Substitute for Fish Sauce in Thai Cooking: Easy Recipe

This quick fish sauce substitute for Thai cooking combines soy sauce, dried shiitake mushroom, white miso, and a little vinegar and sugar for a salty, savory seasoning. Simmer and steep the ingredients, then strain the mixture and use it in many Thai-inspired curries, stir-fries, noodle dishes, and dipping sauces.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (120 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 medium dried shiitake mushroom (about 5 g), briefly rinsed
1 tablespoon (18 g) white miso
1 teaspoon (5 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon (4 g) light brown sugar

Instructions

Measure and combine. Add the soy sauce, water, rinsed shiitake, white miso, rice vinegar, and brown sugar to a small saucepan. Whisk until the miso and sugar are mostly dissolved. A few flecks of miso are fine; they will be strained out later.
Simmer gently. Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture just to a gentle simmer, stirring once or twice. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Avoid a hard boil: it can concentrate the salt too quickly and make the soy sauce taste harsh.
Steep off the heat. Remove the pan from the burner and leave the mushroom in the liquid for 15 minutes. This resting time lets it contribute a deeper, rounded savory flavor without requiring a long simmer.
Strain and cool. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean heatproof measuring cup or jar. Discard the mushroom, or slice it into a cooked dish if you like. Let the sauce cool before covering and refrigerating. It makes about 3/4 cup (180 ml), depending on evaporation and how much liquid the mushroom holds.
Taste and use. Start by replacing fish sauce in a recipe with the same amount of this mixture. Taste the finished dish before adding more salt or another salty seasoning, since soy sauce and miso both contribute saltiness.

Tips

Check the miso label. Some miso is made with ingredients that are not suitable for every dietary preference. If you need a fully plant-based sauce, choose a miso whose label confirms it contains no fish or other animal ingredients. White miso is mild; a darker miso can taste stronger and saltier.
Choose the right soy sauce. Low-sodium soy sauce makes it easier to adjust the finished dish. If you only have regular soy sauce, the mixture will be saltier, so use a little less in the recipe and add more only after tasting. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free tamari and check the miso label too.
Keep the simmer gentle. The goal is to infuse the mushroom and bring the flavors together, not to reduce the sauce to a syrup. A vigorous boil or a long uncovered reduction can make the substitute overly salty and less versatile.
Adjust at the dish level. Thai recipes balance salty, sour, sweet, and sometimes hot flavors. This sauce supplies salt and savory depth, but it does not perfectly reproduce the fermented, seafood-like aroma of fish sauce. Add lime juice, sugar, chili, or other seasonings according to the dish rather than trying to make the substitute taste identical on its own.

Serving Suggestions

Use this mixture as a direct starting-point replacement in Thai-style recipes that call for fish sauce. For a stir-fry, add it with the other liquid seasonings so it coats the ingredients evenly. In a curry, stir it into the sauce during cooking, then taste near the end; coconut milk, curry paste, and the other ingredients can all affect how much seasoning the dish needs. For fried rice or noodles, begin with a modest amount, toss well, and add more only if the finished dish tastes flat.

It also works in a dipping sauce or dressing. Stir a spoonful into lime juice, a little sugar, and chopped chili for a simple bright accompaniment to vegetables, tofu, or grilled foods. For a peanut-style dipping sauce, mix a small amount into peanut butter with warm water and lime juice, adjusting the texture and seasoning gradually. Because the substitute has a soy-and-mushroom profile rather than a fermented fish aroma, use it where savory saltiness is most important.

In Thai cooking, fish sauce is often one part of a larger balance, not just a source of salt. A dish may pair it with lime or tamarind for sourness, palm or brown sugar for sweetness, and fresh or dried chili for heat. Taste the whole dish after adding the substitute instead of adding extra salt automatically. If the result seems too salty, increase the unsalted components, such as vegetables, noodles, coconut milk, or water, where appropriate for that recipe.

