14 Innovative Uses for Marmite

Daring, distinctive, and knowingly divisise, Marmite is somewhat of an iconic spread, wholly unique and unapologetically strong. If you’re unfamiliar, Marmite is a yeast extract-based spread with a heady, savory taste and thick, sticky texture commonly used as a spread for topping toast in the U.K. It’s by no means a subtle spread, and it’s this potency that has frequently placed those who have tried it into one of two very rigid camps: love it or hate it. Indeed, Marmite’s taste divided opinions for decades, but what’s not up for debate is the fact that Marmite is, in fact, somewhat of a culinary all-rounder, serving as a secret weapon when it comes to delivering a powerful umami punch in a small package.

Whether it’s adding rich depth to savory sauces or serving as a unique topping for your go-to snacks, Marmite lends its unique taste and unctuous texture to an array of dishes, providing them with newfound nuance, liveliness, and dimension. Even if you’re not the spread’s biggest advocator, Marmite has a variety of applications that don’t necessitate putting its own flavor at the forefront of things, instead offering a subtle but nonetheless incredibly useful upgrade to other ingredients. So, if you have a barely-eaten jar in the pantry that you were reserving for the very rare occasion you might spread it on a piece of toast in the distant future, let this be your sign to dig it out and start elevating your cooking.

If your stew, sauce, or soup feels like it’s missing that little something, a spoonful of Marmite might just be your answer. For, whilst there are an array of ingredients that help to deliver an umami punch to savory dishes, Marmite’s bold flavor is so concentrated that even the smallest helping of this salty golden spread instantly adds an unrivaled richness and depth. Stir a teaspoon, for example, into a simmering beef stew to enhance meaty, salty flavors, or swirl a helping into a tomato sauce base to enhance sweeter, tangier background notes. You may also want to consider adding Marmite to vegetarian dishes that you want to taste a little meatier and heartier, or into dishes made with poultry to grant a more robust, beefy flavor like in our lean cottage pie recipe.

With no distinct aftertaste or overpowering aroma, Marmite presents itself as oftentimes a more versatile option when you’re looking to give your dishes a simple boost without altering their flavor profile or subduing existing ingredients. Indeed, where other salty flavor enhancers such as fish sauce or anchovies oftentimes impart a strong and detectable flavor that can sometimes throw things off balance, Marmite provides the necessary nuance that solidifies its right to the label “secret ingredient” — the type of secret ingredient that will have your guests wondering just how you got your dish to taste so good.

Quick, humble, but utterly delicious, there are few dishes more comforting than a perfectly made grilled cheese sandwich. The combination of crisp, toasted bread and gooey, tangy cheese is a match made in heaven when it comes to both taste and texture. That being said, there’s no doubt that even this staple of comfort food cuisine doesn’t benefit from an upgrade now and then. Fillings like bacon or caramelized onions are popular go-tos when it comes to bringing a touch more indulgence, alongside sweet ingredients like maple syrup for that perfect salty-sweet flavor combination. But, Marmite is arguably one of the best suited (and most commonly overlooked) additions that really takes things to the next level.

Just a thin layer of Marmite on your bread before adding the cheese creates a deep, savory richness that enhances every bite. The sharpness and tanginess of cheddar are perfectly complemented by Marmite’s own distinct flavor, whilst creamier, slightly sweeter, nuttier cheeses such as brie or Gruyère are afforded a delectable contrast as the intensity of Marmite helps to cut through excess richness and maintain balance. There are very few cheeses that won’t work wonderfully in tandem with Marmite to create the ultimate grilled cheese,  so feel free to get creative. Just remember that Marmite packs a punch, so a thin layer is all you need to harness its salty, enriching powers.

When it comes to roast potatoes, most of us are looking to achieve that delightfully crisp exterior, perfectly balanced taste, and inviting golden brown color. Whilst a coating of butter or oil and a generous seasoning will no doubt suffice, adding Marmite to the mix really takes things to a whole new level, enhancing both the flavor of the potatoes as well as granting them a luscious deep brown, slightly caramelized finish.

Simply whisk in a spoonful (or more if you’re after a particularly prominent umami-rich finish) into your melted butter, oil, or cooking fat of your choice and use the mix to coat your parboiled potatoes before popping them in the oven. As the potatoes cook, the Marmite-enhanced coating will seep into every crevice of your potatoes, granting each bite a bold and salty finish. The intense savory taste no doubt makes these roasters incredibly moreish and easy to snack on, but also helps bring out the potatoes’ natural sweetness for an all-around nuanced and well-developed mouthful.

Sticky, salty, and with a subtle, almost molasses-like deep sweet note, Marmite is the perfect ingredient for marinating meat. Whether you want to elevate the beefy richness of a juicy steak or add a little oomph to your chicken, Marmite’s bold complexity grants it the ability to achieve in just a single spoonful the same effect as a multitude of other umami ingredients left to develop for hours, making it a shortcut for rich meat with a complex flavor that tastes as though it has been gently slow cooked in an array of delicious seasonings. Of course, this isn’t to say that you can’t mix Marmite with other marinade ingredients, for coating an entire flank steak in pure Marmite will most likely produce overwhelming results that even die-hard fans of the spread find a little too intense.

