• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Greedy Gourmet | Food & Travel Blog
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Restaurants
    • Where To Eat in England
      • London
    • Netherlands
    • Spain
  • Places to Visit
    • Places to Stay in England
    • France
    • Italy
    • Netherlands
    • Norway
    • Portugal
    • Spain
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Places to Visit
  • Restaurants
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Ingredients / 10 Tamari Substitutes

    10 Tamari Substitutes

    25 April 2023 - By Michelle Minnaar
    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Fans of Japanese cuisine will know that lots of traditional Japanese recipes call for a rich, delicious sauce called tamari.

    If you can’t find this fantastic ingredient, don’t worry. There’s a tamari substitute for every occasion. Some you’ll find in just about every supermarket and grocery store. Others are a lot harder to come by, but taste incredible.

    Let’s take a look at the very best tamari substitutes.

    What is tamari?

    This delicious sauce is very similar to soy sauce, but with less of a salty taste. It’s a very versatile ingredient that adds a big kick of umami flavor, typically to meat, fish, rice or noodle-based dishes.

    Its lip-smacking flavor is similar to that of soy sauce, albeit with less salt. It also has a slightly thicker consistency than soy sauce.

    Tamari is a vegan, gluten-free condiment, which can make it hard to replace.

    Where is tamari from?

    Tamari is a staple of Japanese cuisine, where its use dates all the way back to the 7th century AD. 

    It is thought to have been brought to Japan from China, although today tamari is pretty much exclusively used in Japanese cooking, while soy sauce is favored throughout the rest of Asia.

    How is tamari made?

    Tamari is actually a by-product of the miso-making process. The liquid that drains from miso paste is pressed to create tamari.

    Tamari only contains water, soy beans and salt, which gives it a rich, balanced taste.

    How is tamari different from soy sauce?

    Soy sauce is made by combining soybeans with wheat, normally at a 1:1 ratio. Tamari, on the other hand, is almost always 100% wheat free.

    This makes it less sweet and salty than soy sauce, with a stronger, smoother umami flavor. It also means it’s suitable for those on a gluten-free diet.

    As it’s a lot simpler and more balanced than soy sauce, it works better as a dipping sauce, as its flavor doesn’t overwhelm other foods.

    10 Tamari Substitutes

    Are you looking for a tamari substitute? In this comprehensive list you'll learn 10 ideas for an alternative.

    Soy sauce

    As they’re made from very similar ingredients and it’s available at pretty much any supermarket or grocery store, soy sauce is a great substitute for tamari. The taste does differ – it’s slightly saltier, sweeter and a little less balanced – but it’s probably the easiest to find alternative and it’s also very affordable.

    As wheat is a key ingredient of soy sauce, it isn’t suitable for gluten-free cooking. Substitute soy sauce for tamari at a 1:1 ratio.

    Teriyaki sauce

    Another terrific Japanese condiment, traditional teriyaki is a combination of soy sauce and mirin. Most of the non-traditional, commercially available teriyaki sauces have the addition of ginger and sugar, giving them a sweet tangy taste.

    Teriyaki is often used as a marinade for fish and meat, and is also very popular as a flavoring for tofu and vegetables. Like tamari and soy sauce, it brings a rich umami taste.

    Substitute at a 1:1 ratio, although try to reduce the amount of sweetness in the dish to accommodate the taste of teriyaki.

    Shoyu

    While technically a type of soy sauce, shoyu is very different to your standard run-of-the-mill supermarket soy sauce. It’s a premium Japanese-made gold-standard sauce, that will make your taste buds tingle like never before.

    The finer shoyu sauces are fermented in 100 year old barrels for at least a year, giving them a rich, balanced taste that’s less salty than ‘standard’ Western made soy sauce.

    While it’s harder to locate than soy sauce, you should be able to find shoyu in all good Asian supermarkets and, of course, online. Keep some in your cupboard, for those special occasions.

    Substitute for tamari at a 1:1 ratio. Not suitable for those looking for a gluten-free alternative.

    White miso paste

    The best gluten-free tamari substitute. As tamari is actually made from a miso by-product, it stands to reason that miso would be a good swap. Of course, one is a sauce and the other is a paste, so it’s not a straightforward swap, but taste-wise, these two both bring a rich, savory, earthy flavor that’s unique to fermented soybeans.

    Along with fermented soybeans, white miso is a mixture of salt, rice, yeast and kōji cultures. While some types of miso contain a mixture of barley and other grains, white miso is normally rice-based, making it an ideal gluten-free, umami-rich ingredient.

    Add 1 teaspoon of miso paste for every ½ teaspoon of tamari to stews, casseroles, soups and sauces.

