Is Worcestershire Sauce Gluten-free?
Table of Contents
What is Worcestershire sauce?
It may be tricky to pronounce, but this spice is something that you should use often. It has a lot of savory depth thanks to a whole lot of spices combined to make it.
Worcestershire sauce is made of vinegar, fermented anchovies, onion, garlic, tamarind, molasses, and other seasonings. Perhaps, there is no kitchen now without Worcestershire sauce.
Is Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
You would be surprised to know that Worcestershire sauce comes in three major varieties: vegan, gluten-free and low sodium. So, for this question, the answer would be yes, you can choose a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
The gluten-free Worcestershire is practically made of distilled white vinegar instead of the more common malt vinegar (which is glutenous).
What are the ingredients of the original Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce?
Lea & Perrins is considered as the master innovator behind the Worcestershire sauce in 1835. Originating in the UK, the ingredients of the original recipe Worcestershire sauce would be the following:
- Malt vinegar
- Anchovies
- Onion and garlic
- Salt and sugar
- Water
- Molasses
- Tamarind extract
- Chili pepper extract
- Cloves and other natural flavorings
Strikingly, the US version of Lea & Perrins would have a slight modification when it comes to the list of ingredients. They use distilled white vinegar instead of malt vinegar and high fructose syrup instead of sugar.
Gluten-free Worcestershire Sauce Brands
If you are specifically looking for gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, here are the top brands that you should check out:
- Lea and Perrins
- French’s Classic Worcestershire
- Wan Ja Shan Organic
- The Spice Lab
- The Wizard’s
- Heinz
- Bull-Dog
- 356 Everyday Value Worcestershire
- Try Me Wine and Pepper Worcestershire
- Colgin
Some of the featured brands here do not necessarily have the gluten-free label but their product label, reviews, and transparency in their websites would affirm that they are indeed, gluten-free Worcestershire sauces.
Is Worcestershire sauce dairy-free?
The answer to this is yes. Almost all Worcestershire sauces are made without dairy so you can count on it as your major condiment if you have dairy allergies or are lactose intolerant.
Is Worcestershire sauce vegan?
It can be because there is specifically a vegan Worcestershire. It is still made of the traditional ingredients but minus the anchovies. It is substituted with vegan ingredients like soya and others. The anchovy substitutes are found in the label if you are curious about what they could be.
What does Worcestershire sauce taste like?
Worcestershire sauce is loved because it is packed with explosive tastes. It is sweet and salty, tangy, and savory, all at the same time. But its umami flavor, from the anchovies, is the most prized taste of this sauce. It must be noted however, that the taste of Worcestershire could vary depending on the brand. But overall, this is the general taste of this sauce.
FAQs
To further narrow down key information about Worcestershire sauce, the all-around wonder condiment, here are some valuable FAQs that you should know of.
What is a gluten-free substitute for Worcestershire sauce?
So after checking your pantry and finding out that you have been using the wrong Worcestershire sauce for your gluten-free diet, it is time to shake it a bit and look for the following gluten-free substitute for this sauce:
- Red wine (reduced)
- Coco aminos (used greatly in keto and vegan diets)
- Dry sherry
- Gluten-free tamarind soy sauce
- Gluten-free tamarind soy sauce and ketchup
For more homemade combos that you can use as substitutes to Worcestershire, you can refer to the following:
- Soy sauce plus apple juice
- Soy sauce plus apple cider vinegar and pepper flakes
- Soy sauce plus hoisin sauce and apple cider vinegar
- Soy sauce plus lemon juice, sugar, and hot sauce
- Miso paste plus water
- Fish sauce plus tamarind concentrate/red wine and salt/soy sauce and brown sugar
- Oyster sauce
- Balsamic vinegar plus tamarind concentrate
- Shaoxing cooking wine
- Pickle juice
Is French’s Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
French’s is another classic brand for Worcestershire sauce with 100 years of manufacturing, production and distribution of this well-loved sauce. It is not just sealed as gluten-free but also Kosher.
It is commonly used in high-end Kosher restaurants and in many food service companies. It does not contain any artificial colors nor artificial flavors.
Is Heinz Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
Yes, Heinz’s Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free. It is made of distilled white vinegar, high fructose syrup, molasses, spices, and non-wheat soy sauce.
While the bottles are duly sealed as gluten-free, there are still contentions about cross-contamination since Heinz is using shared facilities for many of their bottled products.
