10 Best Browning Sauce Substitutes That You Should Try!

Anyone who loves cooking meat must have a stack of browning sauce at home! Not just meat, though, browning sauce is indeed a very versatile ingredient. But if you are in a fix and seem to have run out of the same, don’t worry! Here I have for you some of the best browning sauce substitutes! 

The best substitutes that work perfectly well in place of browning sauce for most recipes are teriyaki sauce, barbeque sauce, teriyaki sauce, Parisian essence, steak sauce, liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce, and homemade browning sauce. 

Browning sauce is a kitchen staple in many homes, especially those with regular barbeques. A browning sauce is made with caramelized sugar, seasonings, and vegetable concentrates. This sauce is considered one of the best flavoring agents for meat, as it balances a sweet, salty, and smoky flavor together. 

However, the versatility of an excellent old browning sauce goes way beyond just meat! This sauce often adds flavor to stews, soups, glazed vegetables, and even gravies. Browning sauce is often added to Thanksgiving gravies, which gives them a lot of flavors. 

For this reason, often, people confuse brown gravy with browning sauce, which is not the same thing. For people who use this sauce often, it can be an irreplaceable staple in the kitchen, especially regarding meat glazes and marinades. 

So, can substitutes replicate this flavor and make your food taste just as good as browning sauce? You bet there are! All the substitutes mentioned here work well, some in a few recipes, while others are more versatile. Let us have a look at these substitutes! 

10 Best Browning Sauce Substitutes

Here are some of the best substitutes you could use in place of browning sauce, all based on the recipe you go for! 

1. Worcestershire Sauce 

The first on this list of substitutes is this good old British staple. Worcestershire sauce has a very similar color to that of browning sauce and is also made with a few similar ingredients. However, because of the addition of anchovies and a few other ingredients, the flavor profile of Worcestershire sauce is a bit different.

While browning sauce tends to have a smoky flavor along with the sweetness, Worcestershire sauce has an umami flavor attached to it because of the addition of anchovies. 

Although this can be a good substitute for browning sauce, the flavor might differ. I recommend using the Worcestershire sauce in very few recipes. 

For recipes like meat marinades and glazes, where the umami flavor will be less pronounced, Worcestershire sauce will work fine. In such recipes, a 1:1 ratio of substitution will work perfectly fine. 

2. Teriyaki Sauce 

This Japanese sauce is quite often used to glaze meat and more. It has a distinct sweet and sour flavor, which is very close to the browning sauce. As soy sauce is one of the ingredients in Teriyaki sauce, it will carry an umami flavor. 

However, it could be more prominent and better balanced out. So, Teriyaki sauce can work well as a substitute for browning sauce in every recipe possible. It is excellent for meat marinades, glazing, and in gravies, all in a 1:1 ratio of substitution.

3. Oyster Sauce

This sauce is dark brown and sweet and salty, with earthy undertones. Since it is made with oyster juice, the sea has a lingering flavor, which can be slightly different from browning sauce. However, oyster sauce can substitute for browning sauce in marinades and stir-fried food. 

You can also use it for glazes, but only as an additional ingredient, not the main one. Moreover, oyster sauce tends to be saltier than browning sauce, so always start with half the quantity while substituting. 

4. Barbeque Sauce 

This sauce, on its own, is versatile. Firstly, Barbeque sauce is made differently at various places. So, although some of the ingredients remain the same for all barbeque sauce recipes, there are many flavor variations available. 

So, you may find barbeque sauce sweet, spicy, tangy, smoky, and with many other flavor profiles. The versatility of this sauce makes it a perfect match as a substitute for browning sauce. 

This is because you can easily find a barbeque sauce resembling browning sauce’s flavor. It also has a similar consistency, which makes it great for glazes, stir-fried recipes, dips, and even marinades, all in a 1:1 ratio of substitution. 

5. Steak Sauce (A1 Sauce)

According to most people, one sauce is again one of the best substitutes for browning sauce. The ingredients used to make steak sauce can widely differ from the ones used to create a browning sauce. 

However, the thing with steak sauce is that although the ingredients are different, the base flavors combine to create a very similar medley to browning sauce. Steak sauce is also very readily available everywhere. 

Steak sauce might not be the best substitute for stir-fried recipes. However, for dips, marinades, and dipping sauces, there is honestly nothing better! Here, a 1:1 ratio of substitution will work perfectly fine. 

