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Running out of a sauce doesn’t have to stop your recipe. These quick substitutes use common ingredients with proper measurements so you can swap confidently.

1. Soy Sauce Substitutes (for 1 tbsp soy sauce)
- Coconut aminos – Use 1 tbsp (1:1 swap).
- Worcestershire + vinegar – Mix 2 tsp Worcestershire + 1/2 tsp vinegar.
- Salt + sesame oil – Mix 1/4 tsp salt + 1–2 drops sesame oil + 1 tbsp water.
2. Worcestershire Sauce Substitutes (for 1 tbsp)
- Soy sauce blend – Mix 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tsp vinegar + 1/4 tsp sugar.
- Soy + lemon + hot sauce –
1 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tsp lemon juice + 1 drop hot sauce.
3. Tomato Sauce Substitute (for 1 cup)
- Tomato paste mix –
1/4 cup tomato paste + 3/4 cup water + 1/2 tsp sugar + 1/4 tsp salt. - Crushed tomatoes –
Blend and use 1 cup crushed tomatoes (1:1 swap).
4. Pasta Sauce Substitutes (for 1 cup pasta sauce)
- Garlic butter sauce –
Melt 2 tbsp butter, add 2 garlic cloves (minced),
1/2 tsp Italian herbs, and 1/4 tsp salt. - Chili oil parmesan –
2 tbsp olive oil + 1/2 tsp chili flakes + 2 tbsp grated parmesan + pinch salt.
5. BBQ Sauce Substitutes (for 1/4 cup BBQ sauce)
- Ketchup blend –
3 tbsp ketchup + 1 tbsp vinegar + 1 tbsp brown sugar + 1/4 tsp smoked paprika. - Tomato paste blend –
2 tbsp tomato paste + 1 tbsp honey + 1 tsp vinegar + 1/4 tsp smoked paprika + 2 tbsp water.
6. Fish Sauce Substitutes (for 1 tbsp)
- Soy + lime –
1 tbsp soy sauce + 1/4 tsp lime juice. - Anchovy paste mix –
1/2 tsp anchovy paste + 1 tbsp warm water.
7. Oyster Sauce Substitutes (for 1 tbsp)
- Soy + sugar –
1 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tsp sugar. - Hoisin sauce –
Use 1 tbsp (1:1 swap).
8. Hoisin Sauce Substitutes (for 1 tbsp)
- BBQ + soy –
2 tsp BBQ sauce + 1 tsp soy sauce. - Peanut mixture –
1 tsp peanut butter + 1 tsp soy sauce + 1/2 tsp honey + 1 tsp water.
9. Hot Sauce Substitutes (for 1 tsp hot sauce)
- Chili vinegar –
1/2 tsp chili flakes + 1 tsp vinegar (let sit 5 minutes). - Chili paste –
1/2 tsp chili paste + 1/2 tsp water.
10. Ketchup Substitutes (for 1 tbsp)
- Tomato paste blend –
1 tbsp tomato paste + 1 tsp vinegar + 1/2 tsp sugar + 1 tsp water. - Blended tomatoes –
1 tbsp blended canned tomatoes + 1/2 tsp sugar.
11. Mayonnaise Substitutes (for 1 tbsp)
- Greek yogurt – Use 1 tbsp.
- Avocado mash –
Mash 1 tbsp avocado + 1/4 tsp lemon juice + pinch salt.
12. Mustard Substitutes (for 1 tsp mustard)
- Turmeric blend –
1/4 tsp turmeric + 1/2 tsp vinegar + pinch salt + 1 tsp water. - Creamy blend –
1 tsp mayo + 1 pinch turmeric + pinch pepper.
Final Tip
For best results, adjust salt + sweetness + acidity after adding the substitute to match your dish’s flavor.
