Food and Recipes Seasonings Herbs 22 Delicious Basil Recipes For Herb Lovers Jump into summer early with these fresh flavors. By Patricia Shannon Patricia Shannon Patricia Shannon gives how-to content a can-do attitude, sharing her knowledge and research on housekeeping, decorating, gardening, etiquette, beauty, and more. She has been writing and editing lifestyle content for more than a decade. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 30, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Wondering what to do with that basil plant? Looking for a starter herb to hone your fresh-from-the-garden cooking skills ? Whatever your objective, these basil recipes are a surefire way to bring delicious, herby flavors to the table. We collected a lineup of our favorite recipes using fresh basil so you'll never run out of inspiration for how to use fresh basil. From breakfast to dessert and even cocktails and mocktails, these recipes are bound to be beautiful showstoppers. And we're not just talking about garnishes here. Each of these recipes calls for a heaping dose of basil, ensuring the bright and flavorful herb is the star. So next time you're at the grocery store and are tempted to add a little basil plant to your buggy, just go ahead and do it. We've got you covered on all the ways to put the herb to use. 01 of 22 Chicken with 40 Leaves of Basil Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely It's basil all around for this roasted chicken. Not only did we create an herby marinade with a full two cups worth of fresh basil, but we also managed to tuck a few leaves under the bird's skin for good measure before baking. 02 of 22 Basil-Lemon Bars Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely There's something so decadent about a dessert that calls on fresh-from-the-garden flavor—and these Basil-Lemon Bars prove it. You'll be tempted to dig in as soon as they're pulled from the oven, so be sure to warn all your lurking family members that they'll need to show restraint for about an hour while the bars cool completely. Top them with a dusting of powdered sugar, lemon slices, and basil leaves, of course. 03 of 22 Strawberry-Basil Sweet Tea Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry If you thought you had your sweet tea recipe down, allow us to shake things up for you. We mixed in a pound of fresh berries, lime juice, and a half cup of fresh basil leaves to deliver a summertime sipper no one will soon forget. 04 of 22 Fried Chicken Salad with Basil-Buttermilk Dressing Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis This salad will take you just 10 minutes to pull together, but with a homemade dressing that calls on plenty of fresh basil, your family might think you've been at it for hours. The store-bought chicken tenders will be our little secret. 05 of 22 Strawberry-And-Basil Pavlova Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely We're keeping it simple with this sheet pan sweet. Pavlova might sound intimidating, but this meringue-based dessert is much easier to make than it looks. As an essentially blank canvas, you can use any combination of flavors and toppings, but we're partial to this one with strawberries, raspberries, and basil. 06 of 22 Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry You'll create a delicious pan sauce right in the foil packet as these single-serving portions cook, thanks to cherry tomatoes, basil, butter, and lemon. 07 of 22 Cucumber-Basil Granita Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Cool down in the summer with this refreshing spiked treat. Just blend and freeze for an easy cocktail made with cucumber, basil, and lime. Use your favorite herbal gin, or leave it out for a kid-friendly treat. 08 of 22 Basil Fried Rice Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Chiffonade the basil to create ribbons of flavor that'll weave their way through this aromatic fried rice recipe. 09 of 22 Cherry Tomato Cobbler with Basil Ice Cream Southern Living We don't know if we should call this dessert or the second course. We combined summer-favorite Bing cherries with ruby red cherry tomatoes and fresh lemon for an out-of-this-world cobbler that truly needs no additional fanfare—of course, we brought it anyway. We serve it with a custardy basil ice cream that will change everything you thought you knew about the frozen treat. 10 of 22 Orange-Basil Yogurt Dip Iain Bagwell With only four ingredients—orange, Greek yogurt, garlic, and basil, this flavorful dip is savory and sweet with a hint of tang. It pairs with anything from grilled veggies or chicken to crudités. 11 of 22 Easy Shrimp Scampi with Basil Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Fresh and light shrimp scampi gets a basil upgrade that takes an already delicious dinner to the next level. Substitute chicken stock in place of the wine if you prefer. 12 of 22 Basil Bourbon Orange Smash Becky Luigart Stayner A basil simple syrup is the star in this sipper. Top each glass with a slice of orange and a sprig of basil for a wow-worthy presentation that gives a hint of the flavor to come. 13 of 22 Slow Cooker Tomato-Basil Meatloaf Photo: Victor Protasio Sun-dried tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, sausage, and more create one delicious meatloaf. But the real reason we can't stop talking about this one? It's prepped in the slow cooker. Now that's a meal we can't wait to get home to. 14 of 22 Lemon-Basil Spritzer Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Cheers to this summer-ready cocktail that takes basil and lemon and livens up an already delicious bottle of bubbly. Make it a mocktail by swapping in lemon-flavored seltzer water for the Champagne or dry sparkling wine. 15 of 22 Seared Scallops with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce and Orzo Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Orzo dressed in a fresh basil and tomato sauce makes for a fine bed to nestle perfectly browned scallops. Plate each serving with a sprinkling of chopped basil to really take that herbaceous flavor home. 16 of 22 Summer Sauce Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele You can use this no-cook sauce to brighten up any summer meal. Use it as a dressing on salads, brush on grilled kabobs, or spread it on a sandwich. The options are endless and the flavor is delicious. 17 of 22 Basil Tomato Soup While there are countless ways to doctor up a simple tomato soup, basil is our favorite. When serving, garnish your bowl with a few extra basil leaves for added flavor. 18 of 22 Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, and Basil Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Tomatoes, arugula, goat cheese, basil, parsley, and country ham make this summer pasta a crowd-pleaser. It can be served warm or cold, but if serving later, be sure to reserve some of the vinaigrette to top the dish for extra flavor. 19 of 22 Pineapple-Basil Tea IAIN BAGWELL Classic sweet tea gets a tropical refresh with pineapple and fresh basil. You're guaranteed to want a second glass. 20 of 22 Strawberry Caprese Salad IAIN BAGWELL We put a twist on traditional tomato-based Caprese salad with strawberries in place of the tomatoes and mini mozzarella balls instead of the usual large slices of the cheese. Serve it with baguette slices or crostinis for an easy appetizer. 21 of 22 Slow-Cooker Tomato Sauce Alison Miksch No homemade red sauce would be complete without a generous amount of fresh basil. Use it for all your favorite recipes from spaghetti and pizza to chicken parmesan. 22 of 22 Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Cozy up with a warm bowl of this veggie soup that's topped with homemade basil pesto. For a leaner version, you can easily forgo the farfalle pasta. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit