When we cook at home, we don’t always have the time or the money to run out to the store for missing ingredients. But as long as you have a little bit of imagination, you can usually improvise and come up with substitutes for those crucial kitchen staples.
For example, one of the most common cooking ingredients is mirin. Mirin is a type of rice wine that has been used for centuries in Japanese cuisine.
It is often used to make teriyaki sauce or to marinate meat or vegetables before cooking them.
However, if you’re completely out of mirin and it’s not something you can easily find at your local grocery store, there are some great substitutes that will do the trick
What Is Mirin?
Mirin is a type of sweet rice wine that is used in many different dishes. You can usually find it at a grocery store or Asian market. It is typically used to make teriyaki sauce or to marinate meat or vegetables before cooking them.
Mirin can be substituted with a mixture of equal parts sugar and rice vinegar. If you don’t have either of those ingredients at home, you can use regular wine, sugar, and a little soy sauce.
Rice vinegar can be substituted with regular vinegar. If you do not have regular vinegar at home, it can be substituted with apple cider vinegar.
If you do not have any type of vinegar on hand, white wine can be substituted.
If you don’t have any of these ingredients on hand, you can add a little bit of lemon juice or some dry sherry instead.
If you don’t have any of these ingredients on hand, but want to add a sweet flavor to your dish, brown sugar can be substituted .
If none of these substitutions work, some people recommend adding some tomatoes to your dish instead.
7 Great Substitutes for Mirin
1. Rice Vinegar – The main ingredient in mirin is rice vinegar. If you’re out of mirin and don’t want to run out to the store, you can easily substitute it with rice vinegar.
2.Dry sherry
3. Sake – Sake is another type of rice wine that can be used instead of mirin. The main difference is that it is often less sweet than mirin.
4. White Wine – For a substitute that is slightly sweeter than rice vinegar or soy sauce, you can use white wine instead.
5. Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is another substitute that has the same sweet taste as mirin. If you’re out of mirin and don’t want to make a trip to the store, brown sugar will do the trick!
6. Honey – Honey has been used as a substitute for mirin for hundreds of years. It has a similar flavor as mirin and the addition of some honey will probably make your dish taste even better!
7. Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is another type you can try if you dont have mirin on hand.
Conclusion
Mirin can be swapped out for dry sherry, sake, or even cooking wine. If you want to make a teriyaki sauce without mirin, use some soy sauce or tamari instead. And if you’re trying to marinate your meat or vegetables, try some balsamic vinegar or even apple cider vinegar!
If you’re out of mirin and need a substitute, don’t worry. There are plenty of substitutes that will give you the same great taste and texture. Whats the difference Mirin vs Rice Vinegar ?