Easy Ways to Reduce Bitter Taste in Any Food

Balance out bitterness with some fat.

This is why adding some milk or cream to coffee makes it taste better. Try using a cream sauce, milk, fatty cheese, olive oil, or similar fatty ingredients to help cover bitter tastes.^{[1] X Trustworthy Source HealthyChildren.org Health information from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Go to source}
This is a great trick to get kids to eat more bitter vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, or cabbage. Add some cheese or cheese sauce to their veggies and they won’t notice the bitterness.^{[2] X Research source}

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2

Cover the flavor with sweetness.

Again, think about coffee—there’s a reason we like sweetening it a bit. The sweetness naturally covers bitter tastes. Throw a pinch of sugar or some honey into bitter foods and drinks to enhance the flavor a bit.^{[3] X Trustworthy Source American Heart Association Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education Go to source}

Pairing bitter tastes with sugar or chocolate also makes a unique dessert flavor.

Don’t overdo it with the sugar! The American Heart Association recommends having no more than 25-36 g of sugar per day for good health, so watch how much you’re using and don’t exceed that limit.^{[4] X Trustworthy Source American Heart Association Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education Go to source}

3

Sprinkle some salt over your food.

The saltiness naturally counteracts the bitterness, so don’t be shy about using a bit of salt in meals that are too bitter.^{[5] X Research source}

This is an especially good trick if you’re cooking bitter vegetables, like with roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts. Toss them in some olive oil and salt before cooking to introduce new flavors.^{[6] X Research source}

Just like with sugar, you have to watch your salt intake to maintain good health. The recommended salt intake per day is 2,300 mg, or just about 1/2 tsp.^{[7] X Trustworthy Source US Food and Drug Administration U.S. government agency responsible for promoting public health Go to source}

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4

Try a pinch of baking soda.

Baking soda is very alkaline, which is a good way to correct overly bitter dishes. Sprinkle just a pinch into your food and mix it in well to see if that helps.^{[8] X Research source}

This is a good trick for if you’re cooking and realize that you added too much of a bitter ingredient. Mix in a pinch of baking soda before the dish is done to fix that.

Be very careful not to add more than a pinch or two! Any more than that and your food won’t taste very good.

5

Squeeze in some vinegar or lemon juice.

Try squeezing some fresh Make-Lemon-Juice|lemon juice]] or adding a spoonful of vinegar to bitter dishes to neutralize the flavor a bit.^{[9] X Research source}

Using acidic or sour dressings is a great way to enhance the taste of bitter vegetables in your salads like kale, radishes, or arugula.

If you make a mistake and add too much vinegar or lemon juice to a dish, some baking soda can help fix that flavor too by eliminating the acid.^{[10] X Research source}

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6

Add some spice to your foods.

Spices mask bitter flavors, so don’t be shy. Add some spicy peppers or powders to your cooking, or sprinkle some onto your dishes for a little bit of extra heat.^{[11] X Research source}

Black pepper in particular has compounds that counteract bitterness.

Some other great spices include cayenne, red pepper, paprika, and chili powder.

7

Cook with herbs to cut through the bitter taste.

Herbs distract you from bitterness by activating other taste receptors. Mix some basil, coriander, sage, and rosemary into your cooking for great, bitter-free flavors.^{[12] X Research source}

Mixing fresh herbs into a stir-fry or roasted dish adds a whole new flavor element to your cooking.

You can also get dried herbs like basil, ginger, and oregano to sprinkle onto your meals. These last a lot longer than fresh varieties.

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8

Chill the food to reduce bitterness.

It’s a fact that colder food and drinks are less bitter, which is why you might find iced tea or coffee easier to drink. Try leaving bitter meals in the fridge before eating them to see if that improves the flavor.^{[13] X Research source}

This is a good trick for bitter vegetables. Leave them in the fridge for a few hours to cool off before eating them.

You could also combine this with other tricks, like adding some salt or fat to the meal.

9

Mix bitter ingredients into larger dishes.

Make dishes with lots of different ingredients and only add in a little bit of the bitter ones. This should mask the bitter flavors while still allowing you to get all the health benefits from bitter foods.^{[14] X Research source}

Some non-bitter foods include beans, carrots, corn, eggplant, lettuce, and potatoes. Try hiding some bitter foods in a dish with these ingredients.^{[15] X Trustworthy Source HealthyChildren.org Health information from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Go to source}

This trick works well with salads. You could mix bitter ingredients like arugula with more neutral tastes like romaine. Top the salad with a lemon vinaigrette to mask the bitterness even more.

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10

Eat more bitter foods to get used to them.

If you just keep eating bitter foods, you’ll eventually desensitize yourself to bitter tastes. It might not seem fun right now, but it can make a big difference in the long term!^{[16] X Research source}
This is a good strategy because some other tricks to make bitter food taste better, like adding sugar or fat, aren’t the healthiest. This would help you eat bitter foods without adding other ingredients.