Best Horseradish Substitutes
If you’re looking for suitable substitutions for horseradish in your cooking and baking recipes, then you came to the right place! Let’s take a closer look at this unique, spicy root vegetable and find the best horseradish substitutes.
Do you have a recipe you have been wanting to try that calls for horseradish? Have you discovered that this often hated ingredient doesn’t fit your palate or you simply can’t find it at the store? The good news is that no matter what your reasons are, there are options. Here are a few simple substitutions for horseradish.
What is Horseradish?
Horseradish is a root vegetable that is often used as a condiment or spice. This flavoring is not for everyone and is most commonly substituted out of recipes for dislike rather than the inability to find the ingredient.
What Can You Use as a Substitution for Horseradish?
Wasabi
Wasabi sold outside of Japan is made from horseradish and green coloring. This makes wasabi a great substitute for fresh horseradish in recipes. The flavor is not diluted by a lot of other ingredients unlike other condiments using horseradish. If you love the flavor of horseradish and just can not find fresh for your recipe this can be the best option for a substitution. Start with a 1:1 ratio and work your way up to as much as 50% more wasabi than horseradish called for in your recipe. This will work perfectly for most recipes though the green coloring may make some sauces look a bit odd.
Brown Mustard
Brown mustard is closely related to horseradish and is a great way to get a similar flavor profile. The strong peppery flavor of brown mustard can help mimic the flavor of horseradish while the light brown color doesn’t give off the same odd coloration that some using wasabi in some recipes can do, making it the perfect option for substituting in cream sauces and other recipes where the appearance matters.
Ginger
Fresh ginger root is a great alternative to horseradish for those that do not like the flavor of horseradish. Ginger can give the same texture while covering a lighter flavor with a bit of spice to take the flavor of the dish up a notch. Ginger makes a great substitution for horseradish. Start by using less than the recipe calls for with horseradish as this can begin to alter the flavor of the recipe in an unpleasant way if you use too much. To help give the recipe a bit more kick without adding too much of a ginger flavor add a dash of cayenne pepper as well.
Black Radish
Black radish looks similar to beetroot in size and shape. The internal “meat” of this root vegetable is spicy and can make a great alternative for fresh horseradish in recipes. This root vegetable will give you a similar though a lighter flavor and the same texture making it a great alternative for someone that wants a lighter flavor or a replacement for whole horseradish root.
Horseradish Sauce
Most supermarkets carry a sauce made with horseradish that works well when using this as a flavoring or condiment in most recipes. As a sauce, the flavor is less concentrated, but if you like horseradish this may be your favorite option for a substitution.