No soy sauce? No problem. We all know that moment when you’re reaching for the next ingredient in your recipe and it just isn’t there. Don’t panic. Don’t pay a fortune for a rush grocery delivery order. We’ve got you. Even if your lifetime supply of little soy sauce takeout packets has disappeared, you can still continue cooking as if your soy sauce supply is plentiful thanks to these easy soy sauce substitutes that mimic the beloved condiment’s viscosity, saltiness, and umami flavors.
Just don’t forget to add soy sauce to your grocery shopping list for the future.
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Tamari
You can swap soy sauce for tamari with an equal, 1:1 ratio. Tamari is known as soy’s older, smoother sibling, with more depth of flavor, and less saltiness. Typically made without wheat (soy sauce can use wheat), tamari can be gluten-free, and is a common substitute for soy. Try it in stir fries, sauces or dressings, noodles, and more.
Coconut Aminos
A bottle of coconut aminos looks like soy sauce and has a similar salty, umami flavor. Made by fermenting coconut palm sap plus sea salt, coconut aminos is a natural swap. You can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce with an equal, 1:1 ratio, though you may need to add extra salt. Try coconut aminos in fried rice, dipping sauces, marinades, and more.
Fish Sauce
If you’re swapping in fish sauce, start by using half the amount of soy sauce called for in the recipe, as fish sauce can be quite salty and also have some fish-like salinity. Taste and season as necessary. Fish sauce is a nice swap in soup recipes, because it brings out all the flavors and incorporates nicely.
Miso Paste
Creamy miso paste isn’t the same texture as soy sauce, but it’s made from soy and fermented for wonderful funkiness, umami, and salt. Use a 2:1 ratio, and mix the miso with some water. For example, for a recipe that calls for 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, use 2 teaspoons of miso. This will work best in warm, cooked recipes, rather than sauces, so the miso can incorporate
Balsamic Vinegar
If soy isn’t the preliminary ingredient in your recipe, balsamic vinegar can work in a pinch. It’s tangy, dark hued, and adds some brininess, perhaps even brightening up your recipe. Use it in an equal ratio, and you may need to add a bit more salt to the recipe. This substitute would work well in brines, marinades, and condiments, like salad dressings that call for soy sauce.
Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce can be substituted in equal ratios, thanks to Worcestershire’s salty, umami flavors made from vinegar, anchovies, alliums, and seasoning. This sauce works well for barbecuing, or if you’re making a cooked dish where the sauce will melt and coat the food, such as fried noodles or sautéed meats.
Oyster Sauce
If you have a bottle of oyster sauce, this works as a 1:1 swap for soy sauce in cooked dishes, because of oyster sauce’s thicker consistency. Note that oyster sauce is sweeter than soy sauce, because it includes sugar, so you’ll want to cut any additional sugar from the recipe before tasting the substitute.
