Don’t let that pricey saffron languish in your spice cabinet. These golden, saffron-infused recipes make every thread count.
The dizzying scent of pure saffron has captivated people for centuries. It’s been used to make everything from paella and risotto to soups, baked goods and tea. The fragile threads add a golden hue to anything they touch, while their complex flavor and aroma contribute floral, earthy, bitter and sweet notes.
It’s no secret that the spice comes at a price. Saffron is considered one of the most expensive ingredients in the world because it needs to be harvested by hand and yields only a tiny amount. Each flower produces only three red threads, so it takes a lot of flowers to fill up a jar! In other words, it’s not something most of us buy on a whim, but it’s easy to end up with leftovers after making a recipe that calls for saffron. And the last thing you want to do is let it sit in your pantry and collect dust.
While saffron stores well—it will keep for several years in a cool, dark place—it does lose its vibrancy over time. Instead of waiting for a special occasion to use it, crack open the jar and make a special recipe with saffron. And by special, we don’t mean complicated. Saffron can be used in soups, pastas, rice dishes and even desserts. Simply steep the strands in warm broth or milk for 10 to 15 minutes to coax out their complex flavor, and add the liquid to tonight’s dinner or this weekend’s baking project.
From the Recipe Creator:
Saffron rice is an easy-to-make recipe that's tasty and always a crowd favorite. Saffron adds a beautiful golden hue and a distinctly earthy yet sweet, floral flavor. —Laura Hady, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
You’ll find some iteration of saffron rice in almost every cuisine. Here it is in its most basic version: toasted white rice cooked in saffron-infused broth. We finish it with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley for a little pop of color. To fill out the meal, serve it with chicken, slow-cooked lamb, parchment-paper gyros or Turkish eggs.
From the Recipe Creator:
These stunning saffron buns take a little bit of time and effort, but they really are a showstopping recipe to turn to when you want to impress. —Margaret Knoebel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
A trip to Sweden might not be in the budget, but a tiny saffron splurge might be! Recreate fika (a midday coffee break) at home with these saffron buns. Finished with crunchy pearl sugar, they’re iconic around Christmastime (but delicious anytime).
From the Recipe Creator:
Anytime I want to make a meal feel extra special, I turn to rich and creamy saffron risotto. —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Saffron rice takes the form of risotto in this Italian-inspired dish. A saffron-infused broth tints the rice with a golden hue and perfumes it with an earthy, honey-like aroma before it’s drowned in Parmesan cheese. Heaven.
From the Recipe Creator:
These saffron arancini take a little bit of time to prepare, but they're well worth it! Soon, your friends and family will be requesting them at every get-together. —Margaret Knoebel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Got saffron risotto leftovers? Reimagine them into crispy arancini balls with a molten mozzarella core. The saffron’s floral and honey notes play beautifully with the mild, milky mozzarella. Enjoy them as-is or with a warm marinara dipping sauce.
From the Recipe Creator:
If you enjoy cooking ethnic foods, this hearty rice dish is wonderful. It's brimming with generous chunks of sausage, shrimp and veggies. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
A steaming bowl of paella might be one of the most iconic ways to use saffron. Juicy chicken, chorizo and shrimp dot the saffron-infused rice, with sweet onions, peppers and peas studded throughout. Don’t stir the paella if you like those crispy bits at the bottom—they’re the best part!
From the Recipe Creator:
Shrimp linguine is an easy weeknight dinner that's elegant enough to double as a date night or dinner party dish. Adding saffron to the creamy sauce lends a floral aroma and a gorgeous color. —Lindsay Mattison, Beaverton, Oregon
This stellar shrimp linguine recipe starts with cooking cherry tomatoes until they burst, then stirring in cream and saffron-steeped broth. Al dente linguine and plump, succulent shrimp finish the dish, creating a dinner that feels like pure luxury.
From the Recipe Creator:
This South Asian dish layers chicken, basmati rice and onions in a large pot, slowly cooking the ingredients until the flavors seep through every bit. Pair it with its popular side—cucumber and red onion salad—for a fully satisfying meal. —Anikah Shaokat, New York City, New York
Chicken biryani might feel like a bit of a project, but you’ll know it’s worth it when you invert this impressive dish onto a big serving platter. The saffron is steeped in the milk before it’s poured all over the toasted rice, infusing its golden hue and floral aroma into every last crevice.
