Cooking Basics

On-the-Fly Substitutions for 35 Common Ingredients

When supplies are running low, a good substitution can be your best friend.

Published Apr. 22, 2020.

In the last few weeks, I’ve gotten pretty crafty at making substitutions when I cook. And it turns out, my fellow Test Kitchen test cooks have, too. Since we’re all in the position of cooking with what we’ve got and minimizing waste, I put together a list of the substitutions that we’re using in our home kitchens. (And yes, this is our second installment of ingredient substitutions! The first article focused mostly on baking ingredients, but also included some savory items.)

These are the substitutions that we use in a pinch either at home or at the grocery store because they make sense and will add the approximate flavor profile to our recipes. And while we’re all looking forward to the day we can procure the exact ingredients that a recipe calls for, these helpful hints will help you get a great meal on the table by using what you have.

Unless otherwise specified, these substitutions work both ways, and are for equal parts by weight.

Produce

Ingredient	Quantity	Substitute
Fresh garlic	1 clove	¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
Onion	1 medium	1 cup chopped onion, or same amount of leek, shallot, or white part of scallion
Kale	Any	Collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, or Swiss chard
Baby spinach	Any	Baby kale, Swiss chard, or baby arugula
Red skinned potatoes	Any	Yukon gold potatoes (baby size, if possible)
Minced chives	Any	Minced scallion greens
Lemon	1	2 limes
Lemon or lime juice	1 tablespoon	1-2 teaspoons white wine vinegar ReaLemon Lemon Juice from concentrate and TruLemon Crystalized Lemon Juice are acceptable in cooked applications such as lemon curd or a pan sauce
Poblano	Any	Anaheim or bell pepper
Habanero	1	2 Thai chilies (heat levels vary)
Thai chilies	6	1 serrano or 2 jalapenos (heat levels vary)

Meat and Fish

Ingredient	Substitution(s)
Boneless short ribs	Beef chuck roast or other meat with considerable connective tissue such as pork shoulder, pork butt, brisket, shank, or pot roast
Spanish-style chorizo	Portuguese linguica or Polish kielbasa
Cod	Haddock, striped bass, or halibut
Ground lamb	Ground beef
Mexican chorizo	Italian sausage
Pork loin	Pork tenderloin

Refrigerator Staples

Ingredient	Substitution(s)
Sour cream	Full-fat Greek yogurt
Parmesan cheese	Pecorino, asiago, grana padano, cotija, or manchego
Feta cheese	Goat cheese, queso blanco, mozzarella
Instant yeast	Active dry yeast (bloom in warm water before using)
Nicoise olives	Kalamata olives

Pantry Items

Ingredient	Quantity	Substitution(s)
Vegetable oil for browning and sauteing	Any	Canola, olive, refined coconut, and grapeseed oils
Vegetable oil, for frying	Any	Corn oil
Chinese black vinegar	Any	Balsamic or sherry vinegar
Korean red pepper flakes (aka gochugaru or Korean chili powder)	2 tablespoons	2 tablespoons ancho chile powder + ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sichuan chili powder	2 teaspoons	Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) or 1¾ teaspoons ancho chili powder + ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Chipotle in adobo	Any	Chipotle powder or chipotle Tabasco + pinch cayenne
Ancho chile powder	Any	Chili powder
Canned crushed tomatoes	Any	Canned whole or diced tomatoes with their juice
Cannelini beans	Any	Great Northern beans
Fermented black beans	1 tablespoon	1 teaspoon fermented black bean paste or sauce
Shaoxing wine	Any	Dry sherry
Cane vinegar	¼ cup	¼ cup distilled white vinegar plus ¾ teaspoons sugar
Makrut lime leaves	3	One (3-inch) strip each of lemon and lime zest
Dried arbol chilies	Any	¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

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