14 Best Ways To Use Chives

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Chives provide a versatile, oniony and earthy kick to a variety of foods — no dreaded onion breath included. The herb, which has been cultivated in Europe since the middle ages, and has been used in China for over 4,000 years (via Wisconsin Horticulture), will add a gentle hint of garlicky spice to your plate as well as a boost to your nutritional intake.

According to WebMD, this member of the allium family (which also includes garlic, onions, and leeks) boasts a whole list of health benefits and is linked to preventing cancer and osteoporosis due to its Vitamin K compounds. Some studies show chives can even improve your memory and sleep. Just a sprinkle as a garnish over one of your favorite meals is enough to pack a nutritious and flavorful punch. So with no reason not to give this versatile herb a try, here are some of the best ways to make the most out of chives.

Make chive butter the true star of the show by enhancing it even more with the addition of garlic, parmesan, basil, and parsley, and generously spread overtop a sliced baguette for an herby and toasty garlic bread. According to The Washington Post, garlic bread originated from Italian bruschetta alla romana, which was toasted bread rubbed with garlic. While its initial version included olive oil drizzled over top, butter was substituted when Italian immigrants arrived in the United States due to a lack of olive oil available. 

The modern version of garlic bread was thus born, and by the 1940s, had become widely popular in Italian restaurants. Garlic bread is typically served with pastas, soups or salads, but it can become a welcome addition to nearly any entrée. If you're looking for a less traditional take on this Italian-American favorite, take a cue from TikTok sensation Cedric Thomas and substitute a classic loaf for tangzhong, or Japanese milk bread, for a contrasting sweet and salty flavor. Consider following his unconventional garlic bread technique which involves heating up compound butter-slathered bread in a pan rather than an oven.  

Korean chive pancakes are a staple of Korean cuisine for a reason. These crispy, savory discs, also known as buchujeon ("buchu" means "garlic chives" and "jeon" is pancake"), studded with an assortment of ingredients including prawns, vegetables, and you guessed it, chives, are sure to make a delectably-fried appetizer or snack. Don't be stingy with the chives — there should be enough that the batter is just coating them. Korean chives are best, but if those aren't available, Chinese chives, also known as garlic chives, will also work well.

Just make sure to include a dipping sauce — anything as simple as a mixture of equal parts soy sauce, rice vinegar, and water, plus a bit of sugar, will add a satisfying balance to your Korean chive pancakes. If you're looking to spruce it up some more, the addition of finely chopped green onions, sesame seeds, or some chili pepper for heat will enhance your sauce further.

"The potato is like a painter's empty canvas, and can absorb it all," cookbook author and chef Raghavan Iyer told Detroit News, and while potatoes are adaptable enough to pair with nearly any herb, chives and potatoes go together like coffee and cream. While there's nothing wrong with the standard combo of sour cream, melted cheese, and chives over potatoes, switch things up with this luxurious aioli mashed potatoes recipe with chives that is sure to make your mouth water.

Unlike many standard mashed potato recipes weighed down with copious amounts of dairy, this recipe's use of garlicky aioli provides an equally rich and creamy result. Similarly to with your eggs, don't be afraid of overseasoning — potatoes love salt, notes recipe creator Andy Baraghani. The recipe will yield about six servings that will complete any steak, salmon, or turkey entrée. Even if you opt for a less decadent potato dish, chives will spruce up anything from simple breakfast potatoes to lemony roasted potatoes.

Part of chives' appeal is that they are just so versatile, adding an earthy pop to various types of seafood. Whether served with fish such as cod, tilapia, or salmon or sprinkled into a broth accompanying steamed mussels, chives will add a dash of freshness to nearly any seafood dish. For a meal that is comforting while still feeling light, look no further than a Connecticut-style lobster roll recipe. Chives take this quintessential American sandwich to even greater heights. Combined with a light sprinkling of tarragon and an extra squeeze of lemon, they add another dimension of flavor to an already delightful combination of lemony, herbal, and buttery notes of the roll, according recipe creator Stephanie Rapone.

As an ode to the first-documented lobster roll, created in Connecticut in 1929 (via Culture Trip), this sandwich is a warm and buttery variation, unlike its Maine-style alternative, which is cold and served with a mayonnaise-based dressing. In the 1960s, the lobster roll began to take off, popping up throughout New England, and both styles are extraordinarily popular today.

Chives add a fresh flavor to any hearty soup recipe that's creamy and thick, such as our cauliflower potato soup. Rather than with a brothier soup, chives will work wonderfully with a soup such as this that has a heavier consistency, allowing the herbs to work their magic by adding a much-needed lift. Packed with nutritious roasted veggies such as onions,  this rich soup benefits from the addition of chives which compliment the allium layers of flavor while making the dish look more appetizing, thanks to its vibrant green color.

While either fresh or dehydrated chives would suffice, if you're using fresh chives, be sure to add them immediately before serving — chives are so delicate that the heat of the soup will immediately diminish its garlicky flavor. To really make this soup soar, add crispy bacon bits and fried onions overtop. Serve with a side of crusty garlic bread for a complete meal that will be both filling and nourishing at any time of the year.

You may have heard of adding pickled onions or cocktail olives to your martini, so why not switch up this classic drink and use chives instead? Martinis are famously simple, generally consisting just of vodka or gin and vermouth, meaning they are ideal for amplifying nuances of flavor. While martinis can be made with either vodka or gin, you'll definitely want to stick with gin for this one — while vodka is typically distilled with grains or potatoes, gin is instead distilled with juniper berries and other botanicals, resulting in a dry taste that allows the earthy and herbal flavors to truly shine (via Britannica).

To create this variation, simply add chive blossoms to your favorite gin, and allow it to infuse at room temperature for anywhere from two hours to an entire day, leaving you with a layered, umami flavor. You'll want to strain out the blossoms after the infusion has completed, but add the blossoms to the top of each cocktail for a bright and aesthetically pleasing touch.

According to The Washington Post, biscuits originated in England, but soon became a staple of Southern cooking in the United States while utilizing ingredients more plentiful in the American South, such as butter, buttermilk, and wheat. Initially enjoyed as a delicacy, by the 1880s, this scone-like baked good took hold in American food culture.

For another way to utilize those chives you've frozen, freeze-dried chives will add a colorful and vitamin-rich addition to these five-ingredient garlic cheddar biscuits. The chives compliment the sharp cheddar while still allowing the garlicky flavors to shine in these soft and buttery biscuits that only take 20 minutes to make. Top with chive butter to further enhance the onion-y notes, or balance your biscuits out with sweetness by topping them with strawberry jam.

These biscuits will make a welcome addition to nearly any soup or meat dish, or can even be used as a sandwich base. Alternatively, eat them on their own as a snack or for breakfast; much like chives, biscuits are deliciously versatile and can stand either as a savory side or on their own.