Best Worcestershire Sauce Substitute (2024)

FAQs

Best Worcestershire Sauce Substitute? ›

The U.K. recipe uses barley malt and spirit vinegars while Americans get a formulation made with distilled white vinegar. Some brands skimp on the soak, relying instead on onion and garlic powders. What's the secret ingredient? Salt-laden, decomposed anchovies or sardines.

The U.K. recipe uses barley malt and spirit vinegars while Americans get a formulation made with distilled white vinegar. Some brands skimp on the soak, relying instead on onion and garlic powders. What's the secret ingredient? Salt-laden, decomposed anchovies or sardines.

Anchovies add umami (savoriness). The ingredient that gives Worcestershire sauce its unique flavor is tamarind, the fruit of Tamarindus indica, or Indian date in Arabic.

Liquid aminos are used just as you would use soy sauce, such as in vegetable stir-fries, fried rice, marinated tofu, salad dressing and many other Chinese and Japanese dishes. Liquid aminos can also be used as a Worcestershire sauce substitute for vegans, as it does not contain anchovies.

It adds a depth of flavor to so many foods. The wonder of this sauce is that just a small amount is all that's needed to make a subtle, but important, difference to a dish.

Like vinegar, Worcestershire sauce does not need to be refrigerated. Whether unopened or open it can be stored in the pantry for two years.

Much like fish sauce or soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce is known for its punchy umami flavor—that deeply savory characteristic that makes you want to add it to everything. In Worcestershire sauce, this comes from anchovies.

Worcestershire sauce is really an umami delivery vehicle, a cousin to fish sauce or soy sauce that the family kind of forgot about. And we tend to forget about it, too—but at the end of the day, you can use Worcestershire to add flavor to anything saucy much in the same way you'd use soy or fish sauce.

Made from the fermented and salted innards of oily fish like anchovies and mackerel, this umami-rich potion was used on its own as a table sauce and blended with other ingredients—such as wine, black pepper, honey—to create various dressings for meat, fish, and vegetables.

What are the ingredients in store bought Worcestershire sauce? ›

DISTILLED VINEGAR, MOLASSES, CORN SYRUP, WATER, SALT, CARAMEL COLOR, SUGAR, SPICES, ANCHOVIES, NATURAL FLAVORS (SOY) AND TAMARIND.

As such, Worcestershire sauce that contains anchovies at a ratio of 1:60 may be labeled OU, without a fish designation. However, if the anchovies are more than one part in sixty of the sauce's components, the product must be labeled OU-Fish.

Though not a significant source of nutrients, Worcestershire sauce contains a minute number of several essential vitamins and minerals. A 5-gram serving provides very small amounts of vitamin C, iron, zinc, copper, and potassium.

We always recommend sticking with the original recipe, as that will produce the best results. However, soy sauce is a 1:1 substitute, and the closest and most recommended substitute for Worcestershire sauce.

While it's generally recognized as safe when consumed in small quantities, some people are allergic to it, finding that it may trigger hives, itching, swelling, or runny nose ( 12 , 13 , 14 ). Liquid aminos do not contain any chemical preservatives, so they're a good choice for people who cannot consume benzoates.

Worcestershire sauce has a complex, savory, and tangy flavor with a hint of sweetness, while soy sauce has a salty, earthy, and umami-rich flavor. Worcestershire sauce also has a slightly thicker consistency compared to soy sauce.

Yes, there are a few brands that make Worcestershire sauce without anchovies: eg. Annie's, Whole Foods 365, Kroegers, and Albertsons to name a few.