From the Recipe Creator:
My Grandmother Trinidad loved making this albondigas recipe. We like to serve it over tostadas sprinkled with raw cabbage. —Wanda Knutson, Waco, Texas
This meatball soup gains its gorgeous, layered complexity from a saffron-rich tomato broth. It’s made with rice and vegetables, so it already feels like a complete meal, but it’ll feel even more so with some crunchy tostadas, shredded cabbage and a little cilantro for garnish.
From the Recipe Creator:
I grew up near Little India in California, and I loved the desserts from Indian sweets shops. One of them sold kulfi, a spiced and nutty frozen custard in cone molds. Here I use a shortcut method to make kulfi quickly and without any special equipment. The whole milk can be replaced with mango pulp for mango kulfi. —Justine Kmiecik, Crestview, Florida
This Indian dessert is as thick, dense and creamy as ice cream, but it doesn’t need to be churned. It’s also chock-full of saffron, cardamom and pistachios, creating the perfect mix of floral, spicy, nutty bites.
From the Recipe Creator:
I prefer grilling in the summer because you don't need to turn on the stove and heat up the house. If you want to get fancy, serve it in a chilled martini glass for a beautiful presentation. The rice and/or shrimp can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated until serving. —Lindsay Matuszak, Reno, Nevada
Nutrition Facts:
5 shrimp with 1/2 cup rice and 3/4 cup salsa: 432 calories, 15g fat (2g saturated fat), 154mg cholesterol, 1206mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 6g fiber), 27g protein.
Saffron rice is the perfect accompaniment for grilled shrimp, especially when it’s marinated overnight in six herbs and spices. Finish the dish with a bright avocado-corn salsa that adds fresh, creamy, sweet components.
From the Recipe Creator:
This shrimp paella recipe is not only healthy but satisfying, too! It has vitamin C from the sweet red pepper, fiber from the rice, and lean protein from the chicken sausage. — Daniel Bartholomay, Fargo, North Dakota
No paella pan? No problem! This version uses a Dutch oven instead and still comes out every bit as delicious. Since the saffron is simmered in the tomato broth, you’ll get saffron’s floral, honey flavor in every bite.
From the Recipe Creator:
This golden-colored soup is brimming with an assortment of seafood and is paired with savory, colorful sourdough toast with spread.— Lauren Covas, New Brunswick, New Jersey
This French-inspired saffron recipe includes the spice in broth with potatoes, shrimp, mussels, clams, red snapper, tarragon and parsley. Serve this pot of Provencal specialties with toasted sourdough to soak up every last drop of the liquid-gold broth.
From the Recipe Creator:
For years, we've enjoyed dishes flavored with this version of ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend we use on everything from lamb stew to scrambled eggs. —Carol Ward, Deming, New Mexico
Want to stretch your prized saffron? Add it to a homemade spice blend. This ras el hanout-inspired blend is made with allspice, nutmeg, pepper, mace, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric and salt. It tastes great on just about everything—lamb, chicken, fish and roasted vegetables.
Saffron Recipes FAQ
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Why is saffron expensive?
Saffron is expensive because each Crocus sativus flower only produces three red stigmas, which become saffron threads when dried. It takes 150 to 200 flowers just to produce a single gram of saffron threads, and the process involves significant labor. The flowers are delicate, so they have to be picked by hand and can only be harvested in the morning during a short annual flowering period. The stigmas are then carefully separated from the flowers and dried to preserve their color and flavor.
What does saffron taste like?
Saffron is layered with complex flavors, including earthy, floral, sweet, bitter, grassy and dry-hay or honey-like notes. Even with so much nuance, saffron doesn’t overpower a dish, adding a full-bodied, warm character. Steep it in broth and try it in soups, risotto, biryani, paella, rice and tahdig, crispy Persian rice.
How long does saffron last?
Saffron can last up to three years when stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Avoid storing it near your oven or other sources of heat, which can accelerate the loss of color and aroma. You’ll know it’s past its prime when its red color and distinctive aroma have faded.
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