Substitutes for shallots
Use 2 tablespoons of finely chopped yellow onion for each medium shallot. A medium shallot is about 1/4 cup chopped, so this is half the volume, because onion is sharper.
Out of shallots 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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Pearl onions
Great fit¼ cup finely chopped pearl onion
For this dish: Mild enough to use raw when minced fine.
How: Use the same volume as the chopped shallot, minced finely.
What changes: Similar mild flavor to shallots, but without the hint of garlic.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Chives
Great fit¼ cup chopped fresh chives
For this dish: Mild onion taste that works raw.
How: Use the same volume as the chopped shallot. Add near the end of cooking, or raw.
What changes: Fresh, light onion flavor with a different texture. Cooking weakens their flavor, and they add no body.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Yellow onion
Works2 tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
For this dish: Raw yellow onion is sharper, so mince it fine, soak it in cold water first and use less.
How: Chop very fine, since shallots have finer layers. Cook a little longer than shallots, until soft.
What changes: Flavor is stronger and less sweet, with no garlic note. Some sources swap onion 1:1 by volume, so start with this amount and add more to taste.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Scallions (white and light green parts)
Works¼ cup chopped scallion, white and light green parts
For this dish: Mild and fresh enough to eat raw, though it lacks shallot's sweetness.
How: Use the same volume as the chopped shallot, about 1/4 cup per medium shallot.
What changes: Fresh, mild onion flavor with less bite and less of shallot's garlic character.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Leeks (white and light green parts)
Avoid¼ cup chopped leek, white and light green parts
For this dish: Leeks need cooking to turn tender, so skip them in raw dishes.
How: Use the same volume as the chopped shallot. Slice thinly and rinse well to remove grit.
What changes: Milder and more delicate, with a soft onion taste.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Garlic
Avoid1 garlic clove, minced
For this dish: Raw garlic is sharp and does not stand in for onion.
How: Use 1 clove per shallot. Cook briefly so it does not burn.
What changes: Garlicky rather than oniony, so it will not copy the taste. Roasted garlic is sweeter and milder than raw.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
What shallots does in a recipe
Shallots give a mild, slightly sweet onion flavor with a hint of garlic. They are less pungent than onions, so they work raw in dressings and also melt into sauces without taking over. A substitute needs to bring onion sweetness without too much bite.
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 shallots."
Sous Chef edits the recipe
2 tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
Chop very fine, since shallots have finer layers. Cook a little longer than shallots, until soft.
When not to substitute
If shallots are the main flavor, as in a French shallot sauce or crispy fried shallots, a substitute will taste noticeably different. In raw dishes, avoid strong yellow or white onion.
Common questions
Can I use onion instead of shallots?
Yes. Use about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped yellow onion per medium shallot and add more to taste. Some sources use the same volume of onion as shallot.
How much is one shallot?
Sizes vary. A small shallot is about 2 tablespoons chopped, a medium one about 1/4 cup, and a large one about 1/2 cup.
Can I use shallots instead of onion?
Yes, for a milder flavor. Match by volume, not by count, because onions are much larger than shallots.
Related
- White wine substitutes
- Butter substitutes
- Chicken broth substitutes
- All ingredient substitutes
- How to substitute an ingredient
Sources
- Shallot substitutes (Insanely Good Recipes)
- What's the difference between shallots and onions (Fine Dining Lovers)
- Shallot substitutes (Healthline)
- Best substitute for shallots (The Daily Meal)
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.