What Is a Substitute for Sherry?

What's the best sherry substitute for cooking?

Dry white wine is the most direct 1-to-1 substitute. Use 1 tablespoon of dry white wine for 1 tablespoon of sherry. The wine provides similar acidity and complexity, though sherry's specific nutty depth is harder to replicate.

Dry vermouth is another 1-to-1 substitute with more complex flavor than basic white wine. Vermouth contains herbs and spices that give it depth closer to sherry's. For most savory recipes (pan sauces, stews, seafood), dry vermouth is often a better match than plain white wine.

Can you use other fortified wines?

Yes. Madeira and Marsala are both fortified wines like sherry and substitute 1-to-1 in most recipes. Madeira is closer to dry sherry in flavor; Marsala is sweeter and works better when the recipe also includes sugar or sweet elements (chicken Marsala, certain Italian sauces).

Port wine substitutes for sherry in some applications but is much sweeter, which can throw off savory recipes. For dessert recipes that call for sweet sherry, port works as a 1-to-1 substitute. For dry sherry in savory cooking, port adds too much sweetness; vermouth or white wine work better.

What's the best non-alcoholic sherry substitute?

For alcohol-free cooking: combine 1 cup of apple cider with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to approximate 1 cup of sherry. The cider provides the sweetness and complexity; the vinegar adds the acidity that wine naturally has.

For a closer match: combine equal parts apple juice and water plus 1/2 teaspoon of cider vinegar per cup. This gives a less sweet result that's closer to dry sherry. For consomme and clear broth applications, replace sherry with broth plus 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar per tablespoon of sherry. The vinegar adds the acidity sherry would have brought.

When does the sherry substitute fail?

For sherry-forward recipes (sherry-glazed shrimp, certain Spanish stews, classic French onion soup), sherry is the defining flavor. Dry white wine substitutes work but produce a noticeably less complex result. For these recipes, sourcing real sherry (sold in most grocery stores' wine section) is worth the effort.

For dessert applications (sherry trifle, certain custards), sweet sherry's specific flavor is part of the dish. Port or Madeira are the closest substitutes; dry wine doesn't work for these. For Chinese cooking where dry sherry is sometimes substituted for Shaoxing wine, both produce similar results because the original purpose is the same (adding rice wine-like complexity).