The 8 Best Rice Vinegar Substitutes To Save The Stir-fry Day
If you’re into Asian cooking, you’re probably no stranger when it comes to using one ingredient called rice wine vinegar. It’s tangy but sweet, made from fermented rice, and is used for sushi, salad dressings, marinades, fish, stir fry, and more! And while any professional or amateur chef knows that a bottle of rice vinegar should always be in the kitchen, it’s not uncommon to open your cabinets and find that you’re without this important ingredient.
Related: 21 Easy Stir Fry Recipes
Let’s get things straight right off the bat—rice wine, like sake, is not the same thing as rice wine vinegar. While fermented rice is the base for both, they have their differences. While you can use rice wine for cooking or drinking, you really wouldn’t want to sit back and relax with a glass of rice vinegar. Take our advice and check out these 8 rice vinegar substitutes.
Related: Best Rice Alternatives: 26 Best Low-Carb & Healthy Substitutes
Best Rice Vinegar Substitutes
1. Apple cider vinegar
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Although apple cider vinegar tends to be a bit cloudier and more potent, it makes for a great rice vinegar substitute. Its sweet and sour combination makes it a close enough match to work in most circumstances by using a 1:1 ratio.
Related: Best Coleslaw Recipe with Apple Cider Vinegar
2. Lemon juice
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When using lemon juice as a substitution, use twice as much lemon juice as rice vinegar. This also works the same with lime juice!
3. Sherry vinegar
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Although it has a more complex flavor than rice vinegar, when used in the right dishes it works just as well in substitution. Substitute the rice wine vinegar with equal parts sherry vinegar, and be sure to use slightly less sherry vinegar in dishes using milder ingredients.
4. Champagne vinegar
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You can use champagne vinegar instead of rice vinegar in recipes such as seafood recipes, marinades, salad dressings, and dipping sauces. With this substitute, start with a 1:2 ratio (rice vinegar to champagne vinegar) and then adjust until you get that right balance.
5. White wine vinegar
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You can easily swap rice vinegar for white wine vinegar if you’re in a pinch. The flavor profiles are similar and the substitution calls for a 1:1 ratio.
6. Distilled white vinegar
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White distilled vinegar is less sweet compared to rice vinegar, but will work as a 1:1 replacement. This is also a great alternative if you’re looking for an ingredient with a lower acidity level.
7. Balsamic vinegar
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If you’re fresh out of rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar can be used as a 1:1 substitute. Although it is commonly used in Italian dishes, balsamic makes for an easy substitution in recipes like salad dressings and marinades.
8. Rice wine
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Rice wine has a less acidic flavor than rice vinegar, remember? Since rice wine is sweeter, you can blend it with white vinegar to create an ingredient very singular to rice vinegar.
