Looking for substitutes for steak sauce? There are plenty of great alternatives out there to complement the savory flavor of steak that can satisfy your craving for steak sauce if you’ve run out. Moreover, using just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up your own suitable substitute that makes a great alternative to buying sauce for steak at the grocery store.
Let’s take a look at the many substitutes available to you that can serve as a great swap for steak sauce as a topping or in a recipe.
Table of Contents
- Substitutes For Steak Sauce
- Homemade Steak Sauce
- Steak Sauce Alternatives: These Make a Substitutable Substitute and Provide Similar Taste
- FAQs
Substitutes For Steak Sauce
There are several substitutes that you can use for steak sauce. Aside from making your own suitable substitute at home, there are plenty of condiments and other seasonings you can use instead.
Consider the following easy swaps to top your steak:
Worcestershire Sauce
One of the best substitutes for steak sauce is Worcestershire sauce. That’s because Worcestershire sauce is included in many steak sauces.
It gives a flavor similar to that of steak sauce in that it is umami in flavor. However, it lacks the sweetness of traditional steak sauce.
For an even closer replication of steak topping using Worcestershire sauce, try mixing it at a 1:1 ratio with ketchup. Doing so will yield a sweeter flavor similar to the steak sauce you’re used to.
If you plan to use Worcestershire sauce by itself on your steak, remember that a little goes a long way. You’ll likely love the depth of flavor Worcestershire sauce brings to your steak. Just know that Worcestershire sauce is much thinner, more watery, and should be used more like an au jus accompaniment (i.e. for dipping) rather than something to slather your steak in.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce gives a different unique flair to steak when used as a condiment. It can give off an Asian taste that you are likely to appreciate. But not everyone will like this substitute as it isn’t quite the same flavor as steak sauce.
To mellow things out a bit, consider mixing your soy sauce with a bit of Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. You can also use soy sauce straight, especially if you add it to your steak as a marinade prior to cooking it.
Barbecue Sauce
BBQ sauce has a hodge-podge of ingredients and different BBQ sauces will yield different flavors.
Some sauces are hot and spicy while the vast majority are sweet. Still, other varieties are tangy.
The nice thing about this sort of variety when it comes to BBQ sauce is that you can select the type that you’re in the mood for to top your steak. You can also choose depending on how you like your steak cooked. Any of these options will taste phenomenal, but traditional BBQ will almost always be a little sweeter than the steak sauce you’re used to.
For the best replication of steak sauce, use a barbecue sauce that errs on the side of tangy (such as a Memphis-style barbecue sauce) to achieve the often tangier flavor of traditional A1 or other steak toppings.
Oyster Sauce
Oyster sauce is made of caramelized oyster juice and other ingredients. It doesn’t give off the exact flavor of steak sauce but is a solid steak topping in its own right.
You can mix it in recipes that call for steak sauce or you can use it as a topping all on its own. Just remember that despite being related to seafood, oyster sauce isn’t considered to be a vegetarian-friendly steak topping.
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar and other salad dressing types are decent picks to top steaks, with some options being better than others.
There are very few salad dressings that will taste identical to steak sauce. However, they make a great deviation from your typical steak sauce flavor when you are feeling adventurous.
Balsamic vinegar, specifically, is tangy, sharp, and harnesses a bit of sweetness in the background. You can also use balsamic glaze. Both of these will add potent unique herbal flavor to your steak.
Balsamic vinegar can also be used to marinate your steak, and so can other salad dressings (such as Italian dressing).
Bleu Cheese (or Ranch)
Though these two condiments aren’t anything like steak sauce they can completely replace your steak sauce if you want them to. The creamy and cool consistency of bleu cheese and ranch often pairs well with the savory, smoky, and umami flavor of the steak.
For even more of a treat, consider whipping up your own homemade steak sauce and adding that sauce with either ranch or bleu cheese to your steak. We’re confident that this creamy-cool and tangy-sweet combination will be giving your taste buds something to sing about!
Teriyaki Sauce
Another unique and totally usable sauce to top your steak with is teriyaki sauce.
