Make Your Own Worcestershire Sauce from Scratch (2024)

Recipes

ByMerissa

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Need some Worcestershire Sauce to add to a recipe but want to skip having to go to the store or having to purchase a product that has ingredients you’d rather not have? Here’s a wonderful Worcestershire Sauce recipe substitute so that you can make your own!

Make Your Own Worcestershire Sauce from Scratch (1)

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Worcestershire Sauce Recipe Substitute

Although Worcestershire sauce is probably one of the most difficult ingredients to spell, it is a versatile sauce that has many uses. A good Worcestershire Sauce recipe is a perfect blend of salty, sweet, spicy and sour, which lends great flavor to bland dishes.

It is incredibly simple and quick to whip up a batch of this homemade Worcestershire sauce recipe at home. It requires some staple ingredients that you most likely already have and 10 minutes of your time, that’s it!

Worcestershire Sauce Recipe Variations

The great thing about making your own Worcestershire sauce recipe is that you can turn up the salty, spicy, sour or sweet to cater to your tastes.

  • If you like a saltier sauce, add more soy sauce. If you need a low-sodium alternative, use a low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
  • If you want to make it sweeter, you increase the amounts of molasses or honey.
  • If you’re wanting spicier, you can add more chili powder, or even pour in a teaspoon of sriracha.
  • To attain a stronger sour note, simply increase the vinegar.

The recipe below is well-balanced, and gluten-free alternative and tastes similar to what you can find at your local grocery store, but much fresher and with no corn syrup or “natural flavorings”, as with many homemade substitutes! One of the best parts is that it doesn’t contain any odd spices that are hard to find such as anchovies or tamarind paste. You probably already have all this on hand!

Worcestershire Sauce Recipe

What You Need for Your Worcestershire Sauce Recipe:

(Makes about 1 cup of sauce)

  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/8 cup molasses
  • 1/8 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon or ground clove
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • Juice from 1/2 lime

How to Make Worcestershire Sauce

In a small saucepan, mix ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a blender. Blend until smooth. Store in a medium-sized dressing bottle, or covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

If you aren’t going to be able to use this much Worcestershire Sauce in a month, freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray, pop the “ice cubes” out when frozen solid and store in a freezer bag. Grab one “ice cube” out of the freezer each time you need a bit of sauce!

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If you plan on making any homemade sauces you NEED to have some of these glass bottles. They fit perfectly in your fridge doors and they work great for pouring the sauces. They even come with the little “dropper” top (that is removable) so you don’t pour out way too much at once! I love having these jars for sauces just like this Worcestershire Sauce substitute and for my homemade salad dressings like Homemade Catalina Dressing.

How Long Will Homemade Worchestershire Sauce Last?

Like all homemade sauces, the shelf life won’t be tremendously long. Try and use this use within a month. If you aren’t able to do that, you can freeze the extras like I mentioned above.

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Worcestershire Sauce Uses

There are many ways to use Worcestershire sauce to enhance your everyday meals.

  • It makes a great marinade for steaks: just pour this Worcestershire sauce recipe over thawed steaks with salt and pepper, and allow to marinate at least 1 hour.
  • Add a couple of tablespoons to a quick chicken or vegetable stir-fry for a well-balanced flavor.
  • Use it to make a delicioushomemade barbecue sauce.
  • Add a splash to boost your spaghetti sauces or other red pasta dishes.
  • Add to flavor a beef stroganoff.
  • Kick up the flavor in your homemade Sloppy Joes.
  • Put a bit in your slow cooker when making pulled pork.
  • Add a few dashes in homemade Mac and Cheese. Yes, seriously!
  • Mix a little of the sauce in with your burgers the next time you are making them on the grill.

We have so many other Make Your Own recipes listed on Little House Living. Make sure to check them all out!

Need to print this to add it to your Recipe Binder? Get the recipe for Worcestershire sauce below:

Make Your Own Worcestershire Sauce from Scratch (4)

5 from 2 votes

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Worcestershire Sauce Recipe

The recipe below is well-balanced and tastes similar to what you can find at your local grocery store, but much fresher, as with many homemade substitutes!

Ingredients

  • 1/2cupapple cider vinegar
  • 1/8cupmolasses
  • 1/8cupsoy sauce
  • 2tbsphoney
  • 1tbspfish sauce
  • 1tsppepper
  • 1clovegarlic
  • 1tsponion powder
  • 1/2tspchili powder
  • 1/4tspcinnamon or ground clove
  • 1/2tspground ginger
  • Juice from 1/2 lime

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, mix ingredients together and bring to a boil.

  2. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

  3. Remove from heat and pour into a blender. Blend until smooth.

  4. Store in a dressing bottle, or covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Other Homemade Condiments to Try

  • Homemade Mayonnaise
  • Ketchup
  • Homemade BBQ Sauce
  • Homemade Hot Sauce
  • Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe
  • Homemade Soy Sauce Recipe
  • Homemade Steak Sauce

Make Your Own Worcestershire Sauce from Scratch (5)

Make Your Own Worcestershire Sauce from Scratch (6)Love simple recipes like this one? You may really enjoy my book, Little House Living: The Make Your Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life. It’s filled with over 130 mix and DIY recipes and projects that are easy to make.

