Best Substitutes for Mirin in Cooking

Updated March 15, 2026 · 5 min read

You're halfway through a teriyaki chicken recipe and realize there's no mirin in the pantry. It happens to all of us.

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine with low alcohol and a syrupy body. It adds a gentle sweetness, balances salty soy sauce, and gives glazed dishes that gorgeous shine. But it's not always easy to find, and some cooks prefer to skip the alcohol altogether.

Good news: you probably have a solid substitute sitting in your kitchen right now. Here are six options that actually work, ranked by how close they come to the real thing.

Quick-Reference Table

1. Rice Vinegar + Sugar (Best Overall)

This is the substitute most Japanese home cooks actually reach for. Rice vinegar has the same mild, rounded acidity that mirin brings without any harsh bite. Add a little sugar and you're almost there.

Ratio: 1 tablespoon rice vinegar + ½ teaspoon granulated sugar for every 1 tablespoon of mirin.

Stir the sugar into the vinegar until it dissolves before adding it to your pan. This works beautifully in teriyaki sauce, sushi rice seasoning, and any dipping sauce where mirin usually plays a supporting role.

The flavor is slightly tangier than real mirin, but in a cooked dish, most people won't notice the difference.

2. Dry Sherry

Dry sherry is a surprisingly good stand-in. It has a warm, nutty quality that adds depth to stir fries and marinades. The sweetness level is close enough that you usually don't need to add extra sugar.

Ratio: 1 tablespoon dry sherry for every 1 tablespoon of mirin. If your dish tastes a little dry, add a pinch of sugar.

This is a great pick for cooking with wine in general. Dry sherry holds up well to high heat, so it works in fast stir fries where the liquid hits a screaming-hot wok and cooks off in seconds.

Avoid cream sherry — it's too heavy and will throw off the balance of your sauce.

3. Sweet Marsala Wine

Sweet marsala brings a richer, more caramel-forward flavor than mirin. It's not a traditional swap, but it works surprisingly well in thicker sauces and glazes where you want a deeper sweetness.

Ratio: 1 tablespoon sweet marsala for every 1 tablespoon of mirin. No extra sugar needed.

Try it in meat glazes and roasted vegetable dishes. It's a bit bold for delicate sushi rice, but in a hearty teriyaki marinade, the extra richness is actually a plus. Start with a little less than the recipe calls for and taste as you go.

4. White Wine + Sugar

A dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, sweetened with a touch of sugar, creates a light and crisp substitute. It's especially nice with seafood and vegetables where you don't want anything too heavy.

Ratio: 1 tablespoon white wine + ½ teaspoon sugar for every 1 tablespoon of mirin.

The flavor leans more European than Japanese, so this swap works better in fusion dishes or when mirin is a minor ingredient. In a recipe that calls for three or more tablespoons of mirin, you might notice the difference.

5. Sake + Sugar

If you have sake in the house, this is the most authentic substitute you can make. Sake and mirin start from the same base — fermented rice — so the underlying flavor profile is nearly identical. Sake is just drier, which is why you add a little sugar.

Ratio: 1 tablespoon sake + ½ teaspoon sugar for every 1 tablespoon of mirin.

This is the go-to for ramen broth, teriyaki, and any Japanese recipe where mirin's flavor really matters. Cooking sake (ryorishu) works fine here. Dissolve the sugar in the sake before adding it to the pot.

6. Apple Cider Vinegar + Sugar (Non-Alcoholic)

For a completely alcohol-free option, apple cider vinegar mixed with sugar does the job well. It has a fruity, mellow tang that plays nicely with the sweet-savory balance mirin usually provides.

Ratio: 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar + ½ teaspoon sugar for every 1 tablespoon of mirin.

This is a solid choice for marinades, salad dressings, and noodle dishes like pad thai. The apple flavor is subtle enough that it won't clash with ginger, garlic, or soy sauce.

If the vinegar smell is strong, let it cook for a minute or two — the sharpness mellows quickly with heat.

Tips for Swapping Mirin in Any Recipe

Dissolve sugar first. Whenever a substitute calls for added sugar, stir it into the liquid before it hits the pan. Undissolved sugar can burn and turn bitter.

Taste and adjust. Mirin is subtle. Start with the ratios above, then taste your sauce before serving. A tiny splash of soy sauce or a pinch more sugar can fix things quickly.

Don't overthink the glaze. Mirin creates a beautiful shiny glaze on teriyaki and grilled meats. Most substitutes will still give you a decent shine, especially if you reduce the sauce over medium heat for an extra minute or two.

Use what you have. The best substitute is the one already in your kitchen. Any of these six options will get you a delicious result.