    Umeboshi paste

    Relatively unknown outside of Japan, Umeboshi paste brings a deep, rich umami flavor and works well in soups, sauces and other savory dishes. It’s made by pickling and brining Japanese plums, to create a salty, sour paste.

    Of course, it’s not the easiest ingredient to find, but it’s definitely worth getting hold of a jar and keeping it in your cupboard. If you’re lacking tamari and need something special, umeboshi will bring the flavor and then some.

    Just be aware of the tangy sour notes that umeboshi will add to your dish. With some recipes – think sweet and sour noodle or rice dishes – it’ll work perfectly; with others, not so much. Substitute 1 teaspoon of umeboshi paste for 1 teaspoon of tamari.

    Fish sauce

    Another good gluten-free tamari substitute (that’s also soy-free), fish sauce is a great option for fish and seafood dishes. The intense umami taste in fish sauce comes from the addition of anchovies. Most fish sauce is slightly sweet, so be sure to account for that when using it as a tamari substitute.

    Swap fish sauce for tamari at a 1:1 ratio.

    Hoisin sauce

    If you’re looking for a meat or fish rub substitute for tamari, hoisin sauce works very well. Like tamari, it has an intense flavor (both are made using fermented soybeans) and most hoisin sauces are gluten-free and vegan.

    As well as an ideal marinade, hoisin sauce works great with stir-fries, dips and barbecue sauces. It’s a lot thicker and a little less salty than tamari, so take that into account when using it as a substitute and tweak your recipe accordingly.

    Swap hoisin sauce in for tamari at a 1:1 ratio. Then add a splash of water and a pinch of salt to get the right consistency and taste.

    Anchovy paste

    Another good gluten-free tamari substitute, just a touch of anchovy paste brings a big unami taste that can easily elevate a dish.
    Anchovy paste is cheap, easily available and works with just about any savory dish, whether it’s fish-based or not. Buy a tube and keep it in your cupboard – it’ll be a little life saver, trust me!

    Add a teaspoon of anchovy paste for every teaspoon of tamari to sauces, stews and soups. Be sure to add a little extra liquid to get the right consistency.

    Worcestershire sauce

    Another anchovy-based ingredient that packs a whole lot of flavor, Worcestershire sauce is a staple sauce in many British households. It’s one of those versatile ingredients that you can add to just about anything, which makes it an essential item to have in your kitchen cupboard.

    Worcestershire sauce is made from a blend of distilled white vinegar, molasses, sugar, water, salt, onions, garlic, cloves, tamarind extract, chili pepper extract and anchovies. With a taste that straddles salty, sweet, unami, acidity and spice it works well in a wide variety of dishes, particularly stews, sauces, soups and casseroles.

    In terms of taste, it’s not the perfect stand in for tamari, but it’s not the worst either. The main thing is, it brings umami and it’s the same consistency, more or less. Swap at a 1:1 ratio.

    Coconut Aminos

    A great vegan and gluten-free tamari substitute, coconut aminos taste like a type of soy sauce – big umami flavors with a little less salt than your standard soy. Much like tamari, they are made using fermented ingredients – a blend of the fermented sap of coconut palm and sea salt. 

    A favorite flavor-enhancer for vegans and health-conscious foodies, coconut aminos are great with meat, fish or vegetable dishes, including soups, stews, casseroles and stir-fries. Coconut aminos have a similar consistency to tamari, so use at a like-like ratio.

    More substitute guides

    Do you often find yourself caught short when trying out a new recipe? Check out Greedy Gourmet for my regular guides on the subtle art of substituting ingredients. Here are just a few of my most recent guides:

    • Worcester sauce substitute
    • 9 miso substitutes
    • Coconut cream substitutes
    • Sriracha substitutes
    • Beef broth substitute 
    • Cinnamon substitute
    • 5 horseradish substitutes
    • 9 celery seed substitutes

    More Ingredients

    • gruyere cheese substitute featured image.
      21 Gruyere Cheese Substitutes
    • Two chunks of percorino cheese as a manchego cheese substitutes.
      6 Pecorino Cheese Substitutes
    • celery substitutes.
      20 Substitutes for Celery
    • chickpea flour substitutes.
      11 Chickpea Flour Substitutes
    FacebookTweetPin2YummlyShares2

    DON'T MISS A THING!

    New recipes, tips & tricks, reviews and giveaways every week!

    Reader Interactions

    Make my day! - Share your thoughts... Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Food Photographer & Blogger

    about michelle

    Welcome to my eclectic collection of recipes from all four corners of the world. I hope to inspire you to get into the kitchen and never eat a boring meal ever again. Want to know more?

    More about me →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Copyright, Privacy & Disclosure Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Cookie Policy

    Services

    • Food Photography
    • Recipe Development
    • Food Videography

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Media Kit

    As an Amazon Associate and affiliate marketer I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Greedy Gourmet