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Soju substitute

Best substitute

Dry sake

Use the same amount as the soju you are replacing

Best for bulgogi and galbi marinades

Close match

For marinades and braises, the best substitutes are dry sake at 1:1, Shaoxing wine at 1:1 if a rounder, nuttier flavour is fine, or vodka cut with water at half vodka and half water plus a pinch of sugar. Soju's job in a Korean recipe is almost never flavour. It is a solvent: the alcohol dissolves and carries off the strong smelling compounds in pork, beef, chicken and mackerel, and it helps seasonings soak in. That is why the standard advice for a neutral swap is any low-strength clear spirit or rice wine, and why plain water does not do the same thing.

Other soju substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

Substitutes for Soju with ratios

  1. 2Shaoxing wine

    Different taste

    Use the same amount

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

    What changes
    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.

  2. 3Vodka cut with water

    Close match

    Use 1 tablespoon vodka plus 1 tablespoon water for every 2 tablespoons soju

    Genuinely close, because plain soju is closer to diluted neutral spirit than to wine.

    What changes

    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.

  3. 4Makgeolli or other Korean rice wine

    Taste and texture differ

    Use the same amount

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

    What changes
    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.

  4. 5Mirin, with the sugar reduced

    Different taste

    Use the same amount then cut the recipe sugar by about half

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

    What changes
    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.

  5. 6Ginger and garlic water, or rice vinegar in water (no alcohol)

    Different taste

    Use the same amount by volume; for the vinegar version use 1 teaspoon rice vinegar per 2 tablespoons water

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

    What changes
    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.

What is Soju?

Soju is Soju is a clear, mostly neutral Korean spirit, usually around 16 to 20 percent alcohol, that is lightly sweetened in its common green-bottle form and is used in Korean cooking to strip the gamey smell from meat and fish.

Cooking tips

  • Add soju or its substitute at the start, when the meat first hits the heat, not at the end. The point is for the alcohol to evaporate and take the strong-smelling compounds with it, and that only happens over open heat.
  • The green-bottle soju most people have in the fridge is slightly sweetened. Fruit-flavoured sojus, peach, green grape and so on, are much sweeter and are a poor swap for cooking because they will make a savoury marinade taste like candy. Save them for drinking.
  • For fish, especially mackerel and other oily fish, brush or pour a tablespoon or two over the fillets and let them sit for 10 minutes, then pat dry before cooking. This is the standard Korean trick, and any of the substitutes above will do the same job.
  • Do not swap in a strong-flavoured brown spirit such as whiskey, brandy or rum. Their oak and caramel notes are extremely obvious in a Korean marinade and clash with gochujang and sesame.
  • Soju is cheap and keeps indefinitely in the pantry once you own a bottle, so if you cook Korean food regularly it is worth buying rather than substituting each time.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave the soju out?

In most marinades and stir-fries, yes, and the dish will still be good. What you lose is the deodorising effect, so pork, beef and oily fish will taste more strongly of themselves. Compensate with extra ginger, garlic and spring onion, and add a small splash of rice vinegar. In a long braise where soju is a large share of the liquid, replace the volume with stock or water so the pot does not run dry.

Is soju the same as sake?

No. Sake is a brewed rice wine, closer to beer or wine in how it is made. Modern mass-market soju is a diluted distilled spirit, usually from rice, barley, sweet potato or tapioca, with a sweetener added. They land at similar strengths and do a similar job in cooking, which is why they swap so cleanly there, but they do not taste the same in a glass.

Can I use vodka instead of soju one for one?

Not straight. Vodka is roughly twice the strength, so use half vodka and half water to hit soju strength, plus a pinch of sugar. Undiluted vodka in a raw marinade can leave a sharp alcoholic bite, and in a small pan it can also tighten the proteins on the surface of the meat.

Does soju make meat tender?

Only slightly, and less than people expect. Its real contribution is removing off-smells and helping seasoning penetrate. Actual tenderising in Korean cooking usually comes from grated Asian pear, kiwi, onion or pineapple, so if your marinade relied on those, keep them.

How much soju should I use in a marinade?

For about a pound of meat, 1 to 2 tablespoons is typical, and that is all it takes. More does not deodorise better and can leave a boozy taste if the meat is grilled quickly rather than simmered.

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