Sweet soy sauce is a popular ingredient used to flavor, enhance, and texturize many types of meals. It is often used to improve the taste of stir-fries, meat entrees, and as a dipping sauce.
If you find yourself running low on sweet soy sauce and searching for a substitute, we have many options for you.
These products can replace sweet soy sauce, providing very similar flavors. Or, you can use these options instead of sweet soy sauce to spice things up.
- What is Sweet Soy Sauce?
- 11 of The Best Sweet Soy Sauce Substitutes
- 1. Can You Make Your Own Sweet Soy Sauce?
- 2. Regular Soy Sauce With a Little Brown Sugar
- 3. Regular Soy Sauce With Honey
- 4. Give Hoisin Sauce a Try
- 5. Shoyu Sauce is a Good Option
- 6. Try Tamari Sauce Instead
- 7. A Healthier Option is Oyster Sauce
- 8. Substitute With Coconut Aminos
- 9. Worcestershire Sauce Should Be a Consideration
- 10. What About Barbecue Sauce?
- 11. Try Teriyaki Sauce
- How to Use Sweet Soy Sauce (Amazing Recipes to Try)
- Sweet Soy Sauce FAQs
Read on!
What is Sweet Soy Sauce?
To find the best substitute for sweet soy sauce, you need to know what it is and its ingredients.
Sweet soy sauce is a combination of
- Soy
- Salt
- Sugar
- Water
- Aspergillus wentii mold (or other fermentation products)
For a little added flavoring, you will find some options containing spices, wheat, or herbs.
This type of Indonesian condiment is a fantastic dipping sauce option. Yet, it is also added to recipes to offer any dish a bold, sweet flavor to any dish.
Where Did it Come From?
We found that soy sauce is a product developed more than 2000 years ago, created in China. At a time when salt was expensive, people did their best to preserve foods in a different way.
Not only did soy sauce keep foods from going bad, but it also marinaded into them, giving off a unique and tasty flavor.
It wasn’t until the 7th that Japan discovered this idea. Next, Korea, East Asia, then the rest of the world followed behind.
While we don’t have an exact date on when sweetening the sauce came into play, we do know it was first developed in Indonesia. It is a prevalent ingredient in dishes in many different countries.
11 of The Best Sweet Soy Sauce Substitutes
What did you do the last time you realized you ran out of sweet soy sauce in the middle of a recipe?
Well, we substituted the ingredient out.
Don’t run to the store in the middle of cooking or skip the ingredient altogether. We have a much better solution for you.
Below is a list of 11 perfect products to substitute when you don’t have sweet soy sauce in the pantry.
1. Can You Make Your Own Sweet Soy Sauce?
You can always make your own sweet soy sauce if you have the right ingredients on hand.
Below is one of our favorite sweet soy sauce recipes.
- 1TBSP of sugar
- 1 ½ TBSP regular soy sauce
- 1 ½ TSP dark soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 TBSP peanut oil or canola oil
Bring the sugar, soy sauces, water, and oil to a boil in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, continue stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then transfer to Tupper ware container.
Wait for the sauce to cool before using. You can leave this sauce in a closed container for up to two days at room temperature.
2. Regular Soy Sauce With a Little Brown Sugar
If you have regular soy sauce, then you are in luck. Sweet soy sauce is basic soy sauce with a little sugar added.
Many products usually use palm sugar to sweeten their condiments. But brown sugar is more accessible to many and will do the trick.
What you need:
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
Heat the water and brown sugar together in a saucepan until it begins to boil. Next, add the soy sauce and bring the heat down to a simmer. You will know it is ready when the mixture is thick.
3. Regular Soy Sauce With Honey
Honey is another fabulous option if you don’t have brown sugar on hand. The combination will give your sauce a mixture of sweet and savory with remarkable consistency.
What you need:
- ¾ of a cup of honey
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of soy sauce
Mix all the ingredients listed above together in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then, lower the heat and let the combo simmer until it gets thick.
4. Give Hoisin Sauce a Try
If you want something quick to dip your dinner in, give hoisin sauce a try. It is easy to use, and you can make it yourself.
