What Are Fennel seeds and How Can I Use Them?

Here's everything worth knowing about fennel seeds and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 250 recipes to cook tonight.

Key Points

Fennel seeds have a sweet, mild licorice flavor and define the taste of Italian sausage.
They suit savory, meaty cooking: sausage, meatballs, tomato sauces, and some breads.
Use a light hand, about a teaspoon per pound of meat, or the licorice takes over.
Crush or grind the seeds to spread the flavor; whole seeds give scattered licorice bursts.
Buy whole and store cool and dark; whole seeds keep flavor for two to three years.

What are fennel seeds?

Fennel seeds are the small, ridged, greenish-brown seeds of the fennel plant, with a sweet anise or licorice flavor that is warmer and milder than the licorice candy people expect. They are the spice that makes Italian sausage taste like Italian sausage.

The taste comes mainly from anethole, the same aromatic compound found in anise and star anise, which is why the three share that sweet licorice character. Fennel seed is the gentlest of them and the easiest to cook with.

Fennel seeds

Cooking With Fennel Seeds

Fennel seed is at its best in savory, meaty cooking. It seasons pork sausage and meatballs, and a pinch in a long-simmered tomato ragu reads as distinctly Italian.

That is its job in Paul's Italian-Style Meatloaf and a pan of Pan-Seared Steak Pizzaiola, and it rounds out the meat layer of a Best Lasagna. It also flavors breads and works with fish, where its sweetness suits a Bluefish with Fennel & Tomato Sauce.

Toast the seeds in a dry pan for a minute until fragrant to bring out the sweetness, then use them whole or crush them. Cracking the seeds in a mortar releases more flavor than leaving them whole.

A pinch of fennel seed is also a classic after-dinner digestive, chewed plain or as the sugar-coated mukhwas served in Indian restaurants.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Fennel seed pairs naturally with pork, tomato, garlic, chili flakes, oregano, and orange. It is a backbone of Italian sausage seasoning and Chinese five-spice, and it suits both rye bread and roasted vegetables.

The usual mistake is a heavy hand. Fennel's licorice note can dominate a dish quickly, so a teaspoon or less seasons a pound of meat; double it and dinner tastes like candy. Start light and build.

The second is leaving the seeds whole when you want even flavor. Whole seeds give little bursts of licorice; crushing or grinding spreads the taste through the whole dish, which is usually what you want in a sauce.

Substitutes

Anise seed is the closest match, since it carries the same anethole, just stronger and sweeter; use about half as much. Caraway gives a similar texture and a savory bite without the licorice, and works in breads and sausage.

Ground fennel stands in for whole at roughly the same volume, added later so it keeps its aroma. A few drops of anise extract or a small piece of star anise can echo the flavor in a braise, but go cautiously since star anise is much more potent.

Buying and Storing Fennel Seeds

Buy whole seeds rather than ground; they keep their volatile oils far longer and you can toast and crush them fresh. Look for seeds with a green-brown color and a strong sweet smell, since dull gray seeds are often old.

Store the jar in a cool, dark cupboard with the lid tight, away from the stove's heat and steam. Whole fennel seeds hold good flavor for about two to three years, well past ground fennel, which fades in under a year.

If a jar has lost its punch, crush a few seeds to check; a faint smell means you should use more or buy fresh.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 tbsp, whole (5g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 17Calories from Fat 6

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.7g 1%

Saturated Fat 0.0g 0%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 4mg 0%

Total Carbohydrate 2.6g 1%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars ~

Protein 0.8g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 2%

Calcium 6% • Iron 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find fennel seeds: Fennel seeds are usually found in the spices section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Fennel seeds are a member of the Spices and Herbs US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese: 茴香种子
British (UK) term: Fennel seeds
en français: graines de fenouil
en español: semillas de hinojo

How much do fennel seeds weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 tbsp, whole	5 grams
1 tsp, whole	2 grams

Spices and Herbs

Allspice 904 Allspice berries 37 Star anise 178 Aniseed 23 Bay leaves 2049 Caraway seeds 321 Cardamom pods 100 Cardamom seeds 317 Celery seeds 283 Chervil 65

Recipes using fennel seeds

There are 250 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Malabar Chicken Curry Recipe

Malabar chicken curry is a spicy and aromatic dish that hails from the Malabar region of India. This curry is made with a unique blend of spices that include cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and fennel, which gives it a distinctive taste and aroma. The tender chicken pieces are simmered in a rich and flavorful coconut milk-based gravy, making it a perfect dish for any occasion. The curry can be adjusted to your preferred level of spiciness, making it versatile for all tastes. Whether you're looking to explore new flavors or simply want to add a bit of spice to your meals, Malabar chicken curry is a must-try recipe for any home cook.

Leek & Potato Soup with Country Ham

Hearty leek and potato soup with smoky country ham, red cabbage, and dry-toasted cumin, caraway, and fennel seeds for a rustic, deeply flavored bowl.

Baked Fish with Quick Tomato Confit

Baked fish with a quick flavourful confit of two kinds of tomatoes and citrus.

Aromatic Cabbage

This simple recipe actually turned out very tasty, which definitely amazed me, especially with only these a few ingredients. The cumin, fennel and sesame seeds gave the dish load of yumminess. A great summer side dish.

Apple & Fennel Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Chutney

Apple and Fennel Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Chutney

Spicy Winter Vegetable Chowder

A warming chowder of turnips, mushrooms, lima beans, and tomatoes seasoned with cumin, fennel seeds, and chili powder in turkey stock. Hearty cold-weather comfort in a bowl.

