Cilantro

The most-used fresh herb on earth and the most misused in American kitchens, where it lands on top of the plate instead of inside the dish. Every recipe here builds it into the fat, the acid or the marinade.

5 recipes Home + pro scale Year-round

Peak flavor

Year-round · heaviest volume November through May

Hold at

34–38°F, stems in water, loosely covered

Pairs with

Lime, garlic, coconut, chili, corn, avocado, cumin

Formats

0.5–4 oz clamshell · 1 lb bunches · 5 lb bulk

Five recipes where cilantro is not optional

Take the herb out of any of these and there is no dish left.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken One marinade, two jobs: half goes on raw, half is saved as a raw sauce for the sliced chicken. 30 min + marinadeServes 4Easy

Cilantro-Lime Salmon Roasted salmon under a raw cilantro-lime butter that melts into the fish as it rests. 25 minServes 4Easy

Coconut Cilantro Chicken A green coconut sauce built on a whole bunch of blended cilantro, not a sprinkle of it. 40 minServes 4Medium

Cilantro Shrimp Pasta Garlic butter shrimp pasta with cilantro instead of parsley — the swap that makes it a different dish. 25 minServes 4Easy

Cilantro, Corn & Avocado Salad Charred corn, avocado and enough cilantro that it counts as a leaf, not a herb. 25 minServes 6Easy