If you’re anything like us, fresh herbs don’t make it to your dinner plate as much as they could. They’re too often relegated to garnish at the end, and it’s way too easy to drop them off our grocery shopping lists (or buy them and let them languish forgotten in the back of our fridges). Join us in attempting to change that, starting with one of our favorites: basil. Particularly during the summer, when it’s plentiful and cheap, we love using basil to add color, flavor, and a little class to every meal. Check out our 25 basil recipes for ideas—it’s not just a garnish anymore.
Because basil is such a summer-y herb, it only makes sense that it’s front and center in some of our favorite summer recipes. We’re making caprese and panzanella salads all season long, and while we change up the flavors and cooking methods (peach burrata caprese anyone? Maybe a sheet-pan panzanella?), the one constant is gorgeous basil. You can even use it to brighten up your favorite warm weather drinks. We love adding it to summer cocktails, like our spiked sparkling basil lemonade (with DIY basil vodka 😍), our watermelon gin martini, or our frozen strawberry margarita, but really, it can jazz up anything from sparkling water to iced tea.
Craving that sunshine, but it’s an abysmally wintery day? Basil can add some brightness to your cold weather meals too. It’s true that basil is extra delicious during warmer months, but thanks to greenhouses can still be enjoyed year-round in recipes like pesto or green goddess dressing. We’d be remiss in not mentioning how vital it is to one of our favorite flavor combos too: Cream, tomatoes, and basil combine to turn everything from chicken to shrimp into a delicious Tuscan-butter-inspired meal that’s always in our weeknight dinner rotation.
If you’re really sitting on a major bounty of basil (lucky!), you can just add it as a garnish to every meal. Check out our Italian pasta recipes and tomato recipes for more meals and recipes where basil will be a perfect fit too.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
When it comes to chicken breast recipes, its hard to beat this one. It's a great dinner for when you want comfort food and good enough to serve to dinner guests. Just be sure to have some crusty bread on hand, because this sauce is KILLER.
Get the Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe.
Caprese Salad
With good quality tomatoes and mozzarella, all you really need for this caprese is some good olive oil, salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Even the lightest sprinkling of salt on a slice of tomato helps to bring out the sweetness and the natural umami, so don't hold back!
Get the Caprese Salad recipe.
Basil Pesto
This Genovese specialty bursts with the summery flavor of basil, and we love it for way more than just pasta. (Though our pesto pasta salad IS pretty great too!) Try tossing your roasted potatoes with a couple tablespoons, or mix a spoonful into mayo for a ridiculously addictive dipping sauce.
Get the Basil Pesto recipe.
Spiked Sparkling Basil Lemonade
Basil-infused vodka brings out the sweetness of the herb and turns the spirit (and this cocktail) a lovely, vibrant green.
Balsamic Basil Chicken
This is the perfect summer dinner. After marinating the chicken, everything—including the veggie side!—comes together in one pan in less than 30 minutes. Call it another skillet chicken dinner win!
Get the Balsamic Basil Chicken recipe.
Sheet-Pan Panzanella
Panzanella—an Italian salad made with dried bread cubes—is one of the most delicious versions of salad. The combination of roasted tomatoes, toasted bread coated with Parmesan, fragrant garlic, and mozzarella in this version basically tastes like pizza.
Get the Sheet-Pan Panzanella recipe.
Green Goddess Dressing
The original recipe for this herby dressing is said to have contained mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, tarragon vinegar, anchovies, and a whole garden of fresh herbs: scallions, parsley, tarragon, and basil. But really, as long as it’s green and creamy and delicious, you can pick and choose what you want to put into your version.
Get the Green Goddess Dressing recipe.
Cannellini Beans With Herb Sauce
White beans are a great blank canvas, especially for bright, assertive flavors like lemon and fresh herbs like basil. Perfect as a side, or as a meal topped with a poached egg, these beans prove from-scratch really does make a difference.
Thai Basil Chicken
Grown throughout Southeast Asia, Thai basil is a bit sweeter than traditional basil, with a more pronounced floral note, and a slight licorice-y bite. Here, we combine it with a slew of aromatics and veggies (red pepper, shallots, garlic, chilies), and then infuse the chicken with all of this deliciousness.
Get the Thai Basil Chicken recipe.
Homemade Pizza
Nothing beats a fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza, and once you see how easy it is to make for yourself, you'll never order delivery again. After your pizza is baked, add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, torn fresh basil, and red pepper flakes. These things are extra pungent and delicious when fresh.
Get the Homemade Pizza recipe.
Frozen Strawberry Margarita
This fruit-forward margarita works best with frozen strawberries, so you can make it year-round! We love adding fresh basil for some sweet anise-y flavor—it sets this frozen drink above the rest.
Get the Frozen Strawberry Margarita recipe.
Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs
Sure gnocchi is amazing served in a bowl with a sauce, but have you ever had nicely browned gnocchi taken straight off the grill? The gnocchi paired with blistered grilled tomatoes, tender red onion, and an herby basil and parsley salsa verde make for a perfect healthy summer appetizer.
Get the Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs recipe.
Pesto Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is a classic, featuring a homemade basil-and-pine nut pesto, a generous amount of Parmesan, and juicy grape tomatoes. It's worth getting out your nicest olive oil for this recipe since the flavor will shine through.
Get the Pesto Pasta Salad recipe.
Sichuan Pesto Noodles
There are lots of ways to add spice to your meals, but when we’re looking for something really special, we turn to Sichuan peppercorns. These peppers bring a unique herbal spice with a gentle numbing effect to the lips and tongue. If you’re unsure of how you’ll handle the spice, make sure to garnish with plenty of Parmesan to mellow the heat. 😉
Get the Sichuan Pesto Noodles recipe.
Peruvian Roast Chicken with Aji Verde
Peruvian roast chicken is everything we love about roast chicken, plus extra flavor and spice, thanks in part to the bright green sauce. It’s a creamy, punchy, and cool sauce that is traditionally served with Peruvian chicken–ideally slathered. (It’s also perfect for dipping veggies and ruffled potato chips!)Get the Peruvian Roast Chicken with Aji Verde recipe.
Burrata Salad
Think of burrata salad as caprese salad's fancy cousin. Peak-summer tomatoes are topped with this luscious cheese (think a shell of mozzarella filled with a soft, creamy filling) and garnished with a shower of peppery basil leaves and savory chives. 😍
Get the Burrata Salad recipe.
Green Goddess Soup
While most Green Goddess salad dressings rely on mayonnaise and one to two herbs for their creaminess and pale green color, we achieve the same flavor profile by using kale, cauliflower, 4 different herbs, and just a touch of Greek yogurt. The result? A vibrant green soup that’s pretty much a garden in a bowl.
Get the Green Goddess Soup recipe.
Watermelon Gin Martini
This martini is made with gin, red vermouth, agave, basil, and two cups of fresh watermelon juice—and it tastes like the best parts of summer. Don't forget sugar for the rim!
Get the Watermelon Gin Martini recipe.
Ratatouille
This colorful classic French countryside dish is chock full of healthy vegetables like eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and basil! It's one of our favorite ways to use up summer produce, especially served with plenty of toasty French bread.
Get the Ratatouille recipe.
Tuscan Butter
This Tuscan butter adds amazing flavor to everything you put it on, thanks to Parmesan, garlic, sundried tomatoes, and basil.
Get the Tuscan Butter recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
