What's The Best Substitute For Worcestershire Sauce?

You know it, you love it, you've probably tripped over its pronunciation more than once –- but hey, that's part of what gives Worcestershire (woo-ster-sher) sauce its charm. This strange but delectable amalgamation of ingredients is something of a people-pleaser, even if said people don't even know what Worcestershire sauce is made of. The sauce harmonizes effortlessly with dishes that need that extra kick of seasoned, umami-enriched flavor. As a result, it's a perfect ingredient in chili and simple steak sauces, and can even be your chef-inspired secret weapon for a stunning French onion soup. But what happens when you reach for your bottle of Worcestershire sauce, only to find an empty space? Don't panic: There are a few substitutes out there that can get you by in a pinch, including some that may be in your cupboard already.

The chief flavor you need to replicate in any Worcestershire sauce substitute is that quintessential, kind-of-fishy umami note. It's for this reason that you'll find many people calling for the humble soy sauce to fill the shoes of Worcestershire sauce if needed. In the same way that Worcestershire sauce can be a great substitute for soy sauce, the inverse is also true, with soy sauce providing that umami and salinity as well as a similar coloration to your dishes. And while soy sauce doesn't carry quite the same sweetness as Worcestershire sauce, this can be remedied by adding a touch of sugar to your substitution.

While soy sauce might gather the general consensus as "best Worcestershire sauce substitute," that doesn't mean that it's the only ingredient that can sufficiently replace it. The underlying fishiness of Worcestershire sauce is hard to replicate, but a worthy candidate for filling that void would be soy sauce's cousin, ponzu sauce. This sauce will give you more of a bright, citrusy zing compared to soy sauce, as well as some fishy notes. But the overall depth of flavor isn't quite the same as soy sauce. Regular fish sauce will naturally give you this briny flavor as well, but miss the mark compared to ponzu where the tangy citrus notes are concerned. Still, it does enough to warrant some attention when looking for a Worcestershire sauce replacement.

You may also be wondering if there are any other alternatives that don't rely on a fish-based solution, whether you are vegan or simply undesiring of those flavors. Here, one possible solution is in whipping up your own simple sauce with a combination of apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. The apple cider vinegar provides more than enough acidity to fill in for Worcestershire sauce while providing a not-unwelcome fruity note, while the sauce is rounded out with the robust sweetness of brown sugar. An honorable mention goes out to balsamic vinegar here, as either vinegar would work in making this interesting sauce. In the end, while Worcestershire sauce may be utterly unique, you won't be entirely lost if you need to replace it.