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Microgreen Recipes and What to Do With Microgreens

You eat microgreens raw, on just about anything you would put lettuce, herbs, or sprouts on: sandwiches, tacos, pizza, burgers, rice bowls, salads, soup, eggs, and avocado toast. This page collects our favorite ways to eat them, a full quesadilla recipe, our cookbook, storage tips, and which microgreen goes with which dish. It is the question we get asked most by new growers once a tray is ready to harvest.

You do not need a recipe to start. Grab a handful and put it on top of whatever you are already making. When you want more, the recipes below and in our cookbook go further.

How to Eat Microgreens: 25+ Easy Ways

Our full list of everyday and adventurous ways to use them, from sandwiches and tacos to pickled sunflower shoots, microgreen pesto, and sweet recipes. If you only read one post on this page, read this one.

Easy Everyday Ways to Use Microgreens

  • Sandwiches and wraps, for crunch and freshness
  • Tacos and burgers, added right before serving
  • Pizza, added after it comes out of the oven
  • Salads, mixed in or sprinkled on top
  • Soup, as a garnish just before serving
  • Stir fries, tossed in at the very end so they keep their crunch and color
  • Avocado toast, eggs, and omelets
  • Rice bowls, with grains, protein, vegetables, and sauce
  • Smoothies, where milder varieties such as broccoli or pea shoots blend in easily

The Takeout Trick

When we do not feel like cooking, we order from a local restaurant and top whatever arrives with a handful of microgreens from our grow tent. We have done it with burgers, sushi, pizza, tacos, and salads. It takes about 10 seconds and needs no cooking.

Featured Recipe: Homemade Microgreen Quesadilla

One of our go to weeknight meals, ready in about 10 minutes if the basics are prepped. The peppery broccoli microgreens cut through the richness of the cheese and butter.

What You Need (Serves 2)

  • 2 large flour tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or your favorite melty cheese
  • 1 cup cooked, seasoned chicken, or any protein you have on hand
  • 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 to 2 generous handfuls of fresh broccoli microgreens, or any brassica variety
  • Salsa, for dipping
  • Optional: sour cream, hot sauce, or guacamole

How to Make It

  1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
  2. Lay one tortilla flat. Sprinkle half the cheese across it, then add the chicken and onions. Top with the remaining cheese, which helps everything hold together.
  3. Fold the tortilla in half, or top with a second tortilla.
  4. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium heat. Cook the quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted.
  5. Remove from the heat, slice into wedges, and top generously with fresh broccoli microgreens just before serving. The residual heat gently wilts them without losing the crunch.
  6. Serve with salsa for dipping.

Featured Recipe: Mango Berry Kefir Smoothie With Sunflower Microgreens and Bee Pollen

We wanted something sweet, healthy, and tangy one afternoon, and instead of reaching for a sugary treat we made this. It makes enough for two, and nobody tastes the greens.

What You Need (Serves 2)

  • 1 cup frozen mango
  • 1 cup frozen mixed berries
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup plain kefir
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup of our homegrown sunflower microgreens
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons bee pollen
  • Optional: a splash of 2% milk, about 1/4 cup, to loosen it up

How to Make It

  1. Add the kefir and yogurt to the blender first.
  2. Add the sunflower microgreens, ginger, and banana, and blend until there are no green flecks left at all.
  3. Add the frozen mango and mixed berries, along with the bee pollen, and blend until smooth.
  4. If it comes out so thick that you need a spoon, or your blender starts complaining, add about 1/4 cup of 2% milk to loosen it.

The trick is the order. If you add the greens at the end, they stay stringy every time. For a sweeter smoothie, add honey. For a less tangy one, use less ginger. Bee pollen can cause allergic reactions in some people, so leave it out if that is a concern for you.

36 Easy and Unique Microgreen Recipes (Cookbook)

Our recipe cookbook covers savory, sweet, and everything between. Recipes include Asian Fruit and Microgreens Salad with Matcha Vinaigrette, Thai-Style BBQ Chicken Pizza, Pickled Sunnies and Friends, Spicy Asian Peanut Noodles with Microgreens, Grilled Chicken with Pea and Basil Microgreens Sauce, Homemade Microgreen and Veggies Tomato Soup, TexMex Veggies and Microgreens Rice, Microgreen Spring Rolls, and a chocolate chip nasturtium microgreen ice cream. Becoming a Microgreen Master also includes recipes that are not in the cookbook.

Microgreen Salads

Salads are the easiest place to start. Mix microgreens into your greens or sprinkle them on top for color and bite. For something sweeter, try a fruit salad with peppery or citrus microgreens and a honey-lime dressing, or the Asian Fruit and Microgreens Salad with Matcha Vinaigrette from our cookbook.

Quick Sunflower Microgreen Salad

The fastest way we know to eat sunflower microgreens as a salad: toss fresh sunflower microgreens with a squeeze of fresh lime, sea salt to taste, and olive oil. For a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes. For a tangier version, add a dash of red wine vinegar.

