Soju substitutes

The closest all-round match. Similar strength, similar clean rice character, and it does the same deodorising work on meat and fish.

Best for

bulgogi and galbi marinades, braised pork, fish stews, steamed dishes, sauces

Sake tastes a little more fragrant and faintly fruity than the green-bottle soju most people cook with, so a braise made with sake reads slightly softer and more Japanese. In a dish already carrying gochujang, garlic and sesame, the difference disappears entirely.

Chinese amber rice wine, the same tool for the same job, and usually the cheapest bottle on this list.

Best for

pork and beef braises, meatballs, stir-fries, marinades for strong-smelling meat

This is the biggest flavour change of the good options. Shaoxing is nutty, savoury and a bit sherry-like, so a Korean braise made with it tastes deeper and more Chinese, and it will tint a pale sauce brownish. Most bottles are also salted, so pull back on the soy sauce slightly.

Genuinely close, because plain soju is closer to diluted neutral spirit than to wine. Diluting brings 40 percent vodka down to roughly soju strength.

Best for

marinades, deodorising fish and pork, cocktails, soups

Vodka has none of the faint sweetness of commercial soju, so add a small pinch of sugar per tablespoon if the recipe was relying on soju for a touch of roundness. Use the diluted mixture, not neat vodka, or you risk a harsh alcoholic edge in a marinade that never gets cooked long.

Cloudy, unfiltered, mildly sweet and sour Korean rice wine, common in Korean kitchens for exactly this kind of job.

Best for

marinades, kimchi-adjacent dishes, braised chicken, tenderising tougher cuts

Much weaker in alcohol, around 6 percent, and noticeably sweet and tangy, so it deodorises less aggressively and will make a sauce cloudy and slightly thicker. Cut any added sugar in the recipe when you use it.

A workable pantry stand-in when soju is a small background ingredient rather than the main liquid.

Best for

glazes, quick marinades, stir-fried dishes, dipping sauces

Mirin is distinctly sweet, so used one for one it makes a marinade taste candied and it will make meat brown faster and darker under high heat. Watch for burning on a grill or in a hot pan.

The honest answer if you cannot use alcohol: nothing replaces what the alcohol was doing, so you attack the same problem a different way.

Best for

alcohol-free cooking, halal cooking, marinades for pork and fish

Alcohol removes off-smells by dissolving them and evaporating. Water cannot do that, so instead lean on aromatics: grated ginger, crushed garlic, spring onion whites, a splash of rice vinegar, or a short soak of the meat in milk or lightly salted water before cooking. Expect the finished dish to taste a bit more strongly of the meat itself. In a braise that simmers a long time, the difference is small.