Calculate the substitute amount
Always taste and adjust the salt, sugar and heat after substituting. A substitute carries salt and sugar differently from the original, so the stated amount will not land on the same flavour.
How to think about substitutions, and where they go wrong
One thing first: the combinations and ratios here are approximations chosen by cross-checking publicly available information. They have not been tested by cooking them side by side, and judging taste involves subjectivity. Do not stop at the stated amount — taste the dish and adjust.
You are one step from the finish and the mirin bottle is empty. This tool works out what to use instead, and how much of it, from what you already have.
How to use this tool
Choose the seasoning you have run out of and enter the amount the recipe calls for. Each substitute is shown in both spoons and grams, with the closest match listed first.
A substitute is rarely a one-for-one swap
This is the main trap. Replacing mirin with sake and sugar takes one third as much sugar as mirin. Replacing butter with oil takes 80 to 90 percent of the weight of the butter, because butter holds 15 to 20 percent water. Swap them one for one and the dish comes out too sweet, or too thin.
Potato starch and cornstarch depend on which way you swap
The same two powders give different answers depending on direction. To lighten the texture of cookies, cornstarch to potato starch is one for one. But potato starch to cornstarch for thickening a sauce needs more of it, because it thickens less (no source gives a specific multiplier, so this tool shows no number). Remembering it as "A and B are interchangeable" will fail you in one of the two directions.
Baking soda is one third of baking powder, but not on its own
Baking soda raises about three times as strongly, so use a third of the amount. Even then, soda alone will not raise the batter. Baking powder already contains an acidifier, whereas soda only releases gas once it meets an acid. Add lemon juice, vinegar, yogurt or honey alongside it. Too much soda leaves a bitter taste and a yellow tinge.
Milk-and-butter cream will not whip
Mixing 200 mL of milk with 50 g of melted butter (roughly 3:1 to 4:1) gets you close to cream in fat content. It cannot be whipped, however, because the fat globule structure that whipping depends on is never formed. Keep it for stews and pasta sauces where you only want richness; it will not stand in for decorating cream.
After substituting, remember to rebalance the salt and sugar. Many Japanese cooking sakes have salt added, and mentsuyu and sushi vinegar contain sugar and salt from the start. Cut back the salt, soy sauce and sugar first, then adjust by tasting. To check an amount in grams, use the tablespoon and teaspoon to grams converter.
Substitution list
Listed closest-match first. Each factor is a multiple of the original amount.
Yakisoba sauce — what to use instead
Worcestershire sauce 1/3 of the amount ＋ Oyster sauce 1/3 of the amount ＋ Cooking sake 1/3 of the amount
Okonomiyaki sauce — what to use instead
Chuno sauce 1/2 of the amount ＋ Soy sauce 1/4 of the amount ＋ Tomato ketchup 1/6 of the amount ＋ Sugar 1/12 of the amount
Chuno sauce — what to use instead
Worcestershire sauce 1/2 of the amount ＋ Tomato ketchup 1/2 of the amount
Worcestershire sauce — what to use instead
Chuno sauce 2/3 of the amount ＋ Soy sauce 1/3 of the amount
Sweet chili sauce — what to use instead
Vinegar 12/23 of the amount ＋ Honey (or sugar) 8/23 of the amount ＋ Doubanjiang 2/23 of the amount ＋ Salt 1/23 of the amount
Oyster sauce — what to use instead
Chuno sauce 3/5 of the amount ＋ Soy sauce 1/5 of the amount ＋ Chicken stock powder 1/10 of the amount ＋ Sugar 1/10 of the amount
Fish sauce (nam pla) — what to use instead
Light soy sauce same amount ＋ Lemon juice 1/2 of the amount ＋ Chicken stock powder a pinch
Gochujang — what to use instead
Miso same amount ＋ Sugar 1/3 of the amount ＋ Soy sauce 1/6 of the amount ＋ Chili powder to taste
Doubanjiang — what to use instead
Miso same amount ＋ Soy sauce 1/3 of the amount ＋ Sesame oil 1/6 of the amount ＋ Chili powder (or shichimi) 1/3 of the amount
Tianmianjiang (sweet bean sauce) — what to use instead
Miso same amount ＋ Sugar 1/2 of the amount ＋ Soy sauce 1/6 of the amount ＋ Sesame oil a little
Chicken stock powder — what to use instead
Chinese soup stock powder same amount
Mirin — what to use instead
Sake same amount ＋ Sugar 1/3 of the amount
Cooking sake — what to use instead
White wine same amount
Shirodashi — what to use instead
Mentsuyu same amount ＋ Salt a pinch
Mentsuyu — what to use instead
Soy sauce 2/7 of the amount ＋ Mirin 2/7 of the amount ＋ Dashi stock 3/7 of the amount
Ponzu — what to use instead
Mentsuyu 2/3 of the amount ＋ Vinegar 1/3 of the amount
Soy sauce 1/2 of the amount ＋ Lemon juice 1/2 of the amount
Sushi vinegar — what to use instead
Vinegar 4/7 of the amount ＋ Sugar 2/7 of the amount ＋ Salt 1/7 of the amount
Vinegar — what to use instead
Lemon juice same amount
Balsamic vinegar — what to use instead
Worcestershire sauce 1/2 of the amount ＋ Vinegar 1/2 of the amount
Red wine same amount ＋ Sugar 1/3 of the amount ＋ Vinegar 1/3 of the amount
Heavy cream — what to use instead
Milk same amount ＋ Butter 1/4 of the amount (in grams)
Sour cream — what to use instead
Heavy cream same amount ＋ Lemon juice 3/40 of the amount
Butter — what to use instead
Margarine same amount
Vegetable or olive oil 17/25 of the amount (in grams)
Potato starch (for thickening) — what to use instead
Cornstarch start at the same amount and add more as needed
Cake flour start at the same amount and add more as needed
Cornstarch (for baking) — what to use instead
Potato starch same amount
Baking powder — what to use instead
Baking soda 1/3 of the amount
Frequently asked questions
Can mirin be replaced with sake and sugar?+
Are potato starch and cornstarch interchangeable one for one?+
Can baking soda replace baking powder?+
Can cream made from milk and butter be whipped?+
Should the rest of the seasoning stay the same after a substitution?+
・substitute amount = original amount × conversion factor (each factor is given in the substitution list)
・1 tbsp mirin = 1 tbsp sake + 1 tsp sugar (sugar is one third of the mirin volume); butter to vegetable oil is 0.8× because butter is about 80 percent fat, the rest being water and milk solids
・weight (g) = volume (mL) × density, where density is taken as grams per tablespoon ÷ 15
・The factors are commonly used approximations and vary between sources (milk to butter for cream is given as 3:1 to 4:1). Adjust the final dish by tasting
・Composition figures follow the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 2020 (eighth revised edition), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Weight conversion uses commonly published reference values based on the Kagawa Nutrition University measuring standard (1 tbsp = 15 mL, 1 tsp = 5 mL)
The substitutions and ratios on this page were chosen by cross-checking publicly available information. They have not been tested by cooking and tasting them side by side. Taste is subjective, and how well a substitute works changes with the dish, your preferences and the product you use. The best amount also varies by product and use. This site does not represent any public body and does not guarantee results. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, always check the ingredient list of whatever you substitute in.
Check the amount in grams
Convert tablespoons, teaspoons and cups to grams for about 40 ingredients.