9 Best Ingredient Swaps For Mustard
As a condiment, mustard is utilized in many cuisines and cultures around the globe. The popular ingredient has a zesty, tangy, and delightfully pungent flavor that has elevated many different dishes for centuries. Whether you incorporate it into your salad dressing, protein marinade, or squeeze it onto your burger bun — mustard always impresses.
It's not surprising, then, that you can find mustard in many home kitchens. As a pantry staple, it usually doesn't run out. Still, sometimes you've used up all the mustard and need a recipe substitute. Other times, you may be considering mustard but need a mustard-like ingredient for your culinary creation. Perhaps you're looking for different flavors that compliment the ingredients in your dish better — something slightly sweeter, milder, or spicier than mustard. Whichever you need, we're willing to bet there's an ingredient out there that can be the perfect swap for mustard! Luckily, there are a handful of flavorful mustard substitutes to choose from.
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce is a fermented, liquid condiment that adds complex flavor to any dish. Made of vinegar, molasses, anchovies, salt, sugar, onion, garlic and other spices, this sauce mixes sweet and acidic ingredients to pack a powerful punch. The ingredients give Worcestershire sauce its signature umami flavor and tang.
With its rich, savory flavor profile, Worcestershire sauce makes a great mustard substitute for all sorts of marinades. In particular, marinades for proteins like meat and tofu work wonderfully well with this sauce. Consider marinating your steak in Worcestershire sauce instead of mustard at your next backyard barbecue. Let the robust, punchy taste of the Worcestershire sauce marinade soak into your meat the night before — enhancing its savory and smoky flavors when grilled.
Don't forget that you can always use Worcestershire sauce as a topper for your burgers or hot dogs as well. Yes, the sauce isn't the most common condiment in the U.S., but it's still a great option if you don't have mustard. Just be sure not to use too much or pour it on too fast. It's thinner than other condiments like mayonnaise or mustard, and you don't want to overpower your meal with its strong flavors.
Turmeric
Turmeric makes a great, mellow mustard replacement. It takes out the kick that mustard brings but keeps the yellow color. It also adds some aromatic notes and warms up your overall dish. If you prefer to add the heat back into your dish, incorporate your turmeric with other ingredients like garlic or chili. Another option is to mix in black pepper, as black pepper and turmeric make a healthful and flavorful combination.
Turmeric works well as a replacement in dressings, glazes, and numerous other dishes. Whether you're making a mustard-based vinaigrette for a salad or mustard-glazed protein like salmon, turmeric makes a great ingredient substitute for mustard. Just make sure to add back in some acidity if the recipe calls for it. It also works exceptionally well for vegetable-based dishes like vegetable soups, stews, and stir fries — as the warm and slightly peppery notes of turmeric really complement vegetables. This popular dish in Indian cuisine, vegetable korma, is a great example of a recipe that incorporates turmeric and balances spice beautifully.
Horseradish
For all the kick you need in a mustard replacement, try swapping it for prepared horseradish or horseradish sauce. This bold, pungent ingredient automatically gives your dish the spicy zing that mustard is known for. When measuring out your horseradish, use about half the amount of horseradish or less in your recipe. It's spicier and more intense than mustard, and although we want your taste buds to light up, we don't want them burning off!
It's important to cut the heat of prepared horseradish with some type of fat source. Mix mayonnaise or plain yogurt with your horseradish to tame the kick and create a creamier, delectable horseradish sauce. This sauce can replace mustard as a condiment on a variety of barbecued meats like hot dogs, burgers, and so forth. Although delicious, we think it tastes even better on smokey sandwiches like pastrami, corned beef, and roast beef. This classic Reuben sandwich recipe incorporates a Russian dressing that includes prepared horseradish. The succulent, mouth-watering combination is truly to die for. You can also opt to mix Russian dressing into salads. It works quite well as a mustard-based vinaigrette substitute on top of leafy greens.
Wasabi
Another spicy, pungent ingredient swap for mustard that you want to use sparingly is wasabi. Wasabi, also known as Japanese horseradish, comes from the same plant family as horseradish and mustard — Brassicaceae. It's not surprising, then, that wasabi makes a good mustard substitute. Still, wasabi's flavor profile is sharper than mustard and typically paired better with Asian flavors and cuisine — so you want to be deliberate in your choices.
You can prepare wasabi or wasabi powder when considering wasabi for your dish. It's important to note that sometimes the powdered form comes with mustard in the blend. So, if you've made the swap due to a mustard allergy, be cautious. Either way, you can prepare this vibrantly green ingredient in a number of ways. Like horseradish, mix it with a fat source and other spices to make a creamy condiment substitute. For an interesting twist, try these Japanese burgers with wasabi ketchup. There's really no need for mustard here since the ketchup has all the kick you need. The lingering heat and juiciness of the burger will no doubt leave you and your guests wanting more!
