How Much Rice Vinegar to Substitute for Red Wine Vinegar
Works for sauteing, slow cook, and steaming. Rice Vinegar comes across milder than Red Wine Vinegar.
How much rice vinegar equals one Red Wine Vinegar?
Use 1 1/4 tbsp rice vinegar per 1 tbsp red wine vinegar.
Health notes
Compared with Red Wine Vinegar, Rice Vinegar has: less calories (18 vs 19 per 100g in Red Wine Vinegar).
Using rice vinegar as a red wine vinegar substitute in pan-frying
Use 1 1/4 tbsp rice vinegar per 1 tbsp red wine vinegar when deglazing. Milder tang, add a pinch more salt.
Other cooking methods
- Slow Cook
1 1/4:1 in braises. Sweetness rounds out over long cooking, so taste before adding extra.
- Steaming
1 1/4:1 works for steamed vegetables or fish with a splash added after cooking.
- Raw Cold
1 1/4:1 in dressings and slaws. Softer bite, so bump up mustard or garlic if needed.
- Drinks
1 1/4:1 in shrubs or cocktails. Lighter, sweeter edge than red wine vinegar.
Methods to avoid (3)
- Baking
Not recommended: red wine vinegar fails here too, so there's no reliable baking use to match.
- Frying
Not recommended: neither vinegar holds up in a fryer, and rice vinegar adds nothing here.
- Grilling
Not recommended: rice vinegar can't handle grill heat and thins out marinades too much.
FAQ
- How much rice vinegar equals one Red Wine Vinegar?
Use 1 1/4 tbsp rice vinegar per 1 tbsp red wine vinegar.
- Can I substitute rice vinegar for Red Wine Vinegar in pan-frying?
Yes. Use 1 1/4 tbsp rice vinegar per 1 tbsp red wine vinegar when deglazing. Milder tang, add a pinch more salt. Not recommended: red wine vinegar fails here too, so there's no reliable baking use to match.
- How much rice vinegar to use as a red wine vinegar substitute?
Milder and slightly sweet; add a splash more or a dash of mustard for punch.
- How does the flavor change when substituting Rice Vinegar for Red Wine Vinegar?
Rice vinegar comes across milder than red wine vinegar.
- How does texture change when substituting Rice Vinegar for Red Wine Vinegar?
Rice vinegar just as thin and watery as red wine vinegar, no thickening either way.
- What else should I know about substituting Rice Vinegar for Red Wine Vinegar?
For dressings, marinades, braises, and dipping sauces. Expect a softer, rounder tang with a faint sweetness instead of sharp fruitiness. Skip grilling marinades and frying, where rice vinegar thins out or burns off too fast. Add extra garlic, mustard, or a touch more vinegar if the dish tastes flat.
- What still works when substituting Rice Vinegar for Red Wine Vinegar?
Rice vinegar still works as a acid, flavor carrier, and preservative.
- How well does Rice Vinegar match Red Wine Vinegar?
Rice vinegar is okay on structure, okay on heat, and okay on flavor.
- How does nutrition compare per 100g when substituting Rice Vinegar for Red Wine Vinegar?
Overall, calories, fat, and sat. fat are similar. Rice vinegar has no protein, while red wine vinegar has some.
- How do the flavor notes shift when substituting Rice Vinegar for Red Wine Vinegar?
The flavor shifts toward more sweet, less acidic, less bitter, and less pungent notes.