Some of the most distinctive and surprising flavours can be found within our own flora. Not to mention the vibrant colours and textures of native Australian ingredients, including finger lime, saltbush, wattleseed, pepperberry, lemon myrtle and macadamia.
These recipes celebrate the flavours of Australia, with native Australian ingredients as the heroes. While First Nations communities have used these Indigenous ingredients for tens of thousands of years, it’s only in recent years that using native Australian ingredients has become popular in restaurants around the country — so much so, in fact, that some native ingredients are more easily sourced and used in home cooking.
From blood lime and chilli mud crab and roasted lemon myrtle-stuffed pork racks to Davidson’s plum cocktails and sticky date puddings with cinnamon myrtle and macadamia brittle, here are our best recipes that hero native Australian ingredients.
Best recipes with native Australian ingredients to cook in 2025
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How to make damper made with wattleseed and bush tomato
Our easy damper recipe is best served warm and with a side of whipped native parsley butter.
Pepperberry crumpets with whipped balsamic butter
Start preparing these crumpets before your morning coffee and the dough will have risen by the time you’ve finished it.
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Salt-baked chicken in pepperberry and wild fennel
A bush-inspired baked chicken recipe that heroes native Australian ingredients.
Salt and vinegar smashed potatoes with pickled radish and lemon crème fraîche
These smashed potatoes are our answer to a childhood classic: salt and vinegar chips.
Barbecued butterflied lamb leg with saltbush rub
This saltbush-rubbed lamb is paired with a simple yoghurt-lemon sauce. Make it the star at your next barbecue.
Jock Zonfrillo’s roast turkey with native herbs and spices
Give the Christmas classic of roast turkey an Australian twist with this recipe by Orana chef Jock Zonfrillo.
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Luke Burgess’s flounder fried in fubá with finger lime and young ginger
“Fubá is basically polenta and makes for an amazing crust on the flounder, contrasting beautifully with its soft, gelatinous flesh,” says chef, Burgess.
Kylie Kwong’s deep-fried chicken with finger-lime sauce
“Lemon chicken is one dish I don’t look back at with nostalgia – there’s no love lost there,” says Kylie Kwong. “This is my interpretation, which steers well clear of the processed sauces from a jar.”
Barbecued oysters with finger-lime mignonette
Throw an … oyster on the barbie? Don’t knock it ’til you try it.
Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime
A brilliant interplay of textures and flavours, courtesy of the Firedoor chef.
Sesame kingfish sashimi with ponzu and finger lime
The freshness of this sesame-crusted kingfish sashimi is amplified by a light ponzu dressing and accompanying greens.
Buckwheat-hemp crackers with avocado and finger lime
These crackers are wholesome and moreish, and go well with any dip of your choosing. Here, we’ve paired them with a fresh, zesty smashed avocado.
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Jacqui Challinor’s kingfish ceviche with avocado and finger lime
One of the most popular dishes on the Nomad menu, for good reason.
Sean Moran’s parsley salad with finger lime
A tabbouleh-like salad with the extra pop and zing of finger lime.
Seared tuna salad with radish, finger lime and citrus vinaigrette
This zingy seared tuna salad, topped with citrus vinaigrette and finger lime, will be a crowd-pleaser at your next lunch party.
Kylie Kwong’s sweet and sour pork with Davidson’s plum
The chef’s take on the Cantonese classic.
Kylie Kwong’s deep-fried duck with Davidson’s plum sauce
A signature Kylie Kwong recipe, for good reason.
Davidson’s Plum Sour by Raes on Wategos
A gin cocktail that’s pleasantly sweet, tart and refreshing.
Raes on Wategos’ oysters with lemon-aspen vinegar, anise-myrtle oil and finger lime
For oysters with personality.
Charred prawn sandwich with fennel, lemon myrtle and lime
These luxe sandwiches are a treat for lunch or dinner, but can easily morph into a cocktail snack. That’s versatile.
Lobster with lemon myrtle, tarragon and crab butter
A simple and decadent way to enjoy lobster — particularly at Christmas.
Lemon myrtle brown butter madeleines
This is a simple madeleine recipe worth committing to memory.
Bay leaf and lemon myrtle roast turkey
Level up your Christmas table centrepiece with this Australian-inspired roast turkey recipe.
Salted-caramel macadamia tart with chocolate ganache
Fans of peanut brittle should be on high alert: this tart will be impossible for you to resist.
Macadamia panna cotta by Alberto’s Lounge
It’s the minimalist simplicity of a panna cotta, but made Australian with macadamia.
Barbecued quail with grapes, beans and macadamia nuts
This barbecued quail with a light, nutty salad is a quick and easy recipe for any time of year.
Salted-caramel macadamia ice-cream sandwiches
The ice-cream sandwich of your dreams awaits.
Dairy-free honey and macadamia tart with figs and blackberries
Make honey the hero.