Which Microgreen Goes With Which Dish

Flavor depends on the variety, so match the green to the meal. Our types of microgreens guide sorts them by flavor.

  • Broccoli, kale, and cabbage: mildly earthy and fresh. Good on quesadillas, tacos, and rice bowls. See the broccoli guide and red cabbage guide.
  • Radish and mustard: spicy and peppery. Good on sandwiches, burgers, and tacos. See the radish guide.
  • Pea shoots: sweet and crisp, like fresh peas. Good in salads and smoothies. See the pea shoots guide.
  • Sunflower: nutty and slightly crunchy. Good on salads, in smoothies, and quick pickled. See the sunflower guide.
  • Cilantro and basil: the same flavor as the mature herb, often more concentrated. See the cilantro guide.

Raw or Cooked?

Microgreens are almost always eaten raw to keep their flavor, color, and texture. The residual heat of a pizza or quesadilla will not ruin them, but actively cooking them wilts most of what makes them worth growing. Add them at the very end, or just before serving. Our post covers the food safety side in more detail.

Storing Microgreens

Microgreens are best fresh, but if you need to store them:

  • Pat dry after harvest if they are very wet, and do not wash them before storing, because moisture makes them spoil faster
  • Use a breathable container, such as a container lined with a paper towel, or a regular produce bag
  • Refrigerate and use within 3 to 5 days for the best flavor and texture
  • Keep them away from the back wall of the fridge, where they can get frostbitten
  • Some will last up to 1 week, and pea microgreens can stretch to 3 weeks in ideal conditions

The produce bags, scale, and harvest knife we use are in our Harvesting Tools We Use list (affiliate link). Our harvesting guide compares knife, scissors, and electric trimmers.

Why Microgreens Are Good for You

A breakdown of the nutrient research by crop family, including the University of Maryland study that found some microgreens contain 4 to 40 times more of certain nutrients than the mature plant. See also Microgreens vs. Mature Vegetables.

Grow Your Own

If you are not growing yet, the easiest way to start is our 7x14 Microgreens Growing Kit. See all sizes on our trays and kits page, and find where we buy seed on our Microgreen Seeds page. Microgreen Tracker keeps a first tray on schedule with a projected harvest date and watering reminders, and it comes with a 7 day free trial. Try Microgreen Tracker Free.

Microgreen Recipes FAQ

How do you eat microgreens?

You eat microgreens raw, like lettuce, herbs, or sprouts. The easiest way is to put a handful on whatever you are already making: sandwiches, tacos, pizza, burgers, rice bowls, salads, soup, eggs, or avocado toast.

What do you do with microgreens?

Use them as a topping, filling, or garnish. They add flavor, crunch, and color to everyday meals, and they can also go into smoothies, spring rolls, pesto, quick pickles, and even desserts. Our 25+ ways post lists them all.

Do you eat microgreens raw or cooked?

Almost always raw. Add them at the very end of cooking or just before serving, so the heat of the dish gently wilts them without cooking them through.

What do microgreens taste like?

It depends on the variety. Broccoli, kale, and cabbage are mildly earthy, radish and mustard are spicy and peppery, pea shoots are sweet and crisp, sunflower is nutty, and cilantro and basil taste like the mature herb.

How long do microgreens last in the fridge?

Plan on 3 to 5 days for the best flavor and texture. Some varieties last up to 1 week, and pea microgreens can last up to 3 weeks in ideal conditions. Store them dry in a breathable container.

Should I wash microgreens before storing them?

We do not wash them before storing, because extra moisture makes them spoil faster. Pat them dry if they are very wet, and rinse right before eating if you prefer.

Can you put microgreens in smoothies?

Yes. Milder varieties such as broccoli or pea shoots blend in without changing the flavor much. Use spicy varieties like radish or mustard sparingly, and pair them with sweet fruit such as banana, mango, or pineapple. Try our Mango Berry Kefir Smoothie with sunflower microgreens on this page.

Can you eat microgreens every day?

Yes. Many home growers, including us, eat them daily. Rotate between varieties for a wider range of flavors and nutrients.

What are the easiest microgreens to eat for beginners?

Broccoli, radish, kale, pea, and sunflower are the easiest to grow and taste good on a wide range of foods. Mild varieties like broccoli, pea, and sunflower are a good starting point for picky eaters and kids, tucked into quesadillas, tacos, or smoothies.

Not sure where to begin? Start with 25+ easy ways to eat microgreens and try the quesadilla above. When you want more, the cookbook is there.

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Affiliate disclosure: the Harvesting Tools We Use link on this page is an Amazon affiliate link, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our full Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure.

Nutritional information on this page is based on commonly available research, peer-reviewed studies, and public health sources. We are not nutritionists, dietitians, or medical professionals, and nothing here is medical or nutritional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal dietary guidance. Recipes and storage times reflect our own experience, and results may vary.

Happy growing!