Start by adding approximately a teaspoon to base ingredients like olive oil, mustard, or soy sauce, alongside your go-to aromatics, and adjust the quantities based on desired potency and the amount of meat you want to coat. You’ll likely find that, due to its syrupy consistency, you have to dilute the marinade more than if you were to use something like soy sauce, so pay attention to visual cues and thin your mix out with a little more oil or vinegar if necessary.

Put the pesto down — there’s a new jarred hero in town. If you’re after dinner in a flash but don’t want to compromise on flavor, Marmite is your instant solution. Even alone, a couple of spoonfuls of Marmite mixed into butter or oil creates a deep and nuanced savory sauce with the perfect silky smooth and slightly sticky texture that’s ideal for coating pasta. British cookbook author and TV personality Nigella Lawson also adds a stock cube and chopped rosemary to the mix, whipping up a tasty spaghetti sauce with virtually no prep.

Indeed, making a Marmite sauce will no doubt take you less time than it takes for your pasta to boil, so you’re guaranteed a quick, easy, and cost-effective meal for when hunger hits but you don’t have time to run to the store. And if you do happen to have extra ingredients on hand, feel free to get creative. Parmesan, with its similarly bold savory-tangy taste works remarkably well alongside Marmite, whilst a traditional creamy carbonara made with crispy pancetta is given a unique edge via the inclusion of a spoonful or two.

Given that Marmite is sometimes described as having a taste fairly similar to beef broth, it isn’t hard to understand why the spread makes an excellent addition to meaty gravies. A small helping of Marmite mixed into your pan drippings or stock adds a deep and rich intensity that makes things taste as though they have been cooking and reducing for hours on end, particularly useful if you’re looking to deepen the flavor of your gravy but have limited time. Likewise, a spoonful of Marmite can instantly transform the taste of store-bought gravy, granting it the nuance and complexity of homemade gravy where things can otherwise feel a little lackluster.

Marmite gravy is the perfect topping for hearty roasted meats and British-inspired classics like bangers and mash, but a plant-based gravy made with Marmite is a testament to the fact that you don’t need meat to achieve that deep, rich flavor. Indeed, thanks to Marmite’s beefy taste, it adds instant depth to vegetarian and vegan gravies in a way that rivals their non-plant-based counterparts. Drizzled over cauliflower steaks, hearty nut roasts, or vegan pies, such a Marmite-infused gravy helps to deliver a meaty punch where there’s no meat in sight.

There’s no doubt that hummus is already deliciously moreish in its own right, but there’s nonetheless something about the intriguing combination of this smooth and creamy chickpea paste and the bold kick of Marmite that just makes things feel that little extra special. The delicate, nutty flavors of subtly sweet chickpeas and earthy tahini are both amplified and at the same time counterbalanced by the more intense, umami-rich flavors of Marmite for a truly knockout combination that will keep you coming back for more.

Simply add in a small amount of Marmite, working in increments and tasting as you go to ensure you don’t totally overpower the more subdued tastes of hummus, and mix everything together until the two have perfectly combined and you have a smooth, velvety texture. You can then liven up things like wraps or sandwiches with a scoop of this unique hummus, or simply enjoy its nuanced taste by dunking freshly chopped veggies or crispy crackers into it.

The unanimous go-to movie snack, popcorn rarely fails to hit the spot. Light and airy snackable morsels make for the perfect bite-sized treat, but it’s arguably, to a certain extent, the toppings that really make a bowl of popcorn great. Classic combinations like butter and sugar are pretty fail-safe, and plain salted popcorn is a pretty safe choice, but there’s no denying that these simple mix-ins can begin to feel a little repetitive after a while. If you’re a fan of salty popcorn and are looking to step things up, consider coating your popcorn in Marmite for the ultimate umami snack. With a deep, rich flavor and satisfying crunch, it’s the key to turning your movie night munchies into something utterly indulgent.

Simply stir a little Marmite into melted butter and use the infusion to coat your popped kernels, making sure that every piece is evenly coated for a uniform bowl that delivers with every bite. To take things even higher, consider adding complementary toppings and mix-ins like chili flakes or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. The result is a deeply rich and flavorful bowl of salty, tangy, satisfying popcorn that will by no means leave you underwhelmed.

Whether you’re after an upgrade for store-bought instant ramen or are looking to intensify the savory flavors of your homemade broth, Marmite has you covered. A bold umami base is a key component of any good bowl of ramen, and few ingredients deliver on this front like Marmite. Indeed, notwithstanding its luxurious honey-like texture, which grants an unctuous mouthfeel, inviting shine, and deep golden hue, Marmite creates a rich, salty depth packed with nuance and a slight tang that is sure to elevate your bowl of noodles.

