, watery cucumber lets dill's aroma shine in salads and pickles.
• Potato — dill's fragrance brightens earthy potatoes, from new potatoes to potato salad.
• Beet — dill's bright aroma contrasts beet's dense, sweet earthiness in borscht.
• Peas — dill's caraway-like freshness brightens sweet peas.
• Carrot — buttered carrots with dill are a simple, cheerful side.
• Cabbage — dill seasons slaws, sauerkraut and cabbage soups across Eastern Europe.

Dairy & Cheese

• Yogurt — dill's herbal notes highlight yogurt's tang in tzatziki and dips.
• Sour cream — its tangy fat carries dill's aroma in sauces and toppings.
• Feta — salty feta and dill fill Greek pies like spanakopita.

Grains & Starches

• Rice — dill and rice are a Persian pairing, often with broad beans or fish.

Proteins

• Salmon — dill's fresh, caraway-like aroma cuts through rich, oily salmon; the ultimate match.
• Shrimp — dill lifts shrimp's sweet flavour in salads and sandwiches.
• Cod — dill brings freshness to mild cod, especially with lemon and butter.
• Halibut — dill's aromatic oils echo halibut's delicate taste.
• Egg — dill is lovely in egg salad, devilled eggs and omelettes.

Sauces & Condiments

• Mustard — mustard and dill make hovmästarsås, the sweet-sharp sauce served with gravlax.
• Mayonnaise — creamy mayo and dill make easy sauces for fish and potato salad.

Classic combos

• Dill + salmon + salt + sugar — Scandinavian gravlax, cured with dill and served with mustard sauce.
• Dill + cucumber + yogurt + garlic — Greek tzatziki, cool and tangy.
• Dill + vinegar + garlic + cucumber — the classic dill pickle.
• Dill + potato + sour cream — a creamy, comforting potato salad.
• Dill + beet + sour cream — the finishing touch on a bowl of borscht.

Pairings to avoid

• Black beans — dill's grassy anise taste doesn't suit black beans' deep, earthy character; reach for cilantro.
• Long cooking — dill's fronds lose their aroma fast in heat, so stir them in at the end.
• Too much dried dill — dried dill can taste heavy and medicinal; use it sparingly and add fresh whenever you can.
• Heavy warm spices — strong cinnamon, clove or smoky chilli can bury dill's delicate freshness.