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Don’t have sake on hand or want a non alcoholic substitute? Here’s the best sake substitute to use in your cooking.
Making a recipe that calls for dry sherry and don’t have it? Sake (pronounced sah-kay) is a Japanese fermented rice liquor, sometimes called rice wine. Sake has a smooth flavor with a dry finish, like dry white wine or dry vermouth.
It’s used in cooking like a white wine: to deglaze a pan, tenderize meat and add complexity in flavor to sauces. Sake can also be used in cocktails (like this tasty Sake Southside!), but here I’m sharing some cooking sake substitutes.
Best Sake Substitute To Use In Cooking
But don’t have time to shop for it, or don’t want to spring for a bottle? Or need a non-alcoholic substitute? Here are my favorite sake substitutes.
1. Dry sherry
The best sake substitute? Dry sherry. Cooking sherry is dry white wine that’s been fortified by adding alcohol. The flavor is sharp, with a scent of apple cider and a very dry finish. The flavor is a bit stronger than sake, but it’s close. Use it as a 1:1 replacement.
2. Dry white wine
Another good sake substitute? Dry white wine. The flavor profiles of sake and dry white wine are very similar, though sake may be slightly stronger. Use a dry white wine as a 1:1 replacement. Avoid using a sweet wine, because it will give the recipe an entirely new character.
3. Dry vermouth
Another decent sake substitute? Dry white vermouth! Do not use a sweet vermouth (which are typically red) or a semi-sweet vermouth like Dolin or Lillet Blanc. These will come out entirely too sweet and change the character of the recipe. But a dry vermouth works: like what you’d use for a Classic Martini.
4. Rice wine vinegar
Need a non-alcoholic sake substitute? Try rice wine vinegar! What’s the ratio? Use 1 tablespoon vinegar plus 3 tablespoons water to replace ¼ cup sake.
5. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
If you have it on hand, Chinese rice wine is a very close match. You can use it 1:1 for sake in any cooked recipe.
6. Mirin
This sweet Japanese rice wine also works as a swap, though it’s much sweeter. Use it as a 1:1 swap.