Usually made from brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and a few other ingredients, teriyaki sauce can add a welcome Japanese flair to your dish that you may find more delicious than using soy sauce on its own.
Hot Sauce
It may sound surprising but hot sauce can work well if you are in a pinch and really want something to top your steak.
This spicy and tangy condiment offers a little pizazz to your steak without changing the overall flavor of the meat too much.
This is a good option if your steak needs a little something extra that the steak it isn’t providing by itself in terms of flavor.
Just know that hot sauce is nowhere near the same flavor as traditional steak sauce, so you’ll need to make sure you’re prepared for the spicy contrast when applying it to the whole of your steak.
If you’re in the mood for something sweet and spicy, try sweet chili sauce and its substitutes instead!
Ketchup
Ketchup may sound surprising as a steak substitute, but those who have tried it know it’s a true crowd-pleaser.
Despite ketchup’s reputation for being used only on french fries, burgers, and hot dogs, comes the understanding that ketchup can be used for a bit more than people think.
In the case of steak, ketchup provides sweetness and a hint of tang that compliments steak beautifully. Therefore, if you’ve got no steak sauce on hand, you may find ketchup o to be your new best friend.
Note: Ketchup can be combined with Worcestershire sauce at a 1:1 ratio to create a richly delicious and easy steak sauce!
Brown Sauce
Brown sauce, or “HP sauce”, is a sauce used in the UK. It is similar to Worcestershire sauce and is often used to top breakfast sandwiches, “bangers and mash”, or used as a dip for chips.
Homemade Steak Sauce
Looking for a homemade steak sauce recipe that is sure to wow? If you want a sauce that’s a bit more complex than the standard ketchup and Worcestershire sauce combination, then consider the following recipe that uses many of the aforementioned steak sauce substitutes and combines them to create a sauce that can help take your steak to new heights!
Steak Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp of hot sauce
- 1 tsp of dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- A pinch of granulated garlic
- salt
Directions
How to make steak sauce
Combine
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Season and store
Lightly salt the mixture to taste and refrigerate until ready for use. The mixture will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two months.
Serve
Bring to room temperature before serving if desired.
Steak Sauce Alternatives: These Make a Substitutable Substitute and Provide Similar Taste
All in all, many of the aforementioned condiments are suitable substitutes with similar tastes to your standard A1 or other bottled steak sauce.
Some of these substitutes, such as Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, or even ketchup may even be your go-to steak topping from now on.
Remember that you can also whip up your own steak sauce at home by using a combination of the substitutes mentioned above and following the recipe as directed in our homemade steak sauce segment.
We hope this has helped you! Eat up!
FAQs
What can I use instead of steak sauce?
Good steak sauce substitutes are ketchup, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce (for dipping), and even a blend of both ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. You can also whip up our own steak sauce at home, either by combining Worcestershire sauce with ketchup or by using a variety of ingredients as shown previously in our post to create a sauce reminiscent of the flavor you’d achieve from a bottled steak sauce.
What is a good substitute for A1 steak sauce?
The taste of A1 sauce is quite unique, however, you may be able to match this flavor by mixing a little ketchup with Worcestershire sauce or by following the recipe detailed earlier in our post. Others have seen success combining a little hot sauce with apple cider vinegar, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. The options are endless, and honestly, may make you never wish to buy bottled steak sauce again!
Is Worcestershire sauce the same as steak sauce?
No, it isn’t. Worcestershire sauce is often listed as an ingredient in your typical bottled steak sauce (and even homemade versions of steak sauce) but it isn’t’ the same thing. That isn’t to say that you cannot use Worcestershire sauce to top your steaks…you absolutely can! We just recommend you go light on the application of Worcestershire sauce since it lacks the consistency and sweetness of a traditional steak sauce. Using too much of it will undoubtedly overpower your steak.
Do you need steak sauce for steak?
No, you don’t! Plenty of people enjoy their steak plain or with a simple side of au jus. If you’re looking for a little something extra to complement your steak, consider dipping it in Worcestershire sauce, a bit of ranch or bleu cheese, or even a little soy sauce for an Asian twist. You may even choose to use none of these options! However, you choose to enjoy your steak is completely up to you. There are no rules!
