If you have no access to rice wine vinegar but your dish still needs the acidity, perhaps one of these excellent rice wine vinegar substitutes can save the day!
Adding only a small amount of rice wine vinegar will elevate the taste of your recipe. Its gentle acidity can be the perfect addition to marinades, sauces, dressings, and various Asian dishes.
There are several rice wine vinegar alternatives that you can try, some of which will totally change how your dish tastes.
Keep reading as we discuss the 9 best rice wine vinegar substitutes to try in your next cooking session.
What is Rice Wine Vinegar?
Rice wine vinegar is made from white, brown, red, or black rice. It’s prepared by fermenting the starch in rice, transforming it into alcohol, and then into acid.
It’s sweet and slightly acidic, and it’s a staple in several Asian dishes. People usually add it to Chinese stir-fries and Japanese sushi, salad dressings, marinades, vinaigrettes, and dipping sauces.
It also improves the taste of rice dishes, meat, and veggies, thanks to its sweet and delicate flavor.
I enjoy it very much in a citrus vinaigrette that pairs well with Air Fryer broccolini, and other air fried veggies. It adds a sweet and savory flavor that works well with vegetables and salads.
In some stores, you’ll find that rice wine vinegar is also called rice vinegar. However, you shouldn’t confuse it with rice wine, which is an alcoholic drink.
You can use rice wine alternatives in vegetable dishes and dumplings, but you can’t use rice wine instead of rice wine vinegar.
Types of Rice Wine Vinegar
The color of rice wine vinegar depends on the rice’s color. As a result, it comes in shades of red to darker tones that change the color and look of your dish.
Different types of rice wine vinegar taste close to one another, with some minor differences.
- White rice wine vinegar is slightly tangy but sweet, and it’s typically used in rice recipes. It has the most delicate flavor of all types of rice vinegar.
- Brown rice wine vinegar is similar to the white one, but it’s darker in color.
- Black rice wine vinegar is full of umami and is most often used in dipping sauces.
- Red rice wine vinegar has a more pungent aroma and a sweet and sour taste. It’s the strongest type of rice vinegar.
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Overview of Rice Wine Vinegar Substitutes
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- White Wine Vinegar
- Champagne Vinegar
- Sherry Wine Vinegar
- Dry White Wine
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
| Substitute | Conversion (Substitute:Rice Wine Vinegar ) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Cider Vinegar | 1:1 | Optionally, add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar or honey. |
| White Wine Vinegar | 1:1 | Optionally, add chicken broth to your recipe and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar or honey. |
| Champagne Vinegar | 1:1 | – |
| Sherry Wine Vinegar | 1/2-1:1 | Start with a small quantity and add more if needed. |
| Dry White Wine | 1:1 | Optionally add some lemon juice. |
| Balsamic Vinegar | 1:1 | Choose a type with a thinner consistency. |
| Lemon Juice | 1/2-1:1 | Start with a small quantity and add more if needed. |
| Red Wine Vinegar | 1:1 | – |
| White Vinegar | 1/2:1 | Mix it with some chicken broth or white wine and add some sugar. |
Best Rice Wine Vinegar Substitutes
Some of the following alternatives will provide a taste similar to rice wine vinegar, while others will completely change the flavor of your recipe.
To make the best decision regarding a rice wine vinegar replacement, consider the recipe you are making and other flavors used for the dish.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an excellent alternative to rice vinegar and can replace it in sauces, dressings, marinades, and sushi rice dishes.
It will also work for you if you want to use a more nutritional alternative, as it delivers several health benefits.
Since rice wine vinegar is slightly sweeter, you can add a quarter spoon of sugar or honey to get the same taste.
Make it shine in this tomato cucumber salad that’s extra special thanks to the simple but tasty homemade dressing.
White Wine Vinegar
White wine vinegar is made of fermented white wine and has a tangy and zingy taste. This alternative is fruitier and has more acidity than rice vinegar, although it’s still mild.
So when you use it as a substitute, you can use it in the ratio of 1:1 to get a tasty result.
For a similar taste in your recipes, you can add some chicken broth to boost the flavor. You can also add a dash of sugar or honey for some extra sweetness.
Champagne Vinegar
Champagne vinegar can replace rice vinegar in several recipes, as it has the same mild and sweet taste.
It’s quite delicate, so it won’t drastically change how your dish tastes, although it’s slightly fruitier.
This vinegar is made of fermented champagne and has a slightly floral aroma. Because it’s less acidic, you can use it as an alternative in cocktails and when drizzled over salads and other raw dishes.
Sherry Wine Vinegar
Sherry wine vinegar has a different taste profile than rice vinegar. It’s a Spanish vinegar made of sherry wine with a rich and nutty taste.
