Out of Apple cider vinegar, one case

Can you substitute rice vinegar for apple cider vinegar?

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tbsp + ½ tsp for every 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

Yes: use 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon of unseasoned rice vinegar for each tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Rice vinegar is milder, about 4% acid against 5%, so it needs slightly more to give the same sharpness. It is cleaner and a little sweeter, with none of the apple flavor. Do not make this swap in a canning recipe.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Measure 1 tbsp + ½ tsp for each tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, then taste. Check the label says unseasoned, or lists only rice vinegar and water.
Best for —: salad dressings and slaws
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 tbsp apple cider vinegar	Verdict
1	Unseasoned rice vinegarsalad dressings and slaws	1 tbsp + ½ tspTweak it	Tweak it
2	Seasoned rice vinegarsweet-and-sour dressings	1 tbsp + ½ tspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
3	Distilled white vinegarbaking	1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
4	White wine vinegarvinaigrettes	2 ¼ tspTweak it	Tweak it
5	Lemon juicedressings	1 tbspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Rice wine or mirin	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Unseasoned rice vinegar

milder and cleaner; the fruity apple note is gone

Plain rice vinegar, also sold as rice wine vinegar. It is pale, mild and faintly sweet, and it is weaker than apple cider vinegar, so a little more goes in.

Best for: salad dressings and slaws, marinades and stir-fry sauces, quick refrigerator pickles, batters raised with baking soda
Prep: Measure 1 tbsp + ½ tsp for each tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, then taste. Check the label says unseasoned, or lists only rice vinegar and water.
Where it fails: Home canning: tested recipes are written for vinegar of 5% acidity and most rice vinegar is weaker. Barbecue sauces and chutneys that are built on the apple tang come out flatter.

For ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar that is ¼ cup plus 2 tsp of rice vinegar.

Seasoned rice vinegar

sweeter and saltier, with a softer sour edge

Rice vinegar with sugar and salt already added, sold for sushi rice. It works where the recipe also has sugar and salt you can cut back.

Best for: sweet-and-sour dressings, coleslaw, quick pickled onions or cucumbers
Prep: Leave out some of the recipe's sugar and salt, then add them back to taste at the end.
Where it fails: Baking, where the added sugar and salt are not accounted for, and any dish that should taste sharp and dry.

Distilled white vinegar

sharp and plain, with no fruit

The same 5% strength as apple cider vinegar, so nothing needs recalculating. Reach for it when the acid has a job to do, such as curdling milk or reacting with baking soda.

Best for: baking, homemade buttermilk, pickling brines
Prep: If the dish is eaten raw, add 1/8 tsp sugar per tablespoon to soften the edge.
Where it fails: A simple vinaigrette, where it tastes harsh on its own.

White wine vinegar

bright and lightly fruity

Stronger than apple cider vinegar, so slightly less goes in. It has a light fruitiness that sits closer to cider vinegar than rice vinegar does.

Best for: vinaigrettes, pan sauces, marinades for chicken and pork
Where it fails: Recipes with soy and sesame, where rice vinegar suits the dish better.

Lemon juice

clearly lemon

A fresh acid at about the same strength. It keeps the dish bright but tastes of lemon, not vinegar.

Best for: dressings, marinades, a splash to finish a soup or sauce
Where it fails: Pickles and long-cooked sauces, where the lemon flavor fades or turns bitter.

Rice wine or mirin

sweet, with no sourness

Rice wine, sake and mirin are alcohol, not vinegar. They sit next to rice vinegar on the shelf and the names are easy to confuse.

Best for: nothing here: they add sweetness, not acid
Where it fails: Anywhere the recipe needs acid. The dressing will not be tart, the pickle will not be sour and baking soda will not react.

Tips for substituting apple cider vinegar

5 tips

Dressings and slaws: start with the same amount of rice vinegar as the recipe's apple cider vinegar, taste, then add the extra ½ tsp per tablespoon if it needs more bite.
Baking with baking soda: for 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar use a generous teaspoon of rice vinegar. It reacts with the soda the same way and the flavor does not show.
Homemade buttermilk: 1 tbsp + ½ tsp rice vinegar in a cup of milk, left 5 to 10 minutes, thickens it as cider vinegar does.
Read the label before you pour. Seasoned rice vinegar has sugar and salt in it; unseasoned lists only rice vinegar and water.
Canning: keep the vinegar the tested recipe names. The acidity of the jar is what makes it safe to store.

Questions

5 questions

Is rice wine vinegar the same as rice vinegar?

Yes. Rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar are two names for the same product, and either replaces apple cider vinegar at 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon per tablespoon. Rice wine is different: it is an alcohol such as sake or mirin, it is not sour, and it does not replace vinegar.

How much rice vinegar replaces ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar?

Use ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons. For a full cup, use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons. In a dressing or marinade you can start with the same amount as the recipe calls for and add the rest to taste.

Can I use rice vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar for pickling?

For quick pickles kept in the refrigerator, yes: the pickle is milder and slightly sweeter. For pickles or relishes that are canned and stored on a shelf, no. Tested canning recipes depend on vinegar of 5% acidity, and most rice vinegar is closer to 4%.

Does rice vinegar work in baking in place of apple cider vinegar?

Yes. In cakes and quick breads the vinegar is there to react with baking soda, and rice vinegar does that. Use unseasoned rice vinegar in a slightly generous measure. Seasoned rice vinegar adds sugar and salt the recipe did not plan for.

Will the dish taste different with rice vinegar?

A little. Rice vinegar is milder and cleaner, so you lose the fruity apple note. In a stir-fry sauce or slaw few people would notice. In a barbecue sauce or a chutney built on cider vinegar, the result is flatter; a teaspoon of apple juice per tablespoon of vinegar puts some of the fruit back.