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What dishes will you add this Worcestershire sauce substitute recipe to? Do you already have any Worcestershire sauce recipes that’s you’ve tried What is your favorite sauce to make from scratch?

This Worcestershire Sauce recipe was originally published on Little House Living in November 2013. It has been updated as of July 2022.

Make Your Own Worcestershire Sauce from Scratch (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in Worcestershire sauce? ›

It was initially concocted by two chemists, John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins, and its unique flavor quickly made it a popular ingredient worldwide. Its complex taste comes from a combination of fermented anchovies, vinegar, tamarind, molasses, onions, and various spices.

What are the main ingredients in Worcestershire sauce? ›

Ingredients. Distilled Vinegar, Water, Molasses, Sugar, Salt, Spices, Citric Acid, Anchovy (Fish), Celery Seed, Natural Flavor (Contains Soy), Xanthan Gum (Thickener), Garlic Powder & Tamarind Extract.

What to use if I don't have Worcestershire sauce? ›

Balsamic vinegar, with its robust and slightly sweet flavor, stands as an excellent substitute for Worcestershire sauce. Its acidity and complex sweetness provide a different yet complementary taste to Worcestershire, creating a versatile alternative with a touch of elegance.

What ingredient helps give Worcestershire sauce its unique flavor? ›

Anchovies add umami (savoriness). The ingredient that gives Worcestershire sauce its unique flavor is tamarind, the fruit of Tamarindus indica, or Indian date in Arabic.

What are the ingredients in Lea and Perrins original Worcestershire sauce? ›

Ingredients : Distilled White Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, Water, Salt, Onions, Anchovies, Garlic, Cloves, Tamarind Extract, Natural Flavorings, Chili Pepper Extract.

What is the difference between Worcester sauce and Worcestershire sauce? ›

A brief history of one of this area's most famous products - and a name most people get wrong. Worcestershire Sauce is often called, incorrectly, Worcester Sauce. Lea and Perrins relies on the molasses in its formula to give the sauce its naturally dark colour.

Should Worcestershire sauce refrigerate after opening? ›

Like vinegar, Worcestershire sauce does not need to be refrigerated. Whether unopened or open it can be stored in the pantry for two years.

Does Worcestershire sauce have onion or garlic in it? ›

Alliums: Worcestershire sauce is traditionally made with shallots and garlic, and many contemporary recipes call for onion and garlic powder. 5. Spices: Cloves, celery seed, and natural flavorings give Worcestershire sauce its characteristic spiciness—in some cases with the addition of chili pepper extract. 6.

Can Worcestershire sauce go bad? ›

The food site goes on further to explain that if you store your Worcestershire sauce in the refrigerator, it will keep for up to 3 years. However, if the aroma and the color of the sauce seem a little off, it might be time to toss your Worcestershire sauce.

What spice can replace Worcestershire sauce? ›

For example, tamari (a gluten free substitute for soy sauce) makes an excellent substitute for Worcestershire sauce, especially when mixed with a splash of vinegar and a teaspoon of honey.

Can you swap Worcestershire sauce for soy sauce? ›

Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce can be substituted in equal ratios, thanks to Worcestershire's salty, umami flavors made from vinegar, anchovies, alliums, and seasoning.

Is teriyaki sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce? ›

Worcestershire sauce and teriyaki sauce are two popular condiments that are used to enhance the flavor of many dishes. To the casual observer, Teriyaki and Worcestershire sauce appear to be very similar and even some of the ingredients in them are the same.

What is the main flavor of Worcestershire sauce? ›

Much like fish sauce or soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce is known for its punchy umami flavor—that deeply savory characteristic that makes you want to add it to everything. In Worcestershire sauce, this comes from anchovies.

What was Worcestershire sauce originally made for? ›

Made from the fermented and salted innards of oily fish like anchovies and mackerel, this umami-rich potion was used on its own as a table sauce and blended with other ingredients—such as wine, black pepper, honey—to create various dressings for meat, fish, and vegetables.

How long is Worcestershire sauce good for once opened? ›

After opening: 3 years in the fridge

It lasts up to three years unopened in the pantry. Keep an open bottle of Worcestershire sauce for up to three years in the refrigerator. This is the correct way to pronounce Worcestershire.

Why does Worcestershire sauce taste different? ›

The Lea & Perrins Worcestershire changes the recipe depending on where it's being sold. The sauce sold in the U.K. market uses malt vinegar, whereas the U.S. version uses distilled white vinegar. Plus, the U.S. version contains three times more sugar and sodium! This could be partly why I think it tastes so good.

Does Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce have MSG in it? ›

No it does not.

Does Heinz Worcestershire sauce have anchovies? ›

Does Worcestershire sauce have shellfish? No. It's made with fermented anchovies and various plant-sourced ingredients.

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