Top 5 Alternatives for Fennel

Fennel is a versatile vegetable that adds flavor in various ways: a satisfying crunch in fresh salads, a burst of fennel seeds in breakfast sausage, or delicate fennel fronds as a garnish.

Unfortunately, fresh fennel can be tough to find all year round, and fennel seeds aren’t always stocked at every store. These clever substitutes come in handy when fennel is unavailable in any form.

What Does Fennel Taste Like?

Fennel can refer to either the bulb or the seed, both of which share a slightly licorice-like flavor but are used differently. The fennel bulb has a texture similar to onions, though it’s more fibrous and stringy. Its layers resemble celery more than onions, offering a unique crunch.

When eaten raw, fennel bulb offers a crisp, crunchy texture with a sweet, anise-like flavor. To enjoy it raw, it's best to slice it thinly to maintain its crunch without the tough fibers running through the bulb.

Like onions, fennel becomes sweeter when cooked, but it’s heartier and retains its texture longer. As it caramelizes, fennel develops a rich, brown flavor and the licorice taste softens significantly. Once caramelized, it’s hard to tell fennel from onions by taste alone.

Fennel seeds are small, pod-like seeds that pack a powerful punch. Though tiny, they are bursting with flavor, thanks to their oil content. Their strong licorice flavor is much more intense than the bulb, and they lack the bulb's fresh sweetness.

Top Fresh Fennel Alternatives

Onion

For recipes where fennel is caramelized or cooked for a long time, use yellow or white onions as a substitute. Both onions caramelize beautifully and develop a rich brown color. Additionally, long-cooked fennel and onions have nearly identical textures. Simply swap onions for fennel in equal amounts.

Celery

Raw fennel has a crunchy bite and a slightly stringy texture, much like celery. This makes celery an excellent substitute for both raw and cooked fennel, though it’s most commonly used in raw applications like salads, where fennel’s crunch is essential.

Leeks

Leeks offer a mild onion flavor, making them a great substitute for fennel in sautéed dishes where it’s not fully caramelized. They also provide a similar fibrous texture, so they work well as a replacement when you want some texture. A large leek can typically replace a small fennel bulb in recipes.

Top Fennel Seed Substitutes

Anise

Fennel, both in its fresh form and as seeds, has a distinct licorice flavor, making anise an ideal substitute. Star anise works especially well in brines or marinades where the spices are used whole; simply replace one star anise pod per teaspoon of whole fennel seed. You can also use anise seed as a substitute for fennel seeds, but use half the amount of anise seed compared to fennel seeds.

Caraway

Caraway seeds are a great replacement for fennel seeds when a recipe calls for whole seeds, such as in homemade sausage. They taste very similar to fennel seeds and even look alike. Caraway seeds also work well in recipes like fennel butter, where ground fennel is required. Substitute them in equal amounts for fennel seeds.