what to use in place of oyster sauce
Choosing the best oyster sauce substitute is actually very unproblematic if you follow my handy guide to oyster sauce alternatives! The unique season of oyster sauce is important in many Asian-inspired dishes, so when it's not available information technology's good to know your options!
A list of all the all-time options for replacing oyster sauce in any recipe!
Frequently when y'all need a substitute for a recipe information technology is merely because you don't have the original ingredient on hand. Every in one case in a while, it may be considering you don't like a certain ingredient or are allergic to something.
Maybe you lot jumped to substitutes for oyster sauce because you weren't too excited nigh something with the proper noun oyster in it. Possibly you are allergic to shellfish, or yous just don't similar oysters.
Jump to:
- What Is Oyster Sauce?
- What is Oyster Sauce Used For?
- The Best Substitutes for Oyster Sauce
- 1. Hoisin Sauce
- ii. Worcestershire Sauce
- three. Soy Sauce + Saccharide
- iv. Fish Sauce
- 5. Teriyaki Sauce
- Vegan & Gluten-Free Substitutions for Oyster Sauce
- 6. Vegan Oyster Sauce
- 7. Tamari
- 8. Coconut Aminos
- 9. Black Bean Paste or Sauce
- x. Mushroom Sauce
- 11. Bootleg Oyster Sauce (NOT Vegan-Friendly)
- Choosing the Best Substitute
- 📋 Recipe
If it's the name that is off-putting, allow us take a quick await at what oyster sauce is start. You may notice it is not quite every bit fishy as it sounds. Even so, you lot may also find that you lot all the same desire an oyster-costless selection. Not a problem!
Whatever your want or demand for a substitute may be, there are plenty of yummy ones to choose from.
What Is Oyster Sauce?
Oyster sauce is a common condiment used in Asian cooking. Information technology is particularly common in Chinese nutrient. Unless y'all have an allergy to shellfish, yous have probably tasted oyster sauce before without even knowing it.
While oyster sauce is made from oysters, it as well includes several other ingredients that help it develop a distinctly bold flavor that many depict every bit a mix between soy sauce and barbeque sauce. This sweet and salty philharmonic even looks a chip like barbeque sauce.
It is a rich dark color and resembles the consistency of syrup, rather than a thin sauce like soy sauce. This caramel-like consistency and coloring is the result of the process of caramelizing oyster extract and sugar to make the sauce.
What is Oyster Sauce Used For?
In Chinese cooking, oyster sauced is used to elevate the flavors in many dishes. Oyster sauce is also commonly used in Vietnamese, Thai, and Cantonese cooking.
It is popularly used to raise the flavors in meat and vegetable dishes, not too unlike how a BBQ sauce would be used in the Us. Stir-fry dishes are some other great fashion to use oyster sauce equally it enriches the flavors of all the ingredients, while also bringing a nice balance to the overall dish.
Oyster sauce is like shooting fish in a barrel to use right out of the canteen. It can fifty-fifty be added right on acme of a basin of noodles and mixed in but before eating, no cooking required!
The Best Substitutes for Oyster Sauce
With the ease and tastiness of this condiment, many abode cooks are starting to add together it to their stock of other go-to condiments and seasonings. Therefore, at present that you know more about it you may want to run out and stock up likewise!
With its popularity on the rise though, y'all may discover your local grocery store has run out. If that'due south the case, and then you can apply 1 of these tasty substitutes until y'all can get your hands on the existent matter.
If you prefer a substitute that is vegan and gluten-free friendly, jump downwards to these tasty options.
1. Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is known as an Asian barbeque sauce. It has a similar consistency to American barbeque sauce and is used in the same manner for adding flavour to grilled meats. It is besides used every bit a dipping sauce and for other pop Asian dishes, like stir-chips.
Hoisin sauce has a lot of similar qualities to oyster sauce; therefore, it is a great choice as a substitute. The only downside is if y'all don't accept oyster sauce in your kitchen then yous may not accept hoisin on manus. Hoisin is a vegan-friendly sauce, only information technology is made with soybeans – so avert it if yous have a soy allergy.
Use hoisin sauce in a i:1 substitution for oyster sauce in whatsoever recipe.
Hoisin Sauce + Soy Sauce
If you feel like the hoisin sauce is too thick, you can balance out the consistency and the flavor with a bit of soy sauce.
Use half the amount of hoisin sauce + half the amount of soy sauce to equal the amount of oyster sauce yous need to replace in your recipe.
2. Worcestershire Sauce
You may not think of Worcestershire sauce when you think of Asian cooking, but this condiment that is popular in England has a lot of similarities to both oyster sauce and fish sauce.
Worcestershire is made from fermenting anchovies, along with several other ingredients. This gives information technology a rich and complex flavor that is a wonderful addition to many dishes.
The consistency of Worcestershire is closer to soy sauce rather than oyster sauce; therefore, it works best in stir-fries or as a marinade.
