Wine can be a magical cooking ingredient: Even just a splash or two can be the key to great soup recipes, sauces, and noodle bowls for dinner. And rice wine is no exception! It's great for tenderizing meat, deglazing a pan, and flavoring dishes like sushi and sashimi. But if you don't have any on hand, not to worry: There are a bunch of rice wine substitutes you can try.
First things first: What exactly is rice wine? While many other wines are made from fermented grapes, rice wine is a bit different—it's made from rice! Mijiu, which is clear Chinese rice wine, is made by fermenting glutinous rice. Through this process, the starches are transformed into sugars, which are then turned into wine, making it alcoholic. Rice wine is often used in cooking as part of a homemade marinade or to add flavor to a finished dish. It's a staple in many Asian cuisines.
There are various kinds of rice wine, each with their own unique flavor—and many are good for both drinking and cooking. One common kind is Shaoxing wine (also spelled Shaohsing), which comes from the city of Shaoxing in the Zhejiang province of China; it's light brown in appearance (it's a variety of huangjiu, Chinese "yellow wine"). Mirin, a Japanese rice wine, is another popular kind—it's light in color and slightly sweet (sweeter than sake). Cheongju, a clear Korean rice wine, is another choice.
If your recipe calls for rice wine and you don't have any in your pantry, try one of the rice wine substitutes below—just keep in mind that each one will have a slightly different flavor.
Dry Sherry
Dry sherry can be a good substitute for rice wine in a recipe. Sherry, which comes from southern Spain, is a fortified wine, meaning it has spirits added to it, giving it a higher alcohol content than average wines. Be sure to use dry sherry, not cream sherry, which is sweet.
Sake
This Japanese alcoholic drink is made by a multi-step fermentation process—and it can work as a rice wine substitute (some sources call sake a rice wine, though it's actually brewed more like a beer). It's great for marinades and sauces.
Dry White Wine
A regular dry white wine for cooking is definitely not the same as a traditional Shaoxing wine, but it could add a nice subtle alcoholic flavor to a dish—it will work as a rice wine substitute in a pinch. Just be sure to use a dry white wine and not a sweet one.
Gin
Since gin is vaguely similar in flavor to some rice wines, it can be used as a substitute in certain recipes. Just keep in mind that gin has a higher alcohol content, so you'll want to use only a fraction of it compared to what you'd use of the rice wine.
Other Rice Wines
If your recipe calls for Shaoxing rice wine but you don't have any, think about using another kind of rice wine. Mirin is a good sub: It's a Japanese rice wine that's made from fermenting steamed glutinous rice, mixing it with a rice liquor and allowing the fermentation process to take place. This rice wine has a slightly lower alcohol content than sake and, depending on how long it has been fermented, can have a strong flavor. Mirin is sweeter than Shaoxing rice wine, too—so you may want to adjust the sugar level in your dish.
White Grape Juice
While it certainly doesn't have the depth of flavor of traditional rice wines, white grape juice can add acidity and fruit flavor to a dish in the same way that a rice wine like Shaoxing wine might. Bonus: It's a good option for anyone looking for a non-alcoholic substitute. Try a splash in a thickened stew, soup, or sautéed meat dish.
