Two Great Soy Sauce Substitutes to Use!
Whether you are trying to stay away from soy, lower your sodium intake, or just don’t like the taste of soy sauce, I’ve got the best soy sauce substitutes for you to try!
What is Soy Sauce?
Soy sauce is a key ingredient in many of my recipes because it is an important staple in Asian cuisine, specifically Chinese. Soy Sauce is made from a fermented paste of soybeans. It is delicious to use but it can be high in sodium and contains gluten. I love Soy Sauce, but I use it sparingly.
For those that can’t consume too much sodium or are gluten intolerant, I have come up with the perfect alternatives depending on the flavor profile you are trying to reach!
Liquid Aminos
This was the first Soy Sauce alternative I was introduced to a long time ago. It was developed to look and taste very similar to Soy Sauce. Therefore, it mimics very similar qualities and can be used interchangeably with Soy Sauce.
Liquid Aminos is created in a similar process as Soy Sauce; however, contains more health benefits and typically gluten-free. The benefits of using Liquid Aminos is that it contains amino acids, which we know from chemistry 101 are the building block of proteins. The taste is also much milder if you find Soy Sauce to be too potent.
This can be found in most grocery stores in the condiments section. I love the Liquid Aminos by Braggs.
Coco Aminos
Another great soy sauce substitute! Coco Aminos is produced in the same fashion as Liquid Aminos; however, it is coconut-based. Studies show that Coco Aminos even offers slightly more amino acids than Liquid Aminos. Coco Aminos is lower in sodium and typically gluten-free as well.
I like to think of Coco Aminos as the perfect alternative to Teriyaki Sauce. It is on the sweeter side in comparison to Soy Sauce, which is an accurate description of Teriyaki Sauce. Therefore, I like to use Coco Aminos in recipes that require a slightly sweeter Soy Sauce or a Teriyaki Sauce taste.
This can be found in most grocery stores in the condiments section. I don’t have a particular favorite brand, but I love to buy this in bulk at Costco.
Choosing Your Soy Sauce Substitute
Like I’ve mentioned before, the two are processed the same and in terms of preference between the two I recommend using the one you enjoy more.
However, here are just a few details to remember between the two:
- Coco Aminos tastes slightly sweeter
- Liquid Aminos has more sodium
- Both are typically gluten-free friendly
I hope this helps to clear up any confusion on what the difference is between the different alternatives and when to use one or the other. At the end of the day, I recommend using what is most convenient, affordable, and preferable to you.
Thanks for Reading!
Thank you Nutti’s for taking the time to read this post and I truly hope you get a chance to try both of these soy sauce substitutes! If you have a preference between the two, please let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Feel free to pin this recipe to Pinterest if you liked it! I always love to see what recipes you enjoy. Also, you can follow me on Pinterest for more recipes, just click the link below my bio or search for Nutti Nelli!
Mahalo!
Janelle