Out of Apple cider vinegar, one case

Apple cider vinegar substitute for pulled pork

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Distilled white vinegar

1 cup for every cup of apple cider vinegar

For pulled pork, use distilled white vinegar in the same amount as the apple cider vinegar: both are 5% acid, so the tang is the same. In a vinegar sauce or mop that is not cooked, stir in 1/8 teaspoon of sugar per tablespoon of vinegar, which is 2 teaspoons per cup, to stand in for the fruitiness. Apple juice on its own is not a replacement, because it is sweet and has almost no acid.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Use the same amount. In a sauce or mop that is not cooked, add 1/8 tsp sugar per tablespoon of vinegar, which is 2 tsp per cup.
Best for —: slow cooker and Dutch oven braising liquid
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full apple cider vinegar card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Apple cider vinegar substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup apple cider vinegar	Verdict
1	Distilled white vinegarslow cooker and Dutch oven braising liquid	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
2	White vinegar + apple juicea finishing sauce where vinegar is the main flavor	2 tsp vinegar + 1 tsp apple juice per 1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
3	White wine vinegarbraising liquid	¾ cupTweak it	Tweak it
4	Rice vinegarbraising liquid	1 tbsp + ½ tsp per 1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
Not a swap	Apple juice or apple cider alone	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Distilled white vinegar

sharper and cleaner; the fruity note is gone

The same 5% strength as cider vinegar, so the amount does not change. It is sharper and plainer, with none of the apple flavor.

Best for: slow cooker and Dutch oven braising liquid, Carolina-style vinegar sauce, mops and spritzes on a smoker
Prep: Use the same amount. In a sauce or mop that is not cooked, add 1/8 tsp sugar per tablespoon of vinegar, which is 2 tsp per cup.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: A sauce that is mostly vinegar tastes harsh without the pinch of sugar. Taste before adding it if the recipe already has brown sugar or ketchup.

White vinegar + apple juice

the closest to cider vinegar; slightly less sour

Two parts white vinegar to one part apple juice puts the apple note back. For a cup of cider vinegar that is 2/3 cup vinegar and 1/3 cup juice.

Best for: a finishing sauce where vinegar is the main flavor, a spritz bottle for the smoker, when there is apple juice in the fridge
Prep: Mix the two before measuring them into the recipe, and reduce the recipe's sugar by about 1 tsp per ¼ cup of juice.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: A third of it is juice, so it is a little weaker than straight cider vinegar. Do not push the juice past one third or the sauce turns sweet.

White wine vinegar

mellow and winey; no apple

Wine vinegar is usually stronger than cider vinegar, so three quarters of the amount gives the same sourness. It is soft and lightly fruity, which suits pork.

Best for: braising liquid, mustard-based and vinegar-based sauces, when there is no white vinegar in the house
Prep: Use ¾ cup per cup, or 2 ¼ tsp per tablespoon. In a braise, make up the missing volume with water or broth.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Easy to overdo in a thin vinegar sauce. Add the last quarter only after tasting.

Red wine vinegar measures the same way but tints a pale sauce pink.

Rice vinegar

softer and a little sweet

Unseasoned rice vinegar is milder, about 4% acid, so it takes slightly more. It is clean and faintly sweet.

Best for: braising liquid, a milder sauce for people who find vinegar sauce too sharp
Prep: Use the unseasoned bottle. Seasoned rice vinegar has sugar and salt in it: if that is what you have, cut both in the recipe and taste.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: A vinegar-forward Carolina sauce comes out gentle. That is not what that sauce is for.

Apple juice or apple cider alone

sweet, with nothing to cut the fat

Apple juice and fresh apple cider carry the apple flavor but almost no acid. The name is close; the job is not.

Best for: extra braising liquid, alongside a vinegar
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Used in place of the vinegar, the pork and the sauce come out sweet and heavy. Use it only with white vinegar, 1 part juice to 2 parts vinegar.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeApple cider vinegar

In pulled pork, cider vinegar shows up in three places: the braising liquid in a slow cooker or Dutch oven, the mop or spritz on a smoker, and the sauce tossed with the shredded meat. In all three it is there for tang that cuts the richness of the pork. The meat becomes tender from long, slow cooking, so the swap is a question of flavor, not of whether the recipe works.

Tips for substituting apple cider vinegar

4 tips

Slow cooker or Dutch oven: swap white vinegar for the cider vinegar in the same amount and change nothing else. After hours in the pot with a rub, onion and sugar, the difference is hard to pick out.
Vinegar sauce: this is where the swap shows most. Use white vinegar with 2 tsp sugar per cup, or 2/3 cup white vinegar plus 1/3 cup apple juice for each cup of cider vinegar.
Spritz for a smoker: replace the cider vinegar in the bottle with the same amount of white vinegar. If the spritz already has apple juice in it, nothing else needs to change.
Toss sauce with the shredded pork a few tablespoons at a time and taste as you go. A stronger wine vinegar is easy to overdo.

Questions

5 questions

Can I leave the vinegar out of pulled pork?

In a braise, yes. The pork turns tender from long, slow cooking, not from the vinegar. Replace the volume with broth or water so the pot does not run short of liquid, then add a splash of any vinegar or a squeeze of lemon to the shredded meat, because rich pork tastes heavy with no acid at all.

Can I use apple juice in place of apple cider vinegar in pulled pork?

Not on its own. Apple juice is sweet and has almost no acid, so it cannot do the vinegar's job. Mix it with white vinegar, 1 teaspoon of juice to 2 teaspoons of vinegar for each tablespoon of cider vinegar, and you get close to the original.

How much white vinegar replaces ½ cup of apple cider vinegar?

½ cup. Both are 5% acid, so the measure is the same. If the vinegar goes into a sauce that is not cooked, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to that ½ cup.

Can I use balsamic or red wine vinegar?

Red wine vinegar works at three quarters of the amount and tints the sauce. Balsamic is a last resort: use 2 teaspoons plus 1 teaspoon of water for each tablespoon of cider vinegar, and expect a darker, sweeter result. It fits a dark, sweet barbecue sauce better than a thin vinegar sauce.

Does lemon juice work in pulled pork?

It works for the sourness, tablespoon for tablespoon, but it tastes of lemon and the fresh flavor fades with long cooking. It is better squeezed over the shredded pork at the end than cooked in the pot for hours.