Variations

Use tamari: Replace the soy sauce with the same amount of gluten-free tamari for a gluten-free version, provided the miso is also gluten-free. Tamari can taste more concentrated than some soy sauces, so taste before using a full one-to-one amount in a delicate dish.

Make a simpler pantry version: If you do not have dried shiitake or miso, use soy sauce and water in equal amounts as a quick stand-in. It will be salty and useful in a pinch, but it will have less body and savory complexity. Start with less than the recipe’s fish sauce quantity and adjust after tasting.

Try coconut aminos: Use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce, then reduce or omit the brown sugar at first and taste. Coconut aminos are usually sweeter and may be less salty, so the finished flavor will not be identical; add salt only if the dish needs it.

Use a commercial vegan fish sauce: If you have a clearly labeled plant-based fish sauce, follow its package directions and taste as you go. Products vary in saltiness and ingredients, and some bottles labeled fish sauce contain seafood. Check the ingredient list if avoiding fish is important.

Make it more aromatic: For a particular curry or stir-fry, add aromatics such as garlic, ginger, or lemongrass directly to that dish rather than adding them to this all-purpose bottle. Keeping the base sauce simple makes it easier to use across different recipes and avoids giving every dish the same aromatic flavor.

Storage and Reheating

Transfer the cooled substitute to a clean, covered container and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. Use it within 5 days for best quality. This is a homemade seasoning, not a shelf-stable condiment: keep it refrigerated, and do not store it at room temperature or attempt to preserve it by canning. Discard it if it develops an unusual smell, visible mold, or other signs of spoilage.

You generally do not need to reheat the sauce before using it. If it has thickened slightly in the refrigerator, stir it or let the amount you need sit briefly at room temperature; do not leave the whole container out. When adding it to a hot dish, let the dish heat the sauce through. If you have mixed it into leftovers, refrigerate those leftovers within 2 hours and reheat them to 165°F (74°C) before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I replace fish sauce with this in equal amounts?
Usually, yes: begin with the same volume of this substitute as the fish sauce called for. Recipes differ in how salty and concentrated their other ingredients are, so taste before adding the full amount when making a delicate dressing or a dish with salty curry paste, broth, or other seasonings. You can add more, but it is harder to correct an overly salty dish.

What is the closest substitute for fish sauce in Thai cooking?
A plant-based fish sauce made to mimic fish sauce can come closest in aroma, but products vary and some sauces sold as fish sauce contain fish. This soy, shiitake, and miso mixture is a practical homemade alternative that brings salt and savory depth. It will not fully recreate the distinct fermented seafood flavor, so it works best when the recipe also has strong ingredients such as lime, chili, herbs, or curry paste.

Can I make the recipe without mushrooms?
Yes. Leave out the shiitake and simmer the remaining ingredients as directed, then strain if needed. The result will still season a dish, but it will have less earthy savoriness and may taste more directly of soy sauce. If you have a small amount of mushroom powder, you can whisk in a pinch instead, but use it sparingly so it does not cloud the sauce or dominate its flavor.

Is soy sauce alone enough?
It can work in a pinch, especially in a strongly flavored stir-fry, but it is not a perfect match. Fish sauce has a distinct fermented, briny aroma, while soy sauce tastes more bean-forward and can seem sharper. Start with a little less soy sauce than the recipe’s fish sauce amount, then balance the dish with its usual sour, sweet, and spicy ingredients rather than adding extra salt automatically.

Will this substitute work in pad Thai?
Yes. Start with the same amount as the fish sauce called for, then taste after tossing the noodles with the sauce. Pad Thai commonly includes other salty and strongly flavored ingredients, so adding the full amount without tasting can make it too salty. Adjust the balance with the recipe’s lime or tamarind and sugar, keeping in mind that this substitute does not contribute the same seafood aroma.

Can I freeze the extra sauce?
Yes. Freeze it in a small, airtight, freezer-safe container or in measured portions, leaving a little room for expansion. Thaw a portion in the refrigerator and stir it before use, since some separation can occur. For the best flavor and texture, use frozen portions within about 2 months, and do not refreeze a portion after it has thawed.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).