Mirin Substitute: The Best Swaps for Japanese Cooking

No mirin to hand? The simplest substitute is 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar (or dry sherry) plus about half a teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon of mirin. It won't be identical, but it recreates mirin's signature sweet-and-tangy balance well enough for most dishes.

Here's what you're actually replacing.

What mirin does

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine used for cooking, not drinking. It brings three things at once: gentle sweetness, mild acidity, and a glossy sheen that makes teriyaki, glazes and simmered dishes look as good as they taste. It also softens strong flavours and adds umami. Because it does several jobs, a good substitute has to balance sweetness and acidity — sugar alone won't cut it.

The best substitutes, ranked

1. Rice vinegar + sugar (best everyday swap). Mix 1 tbsp rice vinegar with ½ tsp sugar to replace 1 tbsp mirin. Closest balance of sweet and tangy.

2. Dry sherry + sugar. Same ratio. The sherry adds a little depth; good for glazes and marinades.

3. Sweet white wine. Reduce other sugar in the recipe. Works at a push.

4. Sake + sugar. If you happen to have sake, add a pinch of sugar — it's close in character.

A note on swapping the other way: you can use mirin in place of Shaoxing wine or sake in some dishes, but reduce the recipe's other sweetness to compensate.

When the real thing is worth it

For teriyaki, sushi rice, and Japanese simmered dishes (nimono), genuine mirin gives a depth and shine the substitutes can't quite match — and it keeps for a long time. Our Hinode Hon Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Wine is authentic hon-mirin, brewed the traditional way. Browse the full mirin and rice vinegar range.

Tuk Tuk tip: if you cook Japanese food even occasionally, a bottle of real mirin pays for itself — it's the difference between a flat glaze and a glossy, restaurant-style finish.

What is a good substitute for mirin? Mix 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar (or dry sherry) with about half a teaspoon of sugar for each tablespoon of mirin. This recreates mirin's sweet-and-tangy balance.

Can I use rice vinegar instead of mirin? Yes, but add a little sugar. Rice vinegar alone is too sharp; mirin is sweet as well as mildly acidic.

Is mirin the same as rice wine vinegar? No. Mirin is a sweet rice wine used for cooking; rice wine vinegar is sour. They are different ingredients, though vinegar plus sugar can stand in for mirin.

Is mirin alcoholic? Genuine mirin (hon-mirin) contains alcohol, but most of it cooks off during cooking. It's used for flavour and shine, not for drinking.