Fried Crispy Sage Leaves are an earthy, herbaceous garnish that cook in just 30 seconds and elevate any dish. Add to your favorite savory dishes for a delicious accent and pop of flavor!
We add fried crispy sage to many of our dishes at home. It makes any dish look restaurant-worthy and takes minimal effort! We love its crunchy texture and subtle herby flavor. It has a hint of citrus and pine and is light and crisp to the bite.
Crispy sage tastes especially delicious on our Spiced Vegan Butternut Squash Soup, but we also recommend it on our Easy Roasted Honeynut Squash, Creamy Pesto Pasta, or Cacio e Pepe with Burrata.
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About Fried Sage
- Taste - The fried sage leaves are herby and fragrant. It has a more mellow, subtle flavor than fresh sage.
- Texture - The leaves are light, airy, and crispy.
- Effort - All you need to do is fry the sage leaves, let them cool, then enjoy!
- Time - It takes under 2 minutes to fry them
Ingredients
- Fresh Sage leaves - Sage leaves are earthy and savory. Frying them brings out their delicious flavor.
- Olive oil - We fry the sage leaves in olive oil to make them extra crispy.
- Kosher or sea salt - Add a little kosher or sea salt to accentuate the flavor of the sage.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Heat - Add a little black pepper for spice.
- Oil - Use avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or walnut oil instead of olive oil.
Instructions
- Fry sage leaves - In a medium skillet, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Warm pan over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Carefully place the sage leaves in a single layer in the oil. After about 30 seconds, the sage leaves will become crispy. (Photo 1 and 2)
- Cool and serve - Carefully remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon, spatula, or chopsticks and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. Season with sea salt, finishing salt, or kosher salt and serve with soup. (Photo 3 and 4)
Pro tip: Keep an eye on the sage while you are frying it to make sure it doesn't burn.
How to Enjoy Fried Sage
Fried sage is versatile and adds a delicious accent to so many dishes. We love it with soups like tomato bisque, our Butternut Squash Soup, or in a bowl of Miso Mashed Potatoes. Fried sage is also great crumpled up and sprinkled on simple pastas like our Creamy Pesto Pasta or Cacio e Pepe. Finally, it also goes well with our Buttery Fish with Crispy Skin.
Storage
Store leftover fried sage in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week for best results.
Cooking Tip
- Be sure to cook the sage leaves in a single layer so they cook evenly.
- Watch the sage while it cooks to ensure it doesn't burn.
Recipe FAQs
Sage leaves, flowers, and stems are all edible. However, we just eat the leaves because they are delicious while the stems and flowers aren't as tasty.
Uncooked sage is very pungent and not tasty. Frying the sage makes the flavor and aroma milder so you can enjoy it.
Sage's herbaceous flavor is good with so many dishes! We love it with a savory fall dish like Roasted Honeynut Squash or Butternut Squash Soup or even with Stuffing and Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving.
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Fried Crispy Sage Leaves
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 sage leaves
- olive oil
- kosher or sea salt
Instructions
- Fry sage leaves - In a medium skillet, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Warm on medium heat until the oil shimmers. Carefully place the sage leaves in a single layer in the oil. After about 30 seconds, the sage leaves will become crispy.8 sage leaves, olive oil
- Cool and serve - Carefully remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon, spatula, or chopsticks and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. Season with sea salt, finishing salt, or kosher salt and serve with soup.
Notes
- Store leftover fried sage in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Keep an eye on the sage while you are frying it to ensure it doesn't burn.
- Cook the sage leaves in a single layer so they cook evenly.
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