Is Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
In the US, Lea and Perrins is under the Heinz brand so you are sure that US made Worcestershire sauce under this name is made of distilled white vinegar and not malt vinegar. Although it is the original manufacturer of Worcestershire, only US made Lea and Perrins can be considered as gluten-free.
As have been mentioned in the previous section, the UK made Lea and Perrins use malt vinegar. There is also a Canadian version, distinguished by its orange packaging. It is not gluten-free as it is also made of malt vinegar.
Is Kroger Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
If our basis is the label, we can say that this brand offers a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. It is made with the staple ingredients of a gluten-free one starting with distilled white vinegar.
You can also see that the only listed allergen there is soy. However, its bottle is not sealed with gluten-free so there is that to think about.
Is Aldi Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
This UK-based sauce and condiments brand takes pride for its range of gluten-free products including their Worcestershire sauce.
According to their website, their Worcestershire is certified and sealed with a gluten-free tag which means that it is compliant with the less than 20 million ppm requirement for a product to be declared as gluten-free. If you want to confirm this, you can validate it here.
Is Holbrooks Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
No. This brand does not have a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce. Their website lists the ingredients used in making Worcestershire and that includes barley and malt vinegar.
There are also anchovies used so it is not vegan and they also make use of artificial coloring so that is another thing to consider.
Is Great Value Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
As far as reviews and labeling are concerned, Great Value Worcestershire sauce is essentially gluten-free. It is made of distilled white vinegar with the addition of natural flavorings, spices, and high fructose syrup.
The only reservation with this brand is that it is not sealed as gluten-free. Nonetheless, it is a good Worcestershire brand but if you are wary about the seal, then might as well find another one.
Is Burman’s Worcestershire sauce gluten-free?
With its shift to distilled white vinegar, Burman’s can now be considered as gluten-free. However, it does not have the gluten-free seal because some of the ingredients used in making their sauce is high risk for cross contamination. This includes de-fatted soy flour and their natural flavorings.
Homemade Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce
As we have maintained in some specific sections here, if you want to make sure that your oyster sauce is indeed gluten-free, you can make your own by either using the same ingredients or through substitutes.
Here is a sample homemade gluten-free Worcestershire sauce from Epicurious that you can follow.
The first thing to do is to gather and prepare the ingredients to be used. The ingredients would be the following:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Tamari soy sauce
- Ground ginger
- Molasses
- Onion and garlic powder
- Dry mustard
- Cinnamon and pepper
- Water
To make this simple homemade Worcestershire sauce, just toss in all the ingredients in a saucepan and continually stir under medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it thicken. As soon as you see some thickening, bring down the heat to a simmer (a minute or two).
After simmering, transfer the mixture in an airtight container and let cool. You can now use the mixture as a substitute to Worcestershire sauce. Shake first before using.
If you are wondering about what other key combinations you can use, you may refer to the list of Worcestershire substitutes above or you can also check this list from Food 52. You could also find notable and easy to prepare homemade Worcestershire sauce recipes from the following:
- Our Paleo Life (Paleogenic Diet Homemade Worcestershire sauce)
- All Recipes
- Simply Scratch
- The Spruce Eats
Conclusion
With its all-in flavors, Worcestershire sauce always adds a flavorful layer to any dish. It is gluten-free, good for vegan and Kosher lifestyles depending on the brand and variety. With all the questions surrounding this well-loved spice/condiment, it is important to turn to household brands that offer the authentic taste of Worcestershire.
But if you want to try something new, you can always check for homemade combinations that will give you the same flavorful flair. The net is also full of homemade Worcestershire sauce recipes that you can master.
Ultimately, we hope that the list of brands and Worcestershire alternatives that we listed here could come in handy for you especially in your home cooking.
Learn more gluten-free?
Homemade Gluten-free Worcestershire Sauce Recipe (From Tamari Soy Sauce)
As we have maintained in some specific sections here, if you want to make sure that your oyster sauce is indeed gluten-free, you can make your own by either using the same ingredients or through substitutes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- To make this simple homemade Worcestershire sauce, just toss in all the ingredients in a saucepan and continually stir under medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it thicken. As soon as you see some thickening, bring down the heat to a simmer (a minute or two).
- After simmering, transfer the mixture in an airtight container and let cool. You can now use the mixture as a substitute to Worcestershire sauce. Shake first before using
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Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1Amount Per ServingCalories 9.1Total Fat 0.1gSaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 2.9mgCarbohydrates 1.6gSugar 1.3g