Compared to rice wine vinegar, sherry wine vinegar adds a more complex flavor.
It has slightly sweet and caramel notes, but it’s still slightly acidic. As a result, it will work for you if you want your recipe to taste a little sweet.
For the best results, you need to add a tiny amount to see how it tastes. Sherry wine vinegar is a great choice for vinaigrettes, dressings, and marinades, and you can drizzle a small amount on top of meat or chicken.
Dry White Wine
When you don’t have access to rice wine vinegar, you can use dry white wine instead.
Dry white wine usually tastes a little fruity with some papaya or pineapple flavors, but it’s not as sweet as other types of wine, so it has a crisp taste.
There are several types of dry white wine that taste grassy, fruity, or even peppery.
It will work for you if you want to cook soups, chicken, veal, or vegetable dishes because it’s milder than other alternatives.
These slow cooker lemon herb turkey legs have such a wonderful flavor thanks to the white wine, this is the perfect opportunity to use it for cooking!
If you feel that the taste is not close enough to rice wine vinegar, you can add a little lemon juice to increase the tartness.
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar has a complex, rich, slightly dark taste and picks up notes from the wood it matured in.
As a result, it can have notes of fig, prunes, chocolate, cherry, or molasses. It can also be a little smoky, depending on the type you choose.
There are several types of balsamic vinegar, so you need to choose a thinner one to replace rice vinegar.
It works best as a rice wine vinegar alternative in raw recipes because it loses its dense and rich flavor when it gets cooked.
You can use it as a dressing for cooked recipes as well. I pour it on vegetarian harvest wild rice and it really completes the flavor of this meal.
Lemon Juice
When there’s a culinary emergency, you can use lemon juice to replace rice wine vinegar. It provides the needed acidity but lacks the tartness of rice wine vinegar.
It will work for you if you don’t like the taste or aroma of rice wine vinegar. I recommend adding only a tiny amount and increasing it gradually to adjust the taste.
Red Wine Vinegar
If you think that rice wine vinegar is too mellow, you can try red wine vinegar instead. It has a stronger and more complex taste than rice wine vinegar and has a fruity aroma.
Compared to rice wine vinegar, this one is more vibrant, with the flavor of grapes making up most of its taste. It’s usually added to chicken, meat, and fish recipes to elevate their taste.
Give red wine vinegar a try in our Instant Pot Ribs recipe. They’re so tender and yummy!
Or enjoy a unique twist on my black bean and corn salsa recipe. Start with just a tablespoon and adjust if needed.
White Vinegar
White vinegar has a stronger taste profile than rice wine vinegar, so it’s a good choice if you feel that rice wine vinegar is too mellow.
It’s an excellent alternative for recipe such as dipping sauces found in the Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp and salad dressings as we did in the Easy Pasta Salad.
Compared to the sweet and delicate rice wine vinegar, it’s sharper, harsher, and more bitter.
Because of the harsh aroma, you need to mellow it out a little by adding some white wine.
You should also add some sugar to create the same sweet effect as rice wine vinegar.
Recipes With Rice Wine Vinegar
Honey Teriyaki Chicken Recipe – For this recipe, you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar for a little tang.
Tomato Cucumber and Onion Salad Recipe – Try this recipe with some rice wine vinegar to add some sweetness.
Vegetarian Harvest Wild Rice – Instead of balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar, use rice wine vinegar for a mellow taste.
Instant Pot Keto Pork Chops – For a quick dinner, these pork chops are perfect! We used balsamic vinegar to deepen the flavor but you can replace it with rice wine vinegar and it’ll be just as delectable.
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Final Thoughts
When there’s no access to rice wine vinegar or if you don’t like its taste, there are several alternatives to try.
Some of them have a similar taste profile, while others will totally change the way your recipe tastes.
Apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar will provide the closest taste to rice wine vinegar.
Some chicken broth and a little bit of sugar are an easy way to balance the taste.
For raw recipes and cocktails, champagne wine vinegar works wonderfully. You can also use balsamic vinegar on top of salads, marinades, and dressings.
It has a richer and stronger taste, so you need to pick a thinner version.
For a bolder taste, replace rice wine vinegar with sherry wine vinegar or dry white wine.
Sherry wine vinegar works in smaller amounts, so you don’t drastically change the taste of your dishes.
Red wine vinegar works as a rice vinegar alternative if you want to add a fruity aroma to your dishes. It exceptionally elevates the taste of chicken, meat, and fish dishes.
If you’re not a fan of any vinegar, or this is all you have on hand, use lemon juice. However, I recommend that you only add a small amount and adjust it as needed.
White vinegar works only when there’s no other option. Yet, you need to balance its taste by adding some chicken broth and sugar to deliver the intensity and sweetness of rice wine vinegar.
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