Rice vinegar substitute
For each tablespoon of rice vinegar, use 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar plus 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. Apple cider vinegar and champagne vinegar also swap 1:1.
Out of rice vinegar mid-recipe?
Tell Sous Chef what you are missing. It swaps the ingredient and rewrites the steps that use it, and keeps your original recipe.
What are you making?
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Champagne vinegar
Great fit1 tbsp champagne vinegar
For this dish: Mild enough not to overpower the rice.
How: Swap 1:1.
What changes: Mild and subtle, so it is close in strength to rice vinegar. Usually more expensive than cider vinegar.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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White wine vinegar + sugar
Works1 tbsp white wine vinegar and ¼ tsp sugar
For this dish: Works with the sugar, though the flavor is a little sharper.
How: Stir the sugar into the vinegar until it dissolves.
What changes: Sharper and less sweet on its own. The sugar closes most of the gap. Healthline and Alyona's Cooking give the same sugar amount.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Apple cider vinegar
Works1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
For this dish: Alyona's Cooking says it works in sushi, but Tasting Table finds it less subtle.
How: Swap 1:1. Healthline adds 1/4 teaspoon sugar per tablespoon to match rice vinegar's sweetness.
What changes: Fruitier and stronger. Healthline notes the apple flavor shows more in pickles, and Tasting Table says it is less subtle in sushi rice.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Sherry vinegar
Avoid1 tbsp sherry vinegar
For this dish: The nutty flavor and color do not suit sushi rice.
How: Swap 1:1.
What changes: Richer, with nutty, caramel notes that rice vinegar does not have (Tasting Table). Slightly sweet.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
What rice vinegar does in a recipe
Rice vinegar is a mild, slightly sweet vinegar made from rice. It seasons sushi rice, brightens dressings and slaws, makes quick pickles and balances stir-fry sauces. Most Western vinegars are sharper, so a mild one, or a pinch of sugar, gets closest.
Swap it in your recipe with Sous Chef
A substitution is more than one ingredient line. The steps that use it change too. Sous Chef edits both on a working copy of your recipe, so the original is always one tap away.
You ask Sous Chef
"I don't have rice vinegar."
Sous Chef edits the recipe
1 tbsp white wine vinegar and ¼ tsp sugar
Stir the sugar into the vinegar until it dissolves.
When not to substitute
For sushi rice, where rice vinegar is the main seasoning, a mild vinegar like champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar with sugar is closest. Pickles meant for canning or room-temperature storage need a tested recipe, followed exactly.
Common questions
Can I use seasoned rice vinegar instead of plain rice vinegar?
Yes, 1:1, but it already contains sugar and salt. Healthline suggests removing 4 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of salt from the recipe for every 3/4 cup you use.
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar for sushi rice?
It works, but it is fruitier and less subtle. Champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar with a little sugar, is milder.
Can I use lemon juice instead of rice vinegar?
Sources disagree on the amount, from double to the same amount, and one says it does not work. It is not listed here for that reason.
Related
- Soy sauce substitutes
- Mirin substitutes
- Lemon juice substitutes
- White wine substitutes
- All ingredient substitutes
- How to substitute an ingredient
Sources
- Rice vinegar substitutes (Healthline)
- Rice vinegar substitute (Alyona's Cooking)
- Close substitutions for rice vinegar (Tasting Table)
- Since you can't have too many tomatoes (National Center for Home Food Preservation)
Cook with what you have.
Import any recipe into Sous Chef and ask for the swap. It rewrites the ingredient list and the steps, and never loses the original. Free on iPhone.