8 Worcestershire Sauce Substitutes to Try in a Pinch

Wore-chester-shire… warsh-ta-sure… wusster-shir…how do you pronounce it, anyway? This deep brown sauce is packed with flavor and is just as likely to be associated with a bloody Mary as a sizzling steak. (The answer is wu-stuh-shur, by the way.)

So, what happens when you're out of an ingredient so distinct — that's made up of so many components?

Here, we've scoured said mountains of suggestions and pulled out the best ones. After all, having too many options can sometimes be as frustrating as none at all.

What Does Worcestershire Taste Like and How Is It Used?

Worcestershire is a versatile condiment, invented in the city of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England (hence the name). The ingredients are vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, onions, anchovies, garlic, cloves, tamarind extract or paste, chili pepper extract, and natural flavorings.

The brown sauce is thin in the way soy sauce is, not thick like its English cousin HP sauce or our well-known A1, and yet its traditional serving involves steak or eggs or steak AND eggs. The famous English dish Welsh rarebit benefits from its sweet, sour, funky notes, as does a Caesar salad or deviled eggs. Adding a bit to chili or stew or hamburger meat before you form it into patties is a delightful idea, and its salty, spicy qualities do wonders for bloody Marys or meatloaf.

If you think of the condiment as a way to add potent umami (a savory quality) to things, you'll know how to use it.

Get the recipe: Beef Tips

Best Worcestershire Substitutes

Homemade Worcestershire

If you're out of the real thing, you can choose just one other pantry ingredient to stand in, but if you truly want to mimic the layered salty, spicy, and bold flavors in Worcestershire sauce, the best alternative is to make your own. Here at Allrecipes, we have a tasty recipe utilizing 9 common household staples to do it yourself. Once made, use it 1 for 1 for store-bought Worcestershire.

Steak or Brown Sauce

A1 or HP sauce can be used equally to Worcestershire and will have many of the same flavor notes, but no real spice. Either one will be a good amount thicker, as well.

In a prepared dish or as a condiment, both these sauces are a solid selection. HP will be a slightly closer substitution, but you know – English for English just makes sense. Steak is an obvious choice here, but a pan of baked beans or chili would also work well.

Soy Sauce

In recipes relying on complex flavors, soy sauce is a great choice for a single-ingredient sub. Add a pinch of brown sugar to the mix for an even richer flavor. With or without the brown sugar, use soy sauce in equal amounts to Worcestershire. Try this for peppered pork, teriyaki, or a last-minute chicken dinner.

Coconut Aminos

Coconut aminos are really having a moment, as people everywhere discover this soy-free, gluten-free, vegan alternative to soy or tamari. The thin, dark brown sauce looks identical to soy sauce, and even with its lower sodium content, it will be surprisingly similar to Worcestershire in both sweet and savory ways. Try it 1:1 in a kabob or a fish marinade.

Fish Sauce

If this suggestion surprises you, consider that both this sauce and Worcestershire are made using fermented anchovies. Fish sauce will impart a similar savory-ness, but be quite a bit more pungent, so while I don't recommend dashing it on top of that burger or steak, tossing it in a dressing or a cooked beef, pork, or vegetable dish would be appropriate. Half the amount of Worcestershire called for or use the full amount, adding a bit of brown sugar or molasses to round it out.

Oyster Sauce

This sauce comes together from the use of caramelized oyster juices, soy sauce, sugar, and often cornstarch as a thickener, and is great for a quick dash of umami in sauces. It can be used in equal amounts to Worcestershire, but its thicker texture needs to be noted.

Balsamic Vinegar

With vinegar being the largest ingredient in Worcestershire, this isn't too much of a leap. Some people even prefer it in a Bolognese to Worcestershire. Another excellent place for balsamic in place of the English sauce is in a burger patty. Balsamic (or really any vinegar) can be used in equal amounts, but don't expect the same flavor.

Bbq Sauce

The most noticeable difference with this substitution off the bat is the consistency. BBQ sauce is quite a bit thicker than Worcestershire, but it has a lovely onion-forward savory quality that makes it an option in a pinch. Especially if the intent of the Worcestershire was to be a topping or condiment for steak or burgers, or even mixed into the patties or a batch of meatloaf or meatballs, this makes perfect sense. It is sweeter than Worcestershire, so be aware, but use it in an equal amount.

Related:

• What Is Tamari?
• What Is Umami?
• Simple Stir-Fry Sauces