The best alcohol-free Shaoxing wine substitute is ginger water: smashed fresh ginger, and optionally Sichuan peppercorns, steeped in hot water and strained, then used one for one. In a published kung pao chicken test it scored 8 out of 10, well ahead of chicken broth at 5 out of 10 (Pantry & Larder). For stir-fries and braises where you mainly need liquid and savory depth, broth is the easier swap.
Most lists of Shaoxing wine substitutes start with dry sherry, mirin, sake or other rice wines. Those all contain alcohol, so this guide covers only halal, alcohol-free options. For red wine, white wine and beer, see our full alcohol swap chart.
Quick Shaoxing wine substitute chart
| Swap | How to use it | Score in test | Best for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ginger water (with or without Sichuan peppercorns) | Steep about 1 inch smashed ginger (plus 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns if you like) in 1/2 cup hot water for 15 minutes, strain, use 1:1 | 8/10 | Marinades, dumpling fillings, fish | Pantry & Larder |
| Chicken broth (or mushroom stock) | 1:1; add a tiny splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar | 5/10 | Stir-fries, braises, sauces | Pantry & Larder |
| Leave it out | Only when the recipe uses less than 1 tablespoon | n/a | Quick stir-fries | Pantry & Larder |
What Shaoxing wine does in Chinese cooking
Shaoxing wine is a Chinese yellow wine (huangjiu) from Shaoxing in Zhejiang province, made by fermenting glutinous rice, water and a wheat-based starter (Wikipedia). It is amber, with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor (Pantry & Larder).
Cooks use it for three main jobs:
- Marinades. A spoonful in a meat or seafood marinade adds aroma.
- Stir-fries and sauces. Splashed into a hot wok, it adds a savory, slightly sweet note.
- Braises. It is a key ingredient in classic red-braised dishes (Wikipedia).
Ginger water covers the aromatic job best, which is why it suits marinades. Broth covers the liquid and savory job, so it fits braises and sauces better.
Is Shaoxing wine halal?
Shaoxing wine is a wine. Its main styles contain from more than 13% to more than 16% alcohol by volume (Wikipedia), so it is not an alcohol-free ingredient, and most Muslims avoid it. Cooking reduces alcohol but does not reliably remove all of it.
Watch for two labels in US stores:
- “Shaoxing cooking wine.” Most Shaoxing sold in the US has added salt (Pantry & Larder), and export cooking wines can also contain spices (Wikipedia). The salt makes it unpleasant to drink, but it is still wine.
- “Chinese cooking wine” or “rice cooking wine.” These are general names for similar alcoholic products. Read the ingredients for rice wine or alcohol.
If a recipe was written with salted cooking wine, your swap will be less salty. Taste the dish near the end and add a little soy sauce or salt if it needs it.
Substitutes to skip if you avoid alcohol
- Dry sherry, mirin, sake, Japanese or Korean rice wines, and dry white wine. All contain alcohol. For alcohol-free mirin and sake swaps, see our mirin substitute guide.
- Fruit juices such as apple or white grape. In the same kung pao test they came out too sweet, even with vinegar added (Pantry & Larder).
- Rice vinegar on its own. It is too sharp to stand in for a rice wine (Pantry & Larder), although a small splash can brighten broth.
How to swap Shaoxing wine in common dishes
- Kung pao chicken and other stir-fries: use ginger water in the marinade and broth in the sauce, each in the same amount as the wine.
- Dumpling and wonton fillings: use ginger water in the same amount; it adds the aroma the wine would have given.
- Red-braised meat and other braises: use broth in place of the wine, then taste near the end for salt and sweetness.
- Steamed fish: a little ginger water poured over the fish before steaming does the same aromatic job.
Rice wine substitutes in general
“Rice wine” covers several products. Chinese Shaoxing is nutty and savory, while Japanese mirin is sweet and sake is dry. Use the swaps above for Shaoxing, and see our mirin substitute guide for the sweet Japanese seasonings.
Cooking from a Chinese recipe that uses other alcohol?
Some recipes add baijiu or rose wine as well as Shaoxing. Tell us the dish on our contact page, and we will consider it for a future swap guide.
FAQs
Can I leave Shaoxing wine out?
If the recipe uses less than a tablespoon, yes: the difference will be small (Pantry & Larder). For larger amounts, replace it with the same amount of ginger water or broth so the dish keeps its moisture.
Is Shaoxing cooking wine halal because it is salted?
No. Salt is added to cooking wine sold in the US, but it is still a wine and still contains alcohol.
What is the best Chinese cooking wine substitute for marinades?
Ginger water, used one for one. It scored highest of the alcohol-free swaps in a published kung pao chicken test (Pantry & Larder).