And given that Marmite works incredibly well alongside almost all savory ingredients, it’s safe to assume that, regardless of your toppings, a spoonful dissolved into your broth will by no means feel out of place. Ingredients like miso, kimchi, and soy sauce — all commonplace in a hearty bowl of ramen — share similar flavors with Marmite, making the combination a perfect match. Likewise, toppings such as earthy shiitake mushrooms and tender boiled eggs are granted an equally enriching upgrade via its inclusion, so there truly is no reason not to drop a helping into your ramen next time you’re after that final flourish.

When it comes to a dinnertime spread, side plates of vegetables are often overlooked. Centerpieces like juicy roasted meats or hearty roasts oftentimes steal the show, and, subsequently, veggies pale in comparison. However, this is more often than not due to the fact that such side dishes are not afforded the care and attention they deserve, and that includes proper seasoning and glazing. A well-made glaze or dressing has the capacity to take sad side dishes from the sidelines and place them center stage, and there’s no ingredient that commands attention quite like Marmite.

A Marmite glaze instantly elevates your vegetables, enhancing their natural earthiness and highlighting more nuanced sweet notes via a delicious caramelization. Simply melt a spoonful of Marmite with butter or olive oil, toss your veggies in the mix, and cook them accordingly, allowing them soak up that rich, umami-packed goodness and develop a beautiful golden-brown crisp finish that makes them impossible to resist. Oven roasted root vegetables such as carrots or parsnips, which boast a natural woody sweetness, work especially well with a Marmite glaze. But crispy, charred Brussels sprouts, chunky slow cooked cauliflower steaks, or whatever vegetable side you’re looking to serve up, will also benefit from a coating of Marmite.

Infuse your Marmite into butter, and you’ve just unlocked a whole new range of possibilities. A simple way to elevate dishes in a single swoop, Marmite butter is the perfect addition to everything from fluffy jacket potatoes to creamy scrambled eggs, as well as simply slathered on top of warm bread for that extra bit of indulgence (and one less step when it comes to enjoying Marmite on toast).

Once you’ve made the flavorful spread by mixing melted butter with an appropriate amount of Marmite (start with a spoonful and add more as required depending on the volume of butter you are using), you can simply use it in the same way you would normal butter, thereby ensuring extra flavor with no added steps. Use it when pan frying to imbue your ingredients with its delicious saltiness, add a small slab to the top of your steak just before serving, or get especially daring and use it in place of regular butter in sweet treats such as caramel sauce to give them a unique savory twist.

Marmite might not be the first ingredient you think of when it comes to making creamy and buttery mac and cheese, but it turns out that it’s the key to delivering that necessary savory boost that really gives your mac and cheese depth and nuance. It might sound counterintuitive when you’re after cheesy, creamy results, but trust us it’s a game changer.

When stirred into your pasta mix, the Marmite dissipates beautifully into the sauce and becomes almost wholly undetectable, imparting a notable savory note and a little extra tang without overpowering the dish or clashing with the cheese. As a result, each mouthful feels a little more indulgent and has zero chance of falling flat, giving you everything you could possibly be after in a comfort food dish. Make a large batch of Marmite infused mac and cheese the next time you’re cooking for guests, and you’re sure to have everyone asking for your secret ingredient.

Bold, salty, and somewhat divisive, there’s a lot that the bloody mary cocktail has in common with Marmite, so it makes perfect sense that the two should work in tandem. Indeed, made with vodka, tomato juice, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce, bloody marys are rich, savory, and piquant, with a delicious umami depth, and these flavors are only intensified when Marmite is added to the mix.

Marrying perfectly with the salty, sweet, tanginess of the drink’s tomato juice base, Marmite amplifies existing umami flavors as well as more nuanced subtly sweet and piquant ones, delivering a similar taste to Worcestershire sauce but with a whole lot more intensity for a more striking sip. Should you choose to enjoy your bloody marys as a hangover cure at brunch time, this is a trick you by no means want to miss, for the depth of flavor and ultimate liveliness granted by this addition is sure to wake you up.

Packed with nutrients, fiber, and plant-based protein, nuts make a pretty unbeatable snack. Not only do they offer a satisfying texture and delicious earthy taste, but they also keep you feeling satisfied long after eating on account of their calorie density, making them ideal for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up when dinner seems just that little bit too far away. Though nuts, in their various types, boast naturally delicious, subtly sweet and toasty flavors, there’s no denying that a delicious coating makes these nutritious little morsels that much more enjoyable. Sweet variations like cinnamon sugar pecans or caramelized almonds are great for satisfying a sweet tooth, but when that savory craving hits, Marmite offers itself as the prime choice as a coating for nuts for a delicious and nutritious snack.

To make Marmite-glazed nuts, simply whisk together egg white with Marmite and any other seasonings or flavorings of your choice, before tossing the nuts in this mixture and roasting them in a preheated oven on a lined baking tray until golden and crispy. The finished result packs a moreish umami punch so irresistible you’ll find it hard to go back to any other salty snack again.