What is Soy Sauce?
Often times, to choose the best substitute for an ingredient, I find it’s best to make sure you understand what it is you’re replacing. Soy sauce is a salty brown liquid that’s very popular in Asian cuisine. Traditional soy sauce is fermented (aged) soy beans, grain, and usually a type of mold. Traditional soy sauce takes months to make, and the end result is a delicious sauce that you can use in a wide range of recipes.
For those allergic to wheat, or those with Celiac Disease or a gluten sensitivity, know that wheat protein is present in soy sauce and it should not be consumed unless you’re purchasing a gluten free/wheat free version from a reputable brand.
A Few Types of Soy Sauce
Light Soy Sauce: Sometimes called fresh soy sauce, this is the main type of soy sauce you’ll see in grocery stores. It’s great for dipping, has a great salty taste, and brings a wonderful layer of umami to your recipes. From this, a lot of other type of soy sauces can be made.
Dark Soy Sauce: Made from light soy sauce, and is usually fermented for a longer period of time. However, it sometimes has added caramel color and molasses which can make a more sweet soy sauce. Additionally, it has a thicker consistency than light soy sauce.
Blended Soy Sauce: Made from brewed soy sauce, and blended with flavor enhancers and other hydrolyzed vegetable proteins. This is a cheaper type of soy sauce substitute, and depending on what type of eater you are (clean, organic, eats everything, etc.), you may or may not want to avoid this type of soy sauce.
Best Substitutes for Soy Sauce in Fried Rice
Generally speaking, these delicious soy sauce substitutes can be used in equal ratio in your fried rice recipe. However, I’d encourage you to put a little on your finger and taste it, as each fermented sauce can have a different salt level. Then, assess your recipe.
If the recipe only calls for a little bit of soy sauce, there’s a great chance that you can use the substitute in equal ratio. However, if the recipe calls for a lot of soy sauce, for best results, start with half the amount, mix it in, then taste again. Remember, you can always add more if it’s not powerful enough, but you can’t remove sauce if you’ve added too much.
- Coconut Aminos (slightly sweeter taste but is one of the best soy sauce substitutes)
- Fish Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Liquid Aminos (this is soy based, making it one of the best soy sauce substitutes)
- Miso Paste (soy based, you can add a little bit of water to thin it out and make it more sauce like)
- Oyster Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce (this has a lot of interesting flavour notes, and isn’t for everyone, but also super cool)
- Shoyu Sauce
- Tamari Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce (can have a sweeter taste)
- XO Sauce (like a fish sauce + soy sauce, but with some heat and some sweet)
Don’t Use These as Substitutes for Soy Sauce in Traditional Fried Rice
Notice I said not to use these in traditional fried rice. Here’s the thing about cooking: if your taste buds are happy, do what you want in your kitchen. These substitutes won’t necessarily pair well with some of the ingredients in traditional fried rice, or they may not bring the umami hit you’re looking for.
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Chili Sauce
- Most Salad Dressings
- Malt Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Perilla Seed Oil (a sesame oil alternative, great for cooking with)
- Sesame Oil (great to cook your fried rice recipe in, but isn’t a proper substitute)
- Sriracha Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
Coconut Aminos & Liquid Aminos: What are They?
Whilst these two products sound similar, and almost like they may be the same thing, they’re actually two different products. Liquid Aminos are derived from soy beans, and Coconut Aminos are derived from coconut sap.
The process in making both types of aminos is very similar, and the resulting products both have a salty flavor that can lend itself well to savory dishes (and even some sweet dishes with the right recipe). Both coconut aminos and liquid aminos can take the place of soy sauce in most recipes.
Coconut aminos is a liquid product, dark in color, and has a similar taste to soy sauce. To make it, coconut sap, which is the nectar of the flowers of the coconut plant, is aged. The natural sugars present ferment, and salt is also added to the mix. Over time, you end up with coconut aminos, a fermented product that doesn’t contain coconut flesh or coconut flavor. It makes for a great dipping sauce for those who are allergic to wheat, soy, and fish as well. On top of that, you can cook with it when making a stir fry, fried rice, or anywhere else you’d like an umami hit.
Liquid aminos (sometimes called Soy Protein Seasoning) has a very similar creation process, but the product is derived from soy beans. In fact, it’s made from 16 amino acids that come from soy beans, which is great if you’re into that sort of thing. Additionally, if you have a wheat allergy, Celiac Disease, or gluten sensitivity, this can be a great way to replace soy sauce in recipes since traditional soy sauce contains wheat.
Wheat & Gluten-Free Alternatives for Soy Sauce
If you manage Celiac Disease, have a wheat/gluten sensitivity, or a wheat allergy, here are some substitutes for soy sauce that you can use in your fried rice.
- Coconut Aminos (slightly sweeter taste but is one of the best soy sauce substitutes)
- Fish Sauce
- Miso Paste (soy based, make sure you get a gluten free version)
- Wilderness Poets Miso Nooch (made from chickpea and rice)
- Gluten Free Oyster Sauce (I’ve seen one from Sauce Grandmaster)
- Gluten & Wheat Free Teriyaki Sauce
- Gluten & Wheat Free Tamari
- Gluten & Wheat Free Hoisin
- Vegan Oyster Sauce
Note: I’ve talked with San-J in the past and their sauces were made on shared equipment with wheat. They are the leader in gluten and wheat free Asian sauces, so if shared equipment is an issue for you, talk to them before purchasing anything.