Sriracha
Speaking of beloved Asian flavors, Sriracha, although quite different in taste than mustard, can be used as a mustard substitute. Its flavorful, fiery garlic taste adds a punch that works well with so many dishes. As Sriracha becomes an increasingly more incorporated condiment in the U.S., Sriracha-based dipping sauces like Sriracha-mayo are taking peoples' taste buds by storm. Often, a quality hot sauce is all you need to transform mayonnaise into a delectable dipping sauce.
Swap Sriracha for mustard when making tasty appetizers like chicken wings or popcorn chicken. The sauces or glazes used in these dishes often blend a sweet element like honey with Sriracha. Similar to honey mustard, the heat is balanced by sweetness – achieving an addictive flavor profile that keeps you coming back for more. Consider preparing a balanced honey-Sriracha sauce for your next pulled pork sandwich. Layer your sandwich with complimentary ingredients like matchstick carrots, daikon, onion, pickled vegetables, and herbs to create a delicious, banh-mi-inspired sandwich.
Chipotle
Chipotle adds a totally different twang to your dish but still provides that pleasantly surprising hit of flavor that mustard brings. Like Sriracha and any other spicy ingredient swap, chipotle is mellowed out by a fat source like mayonnaise. It's no surprise that one of the most beloved spreads in the U.S., chipotle aioli, is so popular.
Although chipotle is a good mustard substitute, it has a very different flavor profile. Chipotle is rich, spicy, and smokey. If you use too much, it can be overpowering, but using just the right amount and mixing it with neutral-flavored ingredients works wonders. This is why chipotle pairs so nicely with potato-based dishes; it makes an excellent dressing for dunking your crispy, roasted potatoes. It can also be the welcomed kick to an otherwise bland potato salad. Even Bobby Flay uses a chipotle puree in his potato salad to make a creamy, spicy, standout dish.
If you're looking for another mustard swap using chipotle but don't want to make a fat-based spread, try barbecue sauce. Chipotle works great when mixed into barbecue sauces or used as a marinade for meats like chicken and ribs. The smoky, spicy notes of chipotle barbecue sauce will be more than welcome at your next potluck.
Egg yolks
Perhaps not traditional, but egg yolks can actually be an option when it comes to mustard substitutes. They add richness and binding properties that mustard sometimes takes on in a dish. Both egg yolks and egg yolk powder can work in this regard, thickening up a dish and tying it together. Your egg yolks can also be enjoyed raw and mixed with other ingredients to create velvety dressings. This provides both the yellow color and creaminess that mustard does as well.
Now, it's obvious that egg yolk tastes quite different from mustard. If you're not satisfied with the flavors in your dish, add ingredients like garlic, salt, vinegar, herbs, and other spices to boost the flavor. This will more closely resemble the zesty notes and tang of mustard. With flavorful egg yolks in mind, we recommend trying this smoked egg yolk bottarga on a crostini. You can even use the smoked egg yolk from this recipe and incorporate it into a new type of sauce. How about a smoky and spicy hollandaise? We think this will make an excellent replacement.
French four spice powder
French four spice powder, known as Quatre Épices in French, is a spice blend traditionally made up of ground white or black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. The blend has a spicy, warm, and earthy flavor profile that reminds slightly of mustard seeds itself. It works great in dishes where mustard is required in the recipe but only plays a supporting role. The flavors are slightly different, but they'll give you the little hit that mustard brings to a dish.
Use French four spice powder to season soups, hearty stews, or braised root vegetables. A dish that commonly incorporates this spice blend is French-style beef stew, but any type of beef stew can benefit from this seasoning. It adds a nice depth of flavor and slight spice to your dish. You can also use this spice blend in marinades for a variety of dishes in replacement of mustard for some added heat. Whichever you choose, make sure to taste your seasoning along the way. You want to strike a delicate balance when using Quatre Épices, as it's got a lot of strong, earthy flavors in addition to the kick.
Mustard powder
Last but not least, mustard in other forms, like mustard powder, shouldn't be overlooked. Mustard powder, also known as dry mustard or ground mustard, is essentially made of ground mustard seeds. You can utilize mustard powder in place of traditional mustard in almost any recipe you choose. If you're using mustard powder in a recipe, incorporate one teaspoon of mustard powder for every tablespoon of regular mustard called for.
Mustard powder is a great ingredient for dry rubs at your next barbecue. Mix it with some salt and then lather it onto your protein. If you want to get that traditional mustard texture, add a little bit of water to your mustard powder. Be aware that this combination will likely be less spicy than fresh mustard. To compensate, add other ingredients like garlic powder, black pepper, and any type of fat, like olive oil, to spice up your mix. Another great option is to add white wine vinegar to your mustard powder, especially if you're aiming for a Dijon mustard taste.
Whichever type of mustard you make, you can use it to create a delicious salad dressing, marinade, or a plethora of other dishes. You can also incorporate your mustard into a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, you heard that right. It's a lesser-known but highly effective tip that will add a little extra tang to your grilled cheese. We can say with full confidence that this addition won't disappoint!