6. Soy Sauce 

Here, it is essential to remember that dark is the only soy sauce that can work as a substitute for browning sauce. Light soy sauce will indeed not work, as it does not have any of the properties of browning sauce. 

Dark soy sauce has a balanced flavor with undertones of umami. It gives recipes a color similar to browning sauce and a rich flavor. Dark soy sauce can work well in most recipes. 

You may have to mix it with something if you would like to use it as a meat glaze. But otherwise, it works fine in every recipe. However, as it has a sharper flavor than browning sauce, use only half the quantity of soy sauce as a substitute. 

7. Liquid Seasoning

There are various brands of liquid seasoning available in the market. However, the most popular of them has to be the one from Maggi. This seasoning has a dark brown color and a slightly thin texture but can work well in place of browning sauce in most recipes. 

Liquid seasoning perfectly substitutes for sauces, stews, marinades, and stir-fries. But I would recommend this less for meat glazes or dipping sauces. Other than that, use only half the quantity of liquid seasoning as that of browning sauce, as it can have a much sharper flavor. 

8. Liquid Aminos

This savory seasoning is made with soybeans and water, so steer clear in case of allergies! However, it can work well as a substitute for browning sauce. It has an umami flavor as well. However, it is slightly more on the sweeter side. 

But, regardless of that, the salty flavor can be more pronounced than that of browning sauce. So, liquid aminos can be used as a substitute for browning sauce in half the quantity, but they are best in meat marinades and stir-fried recipes. 

9. Parisian Essence

This is one of the best substitutes for browning sauce, as unlike some others, it has a sweet flavor rather than the apparent umami flavor. Parisian essence is less standard and is made with sugar and water. 

This essence can work well in most recipes, including glazes, sauces, stir-fries, and more. Even the substitution ratio can be kept at 1:1, as Parisian essence will give your food a lovely dark brown color, along with a great flavor. 

10. Homemade Browning Sauce 

The best substitute that you can use in place of store-bought browning sauce is any day, a homemade version of the same. It will give you that perfect flavor and texture and is free of preservatives. 

Making some browning sauce at home is a whole task. But honestly, it is one of the easiest things you can whip up in a jiffy! To make a browning sauce, you will need 1 cup of brown sugar and ½ cup of boiling water. 

Add the sugar to a pan and let it melt. Let it get to a dark caramel color if you are using white sugar. Then, take it off the heat and add boiling water, bit by bit, till you get the desired consistency. Voila! That’s how easy it is and can be used in a direct substitution ratio! 

Short Recap For Browning Sauce Substitutes

Here is a short recap of the best browning sauce substitutes based on a few factors worth considering. 

Best Browning Sauce Substitutes In Terms Of Flavor:

1. Homemade Browning Sauce
2. Barbeque Sauce
3. Teriyaki Sauce

Best Browning Sauce Substitutes In Terms Of Availability:

1. Soy Sauce
2. Teriyaki Sauce
3. Barbeque Sauce
4. Steak Sauce

Browning Sauce Substitutes That You Should Consider Using Last:

1. Soy Sauce
2. Worcestershire Sauce

How To Use Browning Sauce Substitutes

10 Best Browning Sauce Substitutes That You Should Try

The best substitutes that work perfectly well in place of browning sauce for most recipes are teriyaki sauce, barbeque sauce, teriyaki sauce, Parisian essence, steak sauce, liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce, and homemade browning sauce.

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Ingredients

  

• Worcestershire Sauce
• Teriyaki Sauce
• Oyster Sauce
• Barbeque Sauce
• Steak Sauce
• Soy Sauce
• Liquid Seasoning
• Liquid Aminos
• Parisian Essence
• Homemade Browning Sauce

Instructions

 

• Go through the substitutes and see which one seems fit for the recipe.
• Collect your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.
• Use the substitute in the required amount and make the dish according to the recipe.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Conclusion

As we have reached the end of this article, I hope it has helped you understand the best substitutes for browning sauce. Browning sauce is an essential ingredient in many recipes; honestly, there is nothing like it. 

However, luckily, there are quite a few substitutes that work well in their place. Some may give you a different flavor; otherwise, they work fine. So, I suggest picking your substitute wisely based on the recipe. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)