Soy Free Substitutes for Soy Sauce
If you’d like something that resembles soy sauce in a recipe but have a soy allergy or soy intolerance, here’s a list of products that bring umami flavors to the table:
- Coconut Aminos
- Fish Sauce
- San-J No Soy Tamari (made from pea)
- Wilderness Poets Miso Nooch (made from chickpea and rice)
What Makes a Good Fried Rice Recipe
There are a lot of wonderful components that go into a good fried rice, some argue that the secret ingredient is leftover rice (usually day-old rice). From there, if you want your fried rice to resemble a delicious Chinese takeout, you’re going to need a good wok to cook in.
The typical ingredients for fried rice include white rice, eggs, pork or chicken, carrots, peas, and green onions. In a restaurant, these would be cooked together in a hot wok to create the fried rice we all know and love. Traditional fried rice is cooked in sesame oil, however, if you have a sesame allergy like me, look into perilla seed oil. It’s a great alternative that brings a lot of flavour to the table.
However, is you ask me, the best part about cooking at home is that you can make whatever you’d like. In fact, in my humble opinion, to make the perfect fried rice, the best option will be one that your taste buds love. What that means is, a good fried rice will be defined differently based on each person’s culture and food memories. So, make what tastes good to you!
Creative Fried Rice Recipe Ideas
I once made an amazing fried rice with garlic seascapes, balsamic vinegar, bacon ends that I seasoned and cooked, and vegan egg (one of my kids has an egg allergy). Was it traditional? Absolutely not, because it was also soy sauce free since I have a child with a wheat allergy. I share that to say this: fried rice is a conceptual canvas, as are many other amazing recipes.
Have fun with your fried rice recipe! Get creative and turn a traditional recipe on its head. I promise, no one is going to come knocking at your door to give you a ticket because you decided to make a non-traditional recipe. So, here are more ideas on how you can put a creative spin on a fried rice recipe at home.
- Jasmine Rice + Bell Peppers + Fresh Garlic + Shiitake Mushrooms + Burnt Pork Ends
- Brown Rice + Spicy Korean Beef + Green Onions + Bok Choy Chiffonade
- Fresh Fluffy Rice + Sweet Sautéed Red Onions + Lemon Juice + Harissa Seasoned Pork + Scrambled Egg
- Sushi Rice + Vegan Scrambled Egg + No Soy Tamari + Peas + Mung Bean Sprouts
A Few Delicious Rice Recipes for You to Try
These are a few delicious, non-traditional fried rice recipes to check out. Given that I’m The Allergy Chef, they’re going to be gluten free and allergy friendly options.
- Roasted Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe (gluten free, vegan, top 9 free)
- Gluten Free Shrimp Fried Rice with Ramps (egg and soy free)
- Pork Fried Rice Recipe (gluten free, allergy friendly)
- Veggie Fried Rice Recipe (with JUST vegan egg substitute)
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Answering Your Soy Sauce Substitute Questions
What’s the best substitute for regular soy sauce if I have fish and soy allergies?
In your case, you’ll want to start with coconut aminos (made from coconut palm sap). It’s a fermented product so it’s able to deliver a rich umami taste without the soy. My second suggestion for you would be the San-J No Soy Tamari, which is made from pea. However, if neither of those are an option for you, two very non-traditional products to consider are Loisa Organic Sazón, and McCormick Umami Seasoning.
Both of these are dry seasonings, so the ratios will be different in a traditional recipe, but, they could deliver the umami flavor you’re looking for.
Is Maggi Seasoning a good swap for soy sauce in fried rice?
Maybe. I’ve never used it, but in looking at the ingredients, personally, I’m not all that impressed. It appears to be roasted wheat flour, lots of salt, and quite a few additives. I think a better choice would be liquid aminos or coconut aminos, followed by fish sauce.
What’s the best traditional soy sauce substitute for someone that needs to have a lower sodium intake?
A great substitute for traditional soy sauce in that case would be either a low sodium soy sauce, or coconut aminos. When compared to regular soy sauce, coconut aminos have about 4.5x less sodium per Tablespoon. If however that’s still too high for your needs, you’ll want to make a faux soy sauce recipe at home.
For soy free recipes, I like to make a sauce from date syrup, mushroom powder, salt, and seaweed. When combined, these four ingredients can deliver depth and an umami flavor. Now, is it a perfect taste replacement? Of course not. However, it gets you in the right ballpark and as long as it’s used in conjunction with other great ingredients, you’ll have a winning meal on your hands.
In your case, I’d start with the amount of salt you can have in a small bowl, then add the other ingredients a little bit at a time until you reach the balance that’s right for you.
What’s the best gluten-free substitute for soy sauce in fried rice?
Assuming you don’t have an issue with products made on shared equipment with wheat, gluten-free soy sauce is going to be the top selection for you. San-J is the leader in gluten free Asian sauces, however, they use shared equipment with wheat, last I checked. Double check with them before purchasing if that’s an issue.
If shared equipment is an issue for you, look into brands that make either liquid aminos (soy based) or coconut aminos, that are using wheat/gluten free equipment. If you’re unable to find those, you’ll probably be able to find a brand of fish sauce made on wheat free equipment (start with Red Boat).
What’s the best soy sauce substitute in marinades for stir-fries?
Assuming you’re not allergic to soy, liquid aminos will be the best swap in your marinade. That’s because you’ll still have the soy flavour along with the salty element. If you are allergic to soy, my top suggestions are coconut aminos, no soy tamari (made by San-J), and fish sauce, in that order. If you can’t have food made on shared equipment with soy, make sure you reach out to San-J before purchasing.