Worcestershire sauce has a assuming flavor, so it is best to start with less and add more every bit needed. Begin with ½ the amount the recipe calls for in oyster sauce. Then add more than as needed.
Worcestershire Sauce + Soy Sauce
If yous want a bit more than of a traditional Asian flavour, try mixing Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce. You can use equal parts to replace ane serving of oyster sauce.
3. Soy Sauce + Sugar
Soy sauce is i of those condiments that nigh people have in their pantry or fridge, which makes it an easy substitute for oyster sauce.
Like oyster sauce, soy sauce has a distinct flavor that is associated with Asian cuisine. Unlike oyster sauce, it is non as thick, and it does not offer the circuitous flavors that come from the caramelizing process of producing oyster sauce.
You can mimic the sweet and salty philharmonic of oyster sauce by adding a bit of sugar to your soy sauce. This is a elementary way to use ingredients you already take at home and still have a prissy flavor to your dish.
Due to its thinner consistency, soy sauce works best for stir-fry dishes or marinades.
You can use soy sauce in an fifty-fifty one:1 exchange for oyster sauce. Add together a ½ teaspoon of saccharide to 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. If you want information technology sweeter or less sweet, you lot can adjust that corporeality every bit desired.
Soy Sauce
If yous prefer a salty dish and want to avoid the added sweetness of carbohydrate, you lot tin can get alee and use regular soy sauce. This will give you a similar Asian-inspired dish, merely without the circuitous flavors.
4. Fish Sauce
While it sounds similar fish sauce and oyster sauce would taste the same, they are actually quite different.
Fish sauce is made from fermenting small fish, oft krill or anchovies. This results in a salty sauce that has a distinctly fishy flavor. If you are looking for a less sweet substitute though, this is a good choice.
Even though it is non an exact flavor match for oyster sauce, fish sauce is a good pick for adding flavour to stir-fries or using information technology as a marinade. It is even thicker than oyster sauce, so it besides works well as a dip.
A little fish sauce goes a long style in the flavor department. Showtime with half the amount of soy sauce compared to the oyster sauce the recipe calls for. One time y'all taste it, add more than if desired.
five. Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki sauce provides a similar consistency and sweetness that is smashing for stir-fry dishes. Information technology can as well exist a corking option for glazing meats or using equally a marinade.
One thing to remember when using teriyaki sauce is that many versions take an additional flavor added, such equally a honey teriyaki. Use a plain teriyaki sauce for the closest flavour substitute.
However, if you lot want to experiment with some new flavors in your dish, you tin definitely get creative! Teriyaki sauce tin can exist swapped in a 1:1 exchange for oyster sauce.
Vegan & Gluten-Costless Substitutions for Oyster Sauce
Plainly, oyster sauce is not vegan-friendly. It is as well not gluten-gratuitous.
Well-nigh brands add a wheat-based thickening agent to help achieve the desired consistency of oyster sauce. Therefore, if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy to shellfish, gluten, or follows a vegan nutrition – and so you will want to find a substitute from the following list.
vi. Vegan Oyster Sauce
There are a lot of vegan oyster sauce options bachelor. If you plan to exercise a lot of Asian-inspired cooking, finding a favorite vegan brand is a great management.
Vegan oyster sauces can all be used in the same measurements and way that a recipe calls for regular oyster sauce.
If you accept a favorite vegan sauce and run out, or you lot are just testing the waters with some new recipes, try some of these other vegan-friendly options.
7. Tamari
Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce (yup, soy sauce has wheat in it); therefore, information technology works equally a substitute the same way traditional soy sauce does. In some cases, it may really work amend than soy sauce.
Tamari is naturally thicker and has more complex flavors than soy sauce. This provides you with a season profile that is closer in complexity to oyster sauce.
Replace oyster sauce with tamari in a ane:1 ratio in whatsoever recipe.
viii. Coconut Aminos
Coconut aminos practise indeed come up from coconuts! It is made from fermenting the sap from kokosnoot trees and then calculation salt. This makes them a naturally vegan, gluten-gratis, and soy-free product.
While coconut aminos have their ain unique taste, they do provide a squeamish natural and circuitous flavor that works well as an oyster sauce substitute.
If you lot have not used coconut aminos earlier, requite them a taste test first to brand sure y'all savour the flavor. If y'all find you lot enjoy the sense of taste of coconut aminos, so go alee and use them in a i:ane substitution for oyster sauce in any recipe.
9. Black Bean Paste or Sauce
Black edible bean paste or sauce are both easy to find at a local Asian grocery store. While these may not be the two most common ingredients to have in your pantry both tin can work well in place of oyster sauce.
Black bean paste and sauce typically accept been mixed with garlic, vinegar, and other spices. So, it will provide a saltier flavor without the sweetness of oyster sauce.
Yous can always add together a compression of saccharide if you want that sweet and savory combo. Easily swap black bean paste or sauce in a 1:1 ratio for oyster sauce.