Raes on Wategos’ mango-macadamia popsicles with Piña Colada pineapple
Taking inspiration from Weiss bars, these frozen treats are made for summer.
Jason Saxby’s burrata with peach, fennel, macadamia, mint and lemon myrtle oil
Burrata, fennel: this recipe writes itself.
Jaclyn Koludrovic’s dairy-free macadamia parfait with pineapple, ginger and finger lime
When it comes to making this creamy vegan dessert, it’s aquafaba to the rescue.
Mango macadamia merveilleux with Dulcey cream
This meringue spectacle is sure to be the star at Christmas lunch.
Cinnamon myrtle-spiced sticky date pudding with macadamia brittle
Served with a butterscotch sauce, this rich sticky date pudding takes inspiration from native Australian ingredients.
Roast lamb rack with braised silverbeet, fennel and macadamia pesto
A roast lamb recipe that’s easy and impressive.
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Roast pork rack with lemon myrtle and cranberry stuffing
This aromatic, slow-cooked roast pork rack is a feast for the senses. It marries classic roast flavours like cranberry and garlic with native Australian ingredients.
Raspberries with eucalyptus meringue
Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for raspberries with eucalyptus meringue by Pierre Roelofs from Cafe Rosamond.
Kylie Kwong’s wallaby sang choi bau
“Sang choi bau, a staple of Chinese-Australian restaurants, is one of my favourite Chinese classics,” says Kylie Kwong. “I love the contrast of textures and temperatures”
Analiese Gregory’s wallaby tartare with anchovy dressing
It’s loosely based on a Stephanie Alexander recipe for kangaroo and anchovy vinaigrette.
Adam Wolfers’ kangaroo kofta
A very Australian take on the meatball favourites.
Carpaccio of kangaroo with beetroot and native fruits
Recipe for carpaccio of kangaroo with beetroot and native fruits by Jason Saxby from Osteria di Russo & Russo in Sydney.
Kangaroo, ale and mushroom pie
This wild red meat benefits from a slow bath with unctuous portobellos and ale.
Flower Drum’s sautéed mud crab with ginger and spring onion (keong chung hai)
A luxurious seafood dish from the Melbourne favourite.
Dan Hong’s mud crab with XO sauce
Dan Hong shares his recipe for a stunning main course of crab stir-fried with Chinese flavours such as ginger, spring onion and XO sauce.
Thai chilli and mango mud crab
Feeling crabby? This Thai chilli and mango mud crab is a definite cure-all.
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Blood lime and chilli mud crab
This crab recipe is best eaten outside, with sleeves rolled up, in a drippy finger-licking mess.
Escabeche of Murray cod with saffron and currants
Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for escabeche of Murray cod with saffron and currants by Brigitte Hafner and Stefano De Pieri.
Steamed Murray cod with whipped lemon myrtle butter
Perfect for spring.
Roast Murray cod with puttanesca butter
Alex Wong’s riff on roast fish mingles Asian ingredients with Italian flavours for a delicious and versatile dish.
Barbecued barramundi with macadamia romesco
A nutty romesco is the perfect accompaniment to the smoky flavours of barbecued barramundi. And it’s an impressive looking addition to the table, to boot.
Wild barramundi, cavolo nero and spanner crab
While crab and fish sounds like a rich combination, there’s plenty of fresh flavour going on here to balance things out.
Coconut dhal with barramundi
Dhal is the ultimate comfort food and, in this version, coconut milk adds richness to the dish.
Barramundi with Grenobloise sauce and colcannon
A comforting pan-fried barramundi recipe with Grenobloise sauce and colcannon makes for one quick and easy dinner.
Baked barramundi with pepperleaf mayonnaise
When paired with our salt and vinegar potatoes, this baked barramundi recipe becomes a refined version on the classic Aussie fish and chips.
Chilled corn soup with yabbies
Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for chilled corn soup with yabbies.
Yabby jaffles
Recipe for yabby jaffles by Sean McConnell from Canberra restaurant Monster.
Poached yabbies, sugarcane and coriander vinegar
“Yabbies are a great starter to a casual meal,” says Burgess. “Simply put them in the middle of the table for guests to peel themselves.”
Alla Wolf-Tasker’s local yabbies, farm cucumbers, dill and whey dressing
A simple starter of freshwater yabbies with fresh herbs and a silky whey dressing.
Kylie Kwong’s stir-fried Australian native greens with garlic
The legendary chef’s simple and delicious celebration of Australian native produce.
Warrigal greens Rockefeller
Classic Rockefeller oysters, balanced out by South Australian warrigal greens.
Helly Raichura’s stir-fried warrigal greens and vegetables (shak bhaja)
Use any starchy vegetable in place of Kent pumpkin and Desiree potatoes to achieve the same intensely savoury profile of this aromatic side dish.
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Kap mauri oxtail ragù with native thyme and warrigal greens
A slow-cooked masterpiece made with native Australian ingredients.
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