What Are Garlic chives and How Can I Use Them?
Here's everything worth knowing about garlic chives and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 13 recipes to cook tonight.
Key Points
- Flat-leaved onion relative that tastes of chives plus real garlic, stronger than common chives.
- Add late to stir-fries and dumplings; they hold brief cooking but turn flat if overcooked.
- Cut into 1 to 2 inch lengths; the backbone of pork-and-chive dumplings and savory eggs.
- Swap regular chives plus a teaspoon of garlic per tablespoon, or milder scallion greens.
- Refrigerate wrapped in paper for 4 to 5 days, or chop and freeze for cooking.
What are garlic chives?
Garlic chives are the flat, grassy leaves of Allium tuberosum, an onion-family plant grown widely across East Asia. They taste exactly like their name: a clean chive freshness with a real garlic punch behind it.
They look different from the common chives most cooks know. Regular chives are hollow and tubular, while garlic chives are solid and flat, closer to a thin blade of grass. The flavor is stronger too, so a little goes further.
You may also see them sold as Chinese chives, kuchai, or nira.
Yellow garlic chives are the same plant blanched under cover, milder and tender.
Cooking With Garlic Chives
Treat them as a vegetable, not just a garnish. Unlike soft herbs, the leaves hold up to brief cooking, which is why they belong in stir-fries and dumpling fillings where you want garlic flavor without raw garlic's bite.
Cut them into 1 to 2 inch (2.5 to 5 cm) lengths and add them near the end of a stir-fry so they wilt but keep some snap. They are the backbone of pork-and-chive dumplings, and they fold beautifully into beaten eggs for a quick savory omelet.
For a full dish, try Hot & Sour Garlic Chive Soup with Tofu or fold a generous handful into Boiled Garlic Chive Dumplings. They also stand up to seafood in Scallops with Garlic Chives.
The classic mistake is overcooking. Push them past a minute or two over high heat and the bright garlic note turns flat and the leaves go limp. Add late and pull the pan early.
Substitutes
The closest swap is regular chives plus a little fresh garlic, since plain chives bring the green note but none of the bite. Use about a teaspoon of minced garlic per tablespoon of chopped chives.
Green garlic or the green tops of scallions also work in a pinch. Scallion greens are milder, so add roughly half again as much. None of these match the exact flat-leaf texture, so they read better in mixed dishes than as the star.
Buying & Storage
Look for firm, deep green leaves with no yellowing or slimy, wet ends. Limp or watery bunches were stored too long. Asian groceries carry them most reliably, often near the bok choy.
Wrap the bunch loosely in a paper towel, slip it into a partly open bag, and keep it in the crisper. They last about 4 to 5 days, less than firmer aromatics because the flat leaves bruise easily.
Wash and dry only right before using.
To keep them longer, chop and freeze on a tray, then bag the pieces. Frozen garlic chives lose their texture but hold flavor well, so add them straight to the hot pan without thawing.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 大蒜韭菜
- British (UK) term
- Garlic chives
- en français
- ciboulette ail
- en español
- cebollino ajo
Recipes using garlic chives
There are 13 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Sour Cabbage Salad
This salad fits to pierogi with the meat filling. You may also try it with fried or grilled fish.
Baked Garlic Soup with Herb Toast
Roasted garlic soup made from a whole head of garlic baked with rosemary, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Served with Parmesan herb toast for dipping.
Kukuye Sabzi (Herb Omelet)
Persian herb frittata loaded with spinach, parsley, dill, cilantro, and scallions baked until fluffy and golden for a protein-rich meal.
Lentil & Greens Khoreshe
Persian lentil and greens khoreshe with spinach, parsley, cilantro, scallions, and turmeric simmered until tender. A fragrant Iranian stew served over basmati rice.
Scallops with Garlic Chives
A simple yet scrumptious side dish that can accompany any meal you make this summer!
Kukuye Sabzi
Kuku Sabzi, the Persian herb frittata packed with spinach, parsley, cilantro, dill, tarragon, and garlic chives. Baked until set and served with yogurt and flatbread.
Nondairy Avocado Sour Cream
Dairy-free sour cream made with avocado, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. A vegan sour cream substitute for tacos, potatoes, and burritos.
Boiled Garlic Chive Dumplings
This is a vegetarian dumpling dish, in Chinese New Year, when you begin to get tired of meat, you can try this recipe!
Hot & Sour Garlic Chive Soup with Tofu
Hot and sour garlic chive soup with silky tofu, cloud ear mushrooms, seaweed, and miso. A vegetarian Asian-style broth with tangy rice vinegar, chili heat, and herbaceous garlic chive garnish.
Hot & Sour Garlic Chive Soup with Tofu
Hot and sour garlic chive soup with silky tofu, cloud ear mushrooms, seaweed, and miso. A vegetarian Asian-style broth with tangy rice vinegar, chili heat, and herbaceous garlic chive garnish.
Hot & Sour Garlic Chive Soup with Tofu
Hot and sour garlic chive soup with silky tofu, cloud ear mushrooms, seaweed, and miso. A vegetarian Asian-style broth with tangy rice vinegar, chili heat, and herbaceous garlic chive garnish.
Avocado & Mozarella Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes
Avocado and mozzarella stuffed tomatoes hollow out vine-ripe tomatoes and fill them with cubed avocado and fresh mozzarella tossed in basil-balsamic vinaigrette. Five-minute summer appetizer with caprese-salad bones.
Beef Lo Mein with Bean Sprouts
Authentic beef lo mein with fresh Chinese egg noodles, marinated flank steak, crunchy bean sprouts, and garlic chives tossed in a glossy oyster and soy sauce. Ready in 30 minutes.
