Doenjang substitutes
Doenjang substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Red or brown miso (aka miso)
Same amount as the doenjang
Plus 1 tsp soy sauce and ¼ tsp fish sauce per tablespoon
Red or brown miso is the closest substitute at 1:1, plus 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and a quarter teaspoon of fish sauce per tablespoon to make up the funk it lacks. White miso needs about 1.5 times the amount plus soy sauce. Chinese yellow bean sauce also works. If you only have soy sauce, use 2 teaspoons per tablespoon and accept a thin, one-note broth.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- What changes —
- similar taste, different texture
- Best for —
- doenjang jjigae
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of doenjang | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red or brown miso (aka miso)doenjang jjigae | Same amountPlus 1 tsp soy sauce and ¼ tsp fish sauce per tablespoonTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Red miso plus a little mashed nattodoenjang jjigae | 1 tablespoon miso plus 1 teaspoon mashed natto per tablespoonWorks | Works |
| 3 | White or yellow miso (shiro miso)light soups | 1½ times the amount, plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce per tablespoonYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Chinese yellow bean sauce or ground bean saucesoups | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Dark miso plus rinsed fermented black beansstews | 2 teaspoons miso plus ½ teaspoon mashed fermented black beans per tablespoonWorks | Works |
| 6 | Soy sauce alone (last resort)quick soups | 2 teaspoons per 1 tablespoon doenjangYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Red or brown miso (aka miso)
similar taste, different texture
The most widely available fermented soybean paste and the closest in salt and colour.
- Best for
- doenjang jjigae, soups, marinades, braises, dressings, vegetable seasoning
The best available swap, but be clear about what changes: miso is smoother, sweeter and much less funky, so a jjigae made with it tastes rounder and less savoury, more like a pleasant miso soup than a Korean stew. The teaspoon of soy sauce and dab of fish sauce close most of the gap.
Red miso plus a little mashed natto
similar taste and texture
An unusual but genuinely effective rebuild, if you happen to have natto.
- Best for
- doenjang jjigae, stews, braises, soups
Both doenjang and natto owe their sharp funk partly to Bacillus fermentation, which miso alone does not have. Mashing a teaspoon of natto into a tablespoon of miso gets startlingly close to doenjang's pungency. The stew turns very slightly viscous, which nobody notices once it simmers.
White or yellow miso (shiro miso)
different taste and texture
A short-fermented, pale, sweet miso.
- Best for
- light soups, dressings, marinades, glazes
Much milder, sweeter and less salty than doenjang, so use half again as much and add soy sauce for the salt. Even then a stew comes out light, gentle and a bit sweet where doenjang would be deep and pungent. Better in a dressing or marinade than a jjigae.
Chinese yellow bean sauce or ground bean sauce
similar taste, different texture
A brine-fermented soybean paste with real fermented depth.
- Best for
- soups, braises, stir-fries, marinades
The salt level and savouriness are close, but it is thinner, smoother and less funky, and it has none of doenjang's coarse bean texture, so the stew will not have the same rustic body. A quarter teaspoon of fish sauce or a splash of anchovy broth pushes it closer.
Dark miso plus rinsed fermented black beans
similar taste and texture
A two-part rebuild that hits both the body and the funk.
- Best for
- stews, braises, sauces, vegetable dishes
The miso supplies the sweetness, body and salt; the douchi supplies the sharp musty top note that miso is missing. This is the most accurate flavour reconstruction on the list, and the closest a non-Korean pantry usually gets.
Soy sauce alone (last resort)
different taste and texture
The pantry-only fallback.
- Best for
- quick soups, marinades, vegetable seasoning
Honest assessment: you get salt and some umami and nothing else. Doenjang thickens a stew and gives it a cloudy, rustic body, and soy sauce does not, so doenjang jjigae made this way comes out thin, clear and tasting like a salty vegetable soup. Passable in a marinade, disappointing in a stew.
Questions
5 questionsIs doenjang just Korean miso?
They are cousins, not twins. Both are fermented soybean pastes, but doenjang is coarser, saltier and considerably funkier, with a sharper barnyard edge, while Japanese miso is smoother and sweeter and often contains rice or barley koji. Miso is the best substitute for doenjang, but the two are not identical and Korean cooks can tell instantly.
Can I use miso instead of doenjang in jjigae?
Yes, at 1:1, and add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and a quarter teaspoon of fish sauce per tablespoon to recover some of the pungency. The result is a good stew, rounder and gentler than the real thing. Use red or brown miso rather than white, which is far too sweet for this job.
What is the difference between doenjang and ssamjang?
Doenjang is the plain fermented soybean paste, a cooking ingredient. Ssamjang is a finished condiment made from doenjang plus gochujang, sesame oil, garlic, scallion and a little sugar, meant for dipping and lettuce wraps. You can make ssamjang from doenjang, but not the reverse.
Can I just leave doenjang out?
Not out of a doenjang stew, where it provides essentially all the salt, all the savoury depth and much of the body. In a marinade or a mixed sauce with several other seasonings, you can leave it out and add soy sauce for the salt, and the dish will simply taste lighter and less complex.
Is doenjang gluten-free?
Not reliably. Traditional doenjang is soybeans, salt and water, but many commercial tubs include wheat flour, and barley versions exist too. Read the label rather than assuming, and be aware that the same is true of most misos and soy sauces.
Tips for substituting doenjang
6 tips- Doenjang is saltier and considerably funkier than miso by volume. If you are using doenjang in a recipe written for miso, start with about two-thirds of the amount and taste, and going the other way you will usually need a little more miso plus soy sauce.
- Unlike miso, doenjang is meant to be simmered. Boiling does not ruin it, and a doenjang stew genuinely improves with 15 to 20 minutes at a lively bubble, which is the opposite of the standard advice for miso soup.
- Press it through the back of a spoon or a small strainer into the broth rather than dropping a lump in. It is coarse and full of bean fragments, and a lump will sit undissolved on the bottom of the pot.
- Brands vary enormously in salt and pungency, from mild supermarket tubs to intensely funky traditional versions. Taste yours before you salt the dish, every time you open a new tub.
- Do not reach for ssamjang instead. Ssamjang is doenjang already blended with gochujang, sesame oil, garlic and sugar for use as a dip; using it in a stew makes the broth sweet, oily and slightly gritty.
- It keeps for months in the fridge and darkens with age, which is harmless. A layer of liquid on top is normal; stir it back in.