Hoisin sauce is a great alternative to soy sauce, and it contains similar ingredients. Both options are sweet, savory, and thick.
What you can use it for:
- Marinade
- Dipping sauce
- Meat glaze
- Stir fry
5. Shoyu Sauce is a Good Option
Shoyu Sauce is the Japanese style of soy sauce and provides the same great flavors and textures to any dish.
You can use Shoyu sauce to bring out the flavor of other ingredients in oriental dinners.
Shoyu sauce comes in different flavors, textures, and even colors. These options give you various ways to create a fantastic meal.
6. Try Tamari Sauce Instead
Tamari Sauce is a Japanese sauce made from fermented soybeans. This recipe originated as a bi-product of miso and is the darkest and one of the thickest sauces used in Asia.
We know soy sauce adds a salty, acidic flavor to anything you use it in. Tamari sauce offers a meaty, savory taste.
Pro Tip: Add a touch of brown sugar to this paste to get a little sweetness.
7. A Healthier Option is Oyster Sauce
Oyster sauce is the ideal substitute for sweet soy sauce. This is especially true when you are looking for something on the healthier side.
This sauce is low on calories and sodium, plus it is gluten-free.
It is important to note that oyster sauce isn’t as sweet as soy sauce, even when adding a little extra sugar. So, this isn’t the best alternative if you are looking for something super sweet.
8. Substitute With Coconut Aminos
Coconut amino is a popular replacement for soy sauce. This is because it provides a similar taste but with a lot less salt.
Coconut aminos come from fermented coconut sap from a coconut palm tree. The salty substance is a small amount of sea salt added to the recipe.
Consider using Coconut amino if you want a savory liquid condiment that has a lower sodium count.
9. Worcestershire Sauce Should Be a Consideration
While soy sauce might not be in everyone’s fridge, Worcestershire sauce is.
This option is also a fabulous substitute for sweet soy sauce when you’re in a pinch. Why? Because it is on the salty, meaty side, with a touch of sweetness.
Worcestershire sauce comes from
Thanks to the added molasses, you are going to get a sweet taste that mimics that of the sweet soy sauce.
Learn more: Worcestershire Sauce Substitute (10+ Alternative Condiments)
10. What About Barbecue Sauce?
Like Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce is a staple in most homes. This product is also an incredible way to sweeten a dish that calls for soy sauce when you don’t have it.
Most barbecue sauces will be much sweeter than typical sweet soy sauce. Because of this, it would be best used as a marinade or dipping sauce.
11. Try Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki sauce can often take the place of sweet soy sauce because of its similarities. Both products are sweet, thick, and tangy.
Keep in mind teriyaki sauce is much sweeter than sweet soy sauce. So it is important to be careful when adding it to different recipes.
Pro Tip: When you replace sweet soy sauce with Teriyaki sauce, you want to cut the recipe down and cut the ration by half.
How to Use Sweet Soy Sauce (Amazing Recipes to Try)
More often than not, you can use sweet soy sauce for dipping or as a glaze. This is a product perfect for providing a bold, sweet flavor.
If you are looking for delicious sweet soy recipes to try, we have you covered.
Here are a few dishes you should consider the next time you are entertaining guests.
- Asian Soy Glaze – Click here for the recipe.
- Fried Rice with Sweet Soy Sauce
Get recipe: thrivinghomeblog.com
- Braised Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce
Get recipe: jocooks.com
- Betty Crockers Pot Stickers with Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce- Click here for the recipe.
- Instant Pot Sweet Soy Chicken- Click here for the recipe.
Sweet Soy Sauce FAQs
Summing Things Up
Running low on essential ingredients is frustrating no matter what dish you cook.
Luckily, you can replace sweet soy sauce with many products found in most kitchens. Just look at the listed below.
Substitutes for sweet soy sauce include soy sauce and little brown sugar or honey, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, worcestershire, or some of the above products.
Up Next: Your Top Guide For All Food Ingredients Substitutions!
