Cooking Wine Substitutes
Updated August 15, 2026
Replace wine with broth plus a small splash of acid: for 1 cup of white wine, use 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white-wine vinegar; for red, beef or mushroom stock with a teaspoon or two of red-wine or balsamic vinegar. Wine's job in a pot is mostly acidity and depth — both are replaceable.
| The recipe wants | Use instead | Note |
|---|---|---|
| White wine (deglazing, pan sauce) | Stock + 1 tbsp lemon or white-wine vinegar per cup | The workhorse swap |
| Red wine (braises, stews) | Beef/mushroom stock + red-wine or balsamic vinegar | A spoon of tomato paste adds body |
| Wine in risotto | Stock + squeeze of lemon at the end | Nothing else changes |
| Sweet/fortified (marsala, sherry) | Apple or white grape juice + splash of vinegar | Watch added sweetness |
| Beer (batters, chili) | Stock or sparkling water | Carbonation matters in batters |
What wine actually contributes
By the time a sauce is done, the alcohol is largely gone — what remains is acidity, fruit, and glutamate depth. That's why the substitution formula is liquid + acid, and why it works so well: a braise built on good stock with a measured splash of vinegar is nearly indistinguishable from the wine version. Add the vinegar gradually and taste — it's a seasoning, not a pour.
Worth knowing: alcohol doesn't "burn off" completely on any realistic timeline — a quick pan sauce retains a meaningful fraction, hours of simmering much less. For strict no-alcohol cooking, substitute rather than rely on cook-off.
Skip the "cooking wine" aisle
Supermarket "cooking wine" is thin wine salted to undrinkability — the salt wrecks your seasoning control and the wine was never good. The old rule stands: cook with something you'd drink, cheaply drinkable is fine. And an opened bottle past its prime is still a cooking asset for weeks; frozen into ice cubes, for months.
Quick answers
- What can I use instead of white wine in a recipe?
- Chicken or vegetable stock plus a tablespoon of lemon juice or white-wine vinegar per cup. In a pinch, even water with vinegar deglazes a pan fine.
- Does alcohol cook off completely?
- No — quick cooking retains a real fraction; long simmers leave only traces. If it must be zero, substitute instead.
- Can I use apple cider vinegar for red wine?
- It works with a caveat: it's sharper and fruitier, so use less and consider a spoon of tomato paste or balsamic for the missing depth.