Italian Dressing

Quick and easy home made Italian style salad dressing.

Classic Russian Black Rye Bread

Indulge in the rich, aromatic flavors of Black Russian Rye Bread with this easy-to-follow recipe. This bread will satisfy your craving for hearty and flavorful artisan bread, made with a blend of rye and wheat flour, molasses, caraway seeds, and a few secret ingredients.

Couscous with Fennel & Pinenuts

Quick, easy and delicious. Serve it as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish by using vegetable broth.

Easy Italian Sausage

A gently seasoned homemade Italian sausage. Fennel seeds, oregano and a bit of garlic. Perfect for making up a batch of bulk Italian sausage for use in other recipes.

Chicken Tikka Masala (Main)

Traditional Indian dish of roasted chunks of chicken in a spicy sauce. The chicken is a very good source of lean protein, while the sauce provides important nutrients such as vitamins A and C as well as calcium.

Herbed Whole Wheat Bread with Sunflower & Sesame Seeds

Artisan whole wheat bread loaded with sunflower seeds, sesame, herbs, and decorative seed toppings. Hearty high-fiber yeast bread with beautiful scored patterns.

Whole Wheat Fennel Pretzel

These delicious pretzels are made with whole wheat flour. Boiling the risen pretzels in boiling soda water ensures them to be evenly browned during the baking, and sprinkle with some fennel seeds and sea salt flakes after egg wash to enhance the flavor. Serve with any your favorite mustard. We love dijon, whole grain and balsamic-fig mustard especially.

Asparagus & Tofu with Indian Spices

Lots of flavors, lots of textures. You will love this Indian-inspired dish that's packed with yumminess and goodness.

Party Almonds infused with Rosemary & Parmesan Cheese

Wow your guests with your own one of a kind cheesy nut mix. Easy recipe to mix and match nuts, herbs and adapt to spicy/sweet or just plain mixed up cheesy combos.

Arugula, Potato & Leek Soup

Arugula potato leek soup gets transformed by 4 cups of peppery arugula and a splash of Pernod. A versatile blender soup served hot or chilled, finished with yogurt and fresh greens.

Italian Pizza Sauce & Crust

The bottom of the pizza, called the "crust", may vary widely according to style—thin as in a typical hand-tossed pizza or Roman pizza, or thick as in a typical pan pizza or Chicago-style pizza. It is traditionally plain, but may also be seasoned with garlic, or herbs, or stuffed with cheese.

Vegetarian Italian Sausage (Seitan)

I was out of Tofurkey Italian Sausage tonight and needed to substitute something else because I can't buy it. I had a cupboard full of Bob's Vital Wheat Gluten and some TVP, so I figured I'd try making it. When my hubby came home, he tried it and immediately said "Write it down! Write it down!" I guess he liked it!

Triticale Bread

A hearty bread machine loaf blending triticale flour, bread flour, and soy flour with fennel seeds and barley malt syrup. Nutty, slightly sweet, and packed with whole grain flavor.

American Biscuits with Sausage & Gravy

These homemade biscuits are buttery and flakey. Using ground turkey to make the sausage delivers a much lighter result but still tastes delicious. Gravy is packed with flavour. For those who love this combination for breakfast, this recipe is worth the effort.

Indian Fried Rice

It's a delicious recipe to cook up your leftover cooked rice with some fresh vegetables and Indian spices. Quick, easy and tasty.

Leek, Potato & Kielbasa Soup

Excellent soup. I didn't stir in the cream because the taste was so good without it. Amazing extra flavor of fennel seeds. Thanks.

Five Spice Powder

A simple seasoning recipe that can add a kick to any of your meals.

Kielbasa & Cabbage

An easy, inexpensive yet tasty one pot hearty meal that uses polish sausage, cabbage, apples seasoned with fennel seeds. Could easily be adapted for a slow cooker or crockpot.

The #1 Lasagna Recipe

I have tried many different Lasagna recipes over the years. This is the culmination of all that trial and error, a wonderful recipe that needs to be shared with the world. The ingredients and actual recipe are at the end of this article. I know you won’t be disappointed with my Best Lasagna Recipe!

Barley Risotto with Fennel

For cooking this risotto, we use slow cooker, so even no stir, the risotto is cooked wonderfully, and you can choose barly or brown rice, add more fibre.

Almost Grandma's Sausage & Peppers

An easy, cost-effective succulent and scrumptious meal that is perfect to make when late to prepare dinner.

Amazing Baked German Pork Chops

Serve these succulent baked German pork chops over a bed of rice or with some good bread to soak up all the yumminess.

All-In-One Sausage & Zucchini Casserole

A delicious casserole made with italian sausage, zucchini, rice and parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Fennel Jam

This caramelized fennel jam is packed with yumminess and so easy to make. It's ideal as topping for hot dogs, pizzas or burgers.

Ramsay's Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus

A fantastic healthy dip perfect for the holidays or anytime you might have company coming. Butternut squash is roasted with an Arabic Ras El Hanout spice mixture. Based on a recipe by Gordon Ramsay.

Best TVP Lasagna

TVP gives the lasagna beefy texture, the tomato sauce makes the lasagna juicy and flavorful; ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses add the creaminess and cheesiness . An absolutely delicious vegetarian lasagna that your meat lover friends may ask for second slice.

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