10. Mushroom Sauce
Mushroom broths and sauces are slap-up vegan options for Asian cooking because they offering that earthy, or umami, taste that is associated with Asian dishes. All while existence completely vegan friendly and gluten-free!
While a basic mushroom broth could work for a soup, taking time to make a mushroom sauce offers you lot more options. It will be a bit thicker and offering a more enhanced flavor to your dish.
You can also look for a mushroom stir-fry sauce or paste at the grocery store.
A mushroom sauce tin be made by just sautéing your choice of mushrooms in vegetable broth and then adding a chip of cornstarch to thicken it into a paste. You can even use an immersion blender to create a polish sauce.
Use this in a ane:1 ratio for soups, stews, sauces, or stir-fry dishes.
11. Bootleg Oyster Sauce (Not Vegan-Friendly)
If yous are looking for a bootleg selection that is the real deal, then you can brand your own oyster sauce at domicile!
What you lot volition demand:
- 1 tin of Oysters
- Soy Sauce (or tamari if you want a gluten-free sauce)
- Salt
- H2o
Directions:
- Drain the oysters, but keep the liquid for later.
- Chop the oysters and add them to a saucepan.
- Add liquid + ane tablespoon of h2o to the pan.
- Sauté on medium rut for about 10 minutes, stirring and then it doesn't fire.
- Subsequently 10 minutes, remove from heat and add ¼ teaspoon of table salt.
- Let the mixture cool and then strain the liquid into a bowl.
- Measure the liquid y'all take left and stir in ii tablespoons of soy sauce for every ½ cup of liquid.
- Pour the mixture dorsum into the saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Lower the oestrus and let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it begins to thicken.
- Remove from the heat and taste.
- If y'all'd like a sweeter sauce, add ½ to 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir in while still warm.
- Use right away in any recipe that calls for oyster sauce or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Choosing the Best Substitute
As yous tin can run across, the perfect substitute is dependent on what you have available and what you are looking to bring to your dish! In that location is no correct or wrong answer here.
Choose the substitute that fits the flavor profile you are looking for most!
| Cooking Substitutes | Herb & Spice Substitutes | Baking Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Cider Vinegar | Bay Leaf | Tapioca Starch |
| Sesame Oil | Rosemary (Fresh & Dried) | Cornmeal |
| Marsala Vino | Turmeric | Potato Starch |
| Dijon Mustard | Celery Salt | Coconut Sugar |
| Horseradish | Tarragon | Buttermilk |
| Cherry-red Wine Vinegar | Cardamom | Dark-brown Carbohydrate |
| Masa Harina | Paprika | Arrowroot Powder |
| Foam Cheese | Chili Powder | Cornflour |
| Creme Fraiche | Thyme | Shortening |
| Worcestershire Sauce | Oregano | Vanilla Extract |
| Fish Sauce | Dearest | |
| Sour Cream | Eggs | |
| Oyster Sauce | Almond Flour |
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📋 Recipe
Oyster Sauce Substitute: Homemade Oyster Sauce (+More Not bad Alternatives!)
Choosing the best oyster sauce substitute is actually very simple if yous follow my handy guide to oyster sauce alternatives! The unique flavor of oyster sauce is important in many Asian-inspired dishes, so when it's non available it's good to know your options!
Servings: four servings
Calories: 8 kcal
Prep v minutes
Cooking 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Pin Recipe
- iii oz whole oysters (3-ounce canned can, packed in h2o - drained, with the water reserved)
- ane tablespoon h2o
- ¼ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar (optional, use up to 1 teaspoon to taste)
-
Drain the oysters, existence sure to reserve the canned water, then chop your whole oysters.
three oz whole oysters
-
Rut the chopped oysters with 1 tablespoon water in a small bucket over medium estrus and saute for 10 minutes, stirring ofttimes.
one tablespoon water
-
Remove from heat and stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt then set aside and allow to cool.
¼ teaspoon table salt
-
Strain the cooled sauce into a clean liquid measuring cup then add together 2 tablespoons of soy sauce per ½ cup of strained liquid and render the sauce to your saucepan. *Add optional sugar, if desired, before simmering to thicken.
two tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar
-
Oestrus the sauce over medium-high heat until simply first to boil, then reduce oestrus to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. *It should cling to your spoon or spatula. The sauce will thicken more than once refrigerated.
-
Remove from estrus and employ in recipes, or store for afterwards once fully cooled.
Calories: viii kcal | Carbohydrates: 1 g | Protein: 1 g (ii%) | Fat: ane g (2%) | Saturated Fatty: 1 thou (6%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 k | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: i mg | Sodium: 650 mg (28%) | Potassium: 22 mg (1%) | Fiber: one g (4%) | Sugar: 1 g (1%) | Vitamin A: 1 IU | Calcium: 3 mg | Iron: 1 mg (6%)
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young historic period in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the nutrient service manufacture, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Source: https://bakeitwithlove.com/oyster-sauce-substitute/