13 Tamari Substitutes for Asian Culinary Recipes

Tamari, the Japanese equivalent of soy sauce, is prepared from fermented soybeans. It contains no wheat (unlike typical soy sauce) and very little to no gluten. Tamari has a stronger flavor and a darker hue (similar to dark soy sauces) than Chinese soy sauce, but it is still used in the same manner.

It goes well with dipping sauces, meat, poultry, seafood, fish, vegetable dishes, and any Asian meal. This Asian sauce also works well as a soy replacement.

If you can’t locate this sauce in your local grocery store, here are several Tamari substitutes that are much simpler to obtain.

Tamari sauce substitutes include

1. Sauce de Soja
2. Aminos in Liquid
3. Sauce de Pêche
4. Aminos from Coconut
5. Sauce à l’oyster
6. Vinegar of Balsamic Origin
7. Teriyaki Dressing
8. Miso Sauce
9. Anchovies
10. Sauce Worcestershire
11. The Hoisin Sauce
12. Plum VinegarUmeboshi Vinegar
13. Salt

Do you want to know how to utilize these Tamari sauce substitutes? Continue reading these articles to find out how.

Tamari Sauce Substitutes

Soy Sauce

Since they are linked, Soy sauce has the most similar taste to Tamari. Tamari has a stronger taste than standard soy sauce, yet both provide a deep umami flavor to your food.

Soy sauce is often used in Asian meals such as stir-fries, soups, stews, and even certain Asian sauces and dips. Soy sauce is also an excellent addition to meat or fish marinades, imparting a sweet and salty taste to the meat.

There are many varieties of soy sauce to pick from, but the two most common are light soy sauce (low-sodium soy sauce) and dark soy sauce (which gives color and a rich Umami taste to dishes). These sauces may be found at large supermarkets or health food shops.

Liquid Aminos

Liquid aminos are flavorful seasonings prepared by treating soybeans with acid to break them down into amino acids. Liquid aminos, which are comparable to soy sauce, are used to provide a salty taste to savory foods.

This is an excellent substitute for Tamari and is ideal for those following a gluten-free or vegan diet. They will have no trouble using this product.

Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is an excellent substitute for Tamari. Tamari, on the other hand, has a salty and sweet flavor profile (similar to a caramel flavor profile), while fish sauce has a more salty taste. Fish sauce is prepared from fermented fish (usually anchovies for that salty flavor) and adds a bit fishiness and a rich umami flavor to your recipes.

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Coconut Aminos

Coconut aminos are a soy-free alternative to Tamari or soy sauce. This spice does not have the salty taste of Tamari. Tamari has a considerably sweeter and less salty flavor than coconut aminos.

And trust me when I tell that this Tamari sauce alternative is really sweet with a rich taste, so use it sparingly in your recipes. It’s usually preferable to start small and add more as required.

Coconut aminos may give your food a subtle coconut flavor that complements most Asian cuisines. If you want a better option or are following a vegan diet, I highly suggest utilizing coconut aminos.

Oyster Sauce

liquids. Oyster sauce is a black, thick sauce with sweet, salty, and earthy flavors. It is formed of salt, sugar, and caramelized oyster fluids and has a syrup-like viscosity (similar to soy sauce or Tamari).

Oyster sauce is used in stir-fries, meat marinades, to enhance the taste of vegetable dishes, and in a variety of dipping sauces. It will give your foods a little fishy kick that you will detect but will not overpower the whole dish.

Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is a dark, concentrated vinegar made in Italy. It’s typically used on salads, in vegetable dishes, and in marinades. Balsamic vinegar has an acidic and salty flavor that fades when cooked with, i.e. when heated.

It is a good Tamari alternative, however I advocate using it as a Tamari substitute in marinades or sauces where it can readily find its home.

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Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyakisauce is a tasty Tamari alternative that is made out of four major ingredients: brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and sake. It adds a rich taste and a delicate sweetness to whatever food it is added to, and it is quite similar to Tamari sauce.

This sauce has a lengthy shelf life, which means you don’t have to use it all up right once. Teriyaki sauce imparts a delicious caramel flavor to stir-fried foods, marinating meat, fish, and tofu.

Miso Paste

Miso paste is a soybean paste that has been fermented. The darker this paste becomes as the soybeans ferment. Miso lends a savory touch to many Asian dishes, and since it is fermented, it includes beneficial bacteria that may enhance immunity and support digestive health.

Types Of Miso Paste

White Miso Paste- With a mild flavor, this light paste is ideal for whisking into a salad dressing or sauce.

Akamiso or Red Miso-Red miso is a form of paste that has been fermented for a longer period of time, giving it a stronger, more dominating flavor and a greater salt content.

Awasemiso- This is the paste to use when you want to replace soy sauce with something less salty but still obtain that soy sauce-like taste.

Anchovies

If you want to add a little salty to your stir-fry, anchovies are a great way to accomplish it. Since anchovies are the principal component in fish sauce, they may be used in place of Tamari.

Worcestershire Sauce

The ingredients of Worcestershire sauce include molasses, anchovies, chili peppers, sugar, salt, vinegar, and tamarind extract. This Tamari alternative has the same umami flavor as soy sauce but has significantly less salt and is gluten-free.

Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin sauce is an aromatic, thick sauce that goes well with stir-fries, pork and seafood marinades, and dipping sauces. It has a very intense, sweet, and salty flavor that is similar to American barbecue sauce. Hoisin sauce is used as a replacement for barbecue sauce in grilled foods, in marinades, and, of course, in stir-fried dishes.

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Umeboshi Vinegar

Umeboshi vinegar is prepared from pickled plums and is used as a condiment in Japanese cuisine. Salad dressings, marinades, vegetable dishes, dips, and salads may all benefit from it.

Salt

If you don’t have any of the substitutions on this list and want to add something to your meal, you may use salt to acquire the salty flavor of Tamari. But don’t expect your foods to taste precisely the same as they would if Tamari sauce was used.