What can I substitute for soy sauce?
Running low on soy sauce? Here are the best verified substitutes, including how to adjust your measurements.
About soy sauce
Soy sauce is a dark, salty liquid condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with wheat, water, and salt over weeks or months. It provides a deeply savoury, umami-rich flavour and is foundational to East and Southeast Asian cuisines as well as widely used globally. Its complex fermentation profile contributes salt, umami, slight sweetness, and colour to marinades, stir-fries, dipping sauces, and braises.
Best substitute
tamari
Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce made with little or no wheat, giving a richer, slightly less salty flavour that is very close to regular soy sauce. It works as a seamless one-for-one swap and is suitable for gluten-free cooking.
Use 1 tbsp for every 1 tbsp of soy sauce
marinadesstir-friesdipping saucesbraises
Alternative
coconut aminos
Made from fermented coconut sap, coconut aminos is soy-free and gluten-free with a slightly sweeter, milder flavour than soy sauce. You may need to add a small pinch of salt to compensate for the lower sodium content.
Use 1 tbsp for every 1 tbsp — consider adding a small pinch of salt
marinadesstir-friesdipping saucessoy-free cookingNot suitable for: strongly savoury braises
Alternative
worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce delivers a complex, umami-rich, slightly sweet and tangy flavour and works well as a soy sauce alternative in Western-style dishes and marinades. It is thinner and more pungent, so use slightly less and be aware it contains anchovies and tamarind.
What is soy sauce called in other countries?
| Country | Name |
|---|---|
| Australia | soy sauce |
| Canada | soy sauce |
| New Zealand | soy sauce |
| United Kingdom | soy sauce |
| United States | soy sauce |
Common names for soy sauce
shoyusoya saucedark soy saucelight soy sauce