Out of Rice vinegar, one case

Can you use apple cider vinegar for rice vinegar?

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Apple cider vinegar

2 ½ tsp vinegar + ½ tsp water for every 1 tbsp of rice vinegar

Yes. For each tablespoon of rice vinegar, use 2 ½ teaspoons of apple cider vinegar plus ½ teaspoon of water, because apple cider vinegar is a little stronger. Add 1/8 teaspoon of sugar if it is going into a raw dressing or dipping sauce. The apple flavor shows in a raw dish and disappears in a cooked one, and the amber color tints white rice slightly.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Mix the vinegar and water first. For a raw dressing or dipping sauce, add 1/8 tsp sugar per tablespoon; skip it if the recipe already has sugar or mirin.
Best for —: stir-fry sauces and glazes
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full rice vinegar card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Rice vinegar substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 tbsp rice vinegar	Verdict
1	Apple cider vinegarstir-fry sauces and glazes	2 ½ tsp vinegar + ½ tsp waterTweak it	Tweak it
2	White wine vinegarsushi rice and pale pickles	2 tsp vinegar + 1 tsp waterTweak it	Tweak it
3	Champagne vinegardelicate dressings	2 tsp vinegar + 1 tsp waterTweak it	Tweak it
4	Distilled white vinegar + sugarsushi rice that should stay white	2 ½ tsp vinegar + ½ tsp water + 1/8 tsp sugarTweak it	Tweak it
5	Lemon juicedressings and slaws	2 ½ tsp juice + ½ tsp waterYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Apple cider vinegar

fruitier; the apple note is clear raw and gone once cooked

At 5% acid it is slightly sharper than rice vinegar, which is usually 4% to 4.5%, so it needs a small splash of water. Its fruitiness partly covers for the soft sweetness of rice vinegar.

Best for: stir-fry sauces and glazes, marinades, slaws and quick refrigerator pickles, dressings where a fruity note is welcome
Prep: Mix the vinegar and water first. For a raw dressing or dipping sauce, add 1/8 tsp sugar per tablespoon; skip it if the recipe already has sugar or mirin.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: Sushi rice, where it leaves a faint tan tint and an apple note in a dish that should taste clean. Unfiltered vinegar with sediment clouds a clear dressing or pickle brine.

For ¼ cup of rice vinegar, use 3 tbsp + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp water.

White wine vinegar

clean and slightly winey, with no fruit

Pale and clean-tasting, so it is the closer match if you have it. It is stronger than apple cider vinegar, which is why it takes more water.

Best for: sushi rice and pale pickles, vinaigrettes, dipping sauces
Prep: Add a pinch of sugar for a dressing or dipping sauce.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: Used undiluted it makes a dressing noticeably sharp.

Champagne vinegar

light and soft

The mildest-tasting of the wine vinegars and nearly colorless. It is diluted the same way as white wine vinegar.

Best for: delicate dressings, seafood and cucumber salads, sushi rice
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: It costs more than rice vinegar and adds nothing in a cooked sauce, where apple cider vinegar does the same job.

Distilled white vinegar + sugar

sharp and one-note without the sugar

Colorless and plain. It is harsher than apple cider vinegar, and the sugar is there to soften it.

Best for: sushi rice that should stay white, pickled ginger and pale vegetables, when the apple flavor is not wanted
Prep: Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: Raw dressings made without the sugar taste stripped.

Lemon juice

clearly lemon

A different acid with its own flavor. It brightens a dish the way vinegar does but tastes of citrus.

Best for: dressings and slaws, marinades for fish and chicken
Suits: vegan, gluten-free
Where it fails: Sushi rice and pickles, where the dish is meant to taste of vinegar. Its flavor fades with long cooking.

Tips for substituting rice vinegar

5 tips

The amount per tablespoon: 2 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar + ½ tsp water. Per ¼ cup: 3 tbsp + 1 tsp vinegar + 2 tsp water.
In a cooked sauce with soy sauce, sugar or mirin, skip the extra sugar. The other ingredients cover it.
If the recipe calls for seasoned rice vinegar, add sugar and salt as well: start with 1 tsp sugar and 1/8 tsp salt per tablespoon, stir until dissolved, and adjust to taste.
For a clear dressing or brine, use filtered apple cider vinegar, or pour unfiltered vinegar carefully and leave the sediment in the bottle.
Do not make this swap in a tested canning recipe. Use the vinegar and the amount the recipe names, undiluted.

Questions

4 questions

Is apple cider vinegar a 1:1 substitute for rice vinegar?

Close, but not quite. Apple cider vinegar is 5% acid and rice vinegar is usually 4% to 4.5%, so a straight tablespoon makes the dish a little sharper. Use 2 ½ teaspoons plus ½ teaspoon of water per tablespoon. In a stir-fry sauce with several other strong ingredients, a straight swap will pass.

Can I use apple cider vinegar for sushi rice?

It works, with two drawbacks: a faint tan tint on the rice and a light apple note. Dilute it as above and season it with sugar and salt as the sushi rice recipe directs. White wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar with sugar keeps the rice whiter.

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

For quick refrigerator pickles, yes, diluted as above. The pickles taste fruitier and the brine is amber. For shelf-stable canning, do not swap or dilute anything: follow a tested recipe exactly, because the acid level is what keeps the jar safe.

Does apple cider vinegar taste like rice vinegar?

No. Rice vinegar is mild and faintly sweet with little flavor of its own. Apple cider vinegar is fruity and tangier. Cooked into a sauce the difference is hard to find; in a raw dressing, cucumber salad or dipping sauce you can taste the apple.