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Whether you don’t have any or want a non-alcoholic substitute for cooking sherry, here are the best dry sherry substitutes to use in your recipes.
Sherry is a Spanish fortified wine made by adding grape liquor to white wine. The flavor is sharp, with a scent of apple cider and a very dry finish. It’s got a very unique flavor, so it’s worth finding a recipe that calls for it! Often, cooking sherry is used to deglaze a pan, which leaves behind a nuanced, complex flavor.
Whether you don’t have time to shop for it, don’t want to spring for a bottle, or need a non-alcoholic substitute, I’ve got you. These are the best sherry substitutes to mimic that unique flavor profile.
Best sherry substitute
1. Dry white wine
The best sherry substitute is dry white wine! Sherry is a dry white wine that’s been fortified by adding alcohol, so it’s pretty close to a bottle of dry white already. The finish of a sip of sherry is sharper and drier than a wine, which is a little sweeter. However, you might not be able to tell the difference when you use wine in place of a cooking sherry.
Use a dry white wine as a 1:1 replacement. Avoid using a sweet wine, because it will give the recipe an entirely new character.
2. Dry vermouth
Another decent sherry substitute is dry white vermouth. Do not use a sweet vermouth, which is typically red, or a semi-sweet vermouth like Dolin or Lillet Blanc. These will come out entirely too sweet and change the character of the recipe. A dry vermouth works that you’d use for a Classic Martini works, though.
3. White wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar
If you need a non-alcoholic dry sherry substitute, try a cooking vinegar! Good options include white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar. Use 1 tablespoon vinegar to substitute for ¼ cup dry sherry.
Related sherry recipes
Here are some recipes featuring dry sherry or sherry substitutes:
MY RECIPE CALLS FOR 1/4 CUP DRY SHERRY – I NEED A SUB – SO I LOOKED UP THE BEST SUBSTITUTES FOR DRY SHERRY AND ONE SAYS:
Good options include white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar. What’s the ratio? Use 1 tablespoon vinegar to substitute for ¼ cup dry sherry.
BUT, ANOTHER SAYS:
For every quarter cup of ACV, you’ll want to use a cup of water –
MY RECIPE CALLS FOR: ¼ dry sherry, so do I use 1 cup water – mixed with ¼ cup ACV
OR do I use only 1 tablespoon of ACV to sub for the 1/4 cup dry sherry???????
I’M SO CONFUSED~……………………HAHA~ HELP!
Hi! Just use the 1 tablespoon ACV with the water.
Thank you for this article. I found a recipe for beef and broccoli that I’d like to try but my husband has really bad acid reflux so I need a substitute for sherry that’s far less acidic. I’ll try some of these.