12 Substitutes for Horseradish
When you buy through our links, The Breslin may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
It is simple to find a substitute for horseradish after reading the fantastic article. Finding a replacement for horseradish will help you diversify ingredients and create new flavors in your cooking.
Horseradish is a common ingredient in cuisine, but you cannot always buy it or find it. This list of fantastic substitutes for horseradish will help you solve the headache when you cannot find horseradish.
The substitutes that I am about to provide will be of incredible value to you, so do not miss any crucial information. I hope you will gain more things after reading this post. Keep reading to explore everything!
List Of 12 Best Substitutes For Horseradish To Diversify Your Ingredients
I will provide you with a list of 12 best substitutes for horseradish. I hope this list will make your cooking more accessible and make your life better.
- Wasabi Root Or Powder
- Wasabi Paste
- Mustard Seeds Or Powder
- Spicy Mustard
- Dijon Mustard
- Horseradish Sauce
- Ginger
- Black Radish
- Daikon
- Sauerkraut
- Parsnip
- Rutabaga
It is simple for you to replace horseradish with other ingredients in a suitable ratio. The below table will help you know what you should do right now.
Substitutes for horseradish | Proportion |
Wasabi root or powder | 1 tsp wasabi root or powder = 1 tsp horseradish |
Wasabi paste | 1 tsp wasabi paste = 1 tsp horseradish |
Mustard seeds or powder | 1 tsp mustard seeds or powder = 1 tsp horseradish |
Spicy mustard | Use in a 1:1 ratio and increase when required |
Dijon mustard | Use in a 1:1 ratio and increase when required |
Horseradish sauce | 1 tsp horseradish sauce = 1 tsp horseradish |
Ginger | ¼ tsp ginger = 1 tsp horseradish |
Black radish | 1 tsp black radish = 1 tsp horseradish |
Daikon radish | 1 tsp daikon radish = 1 tsp horseradish |
Sauerkraut | 1 tsp sauerkraut = 1 tsp horseradish |
Parsnip | 1 tsp parsnip = 1 tsp horseradish |
Rutabaga | 1 tsp rutabaga = 1 tsp horseradish |
Warming Up With Some Fantastic Information About Horseradish
Before providing a list of excellent horseradish substitutes, you and I will warm up with some horseradish-related information to help you get a basic view and better understanding of horseradish. I hope you will be satisfied with this information.
Helpful Basic Information About Horseradish Will Be Satisfy You
Horseradish is an ingredient that is widely used all over the world, from the East to the West. While horseradish is used as a spice in cooking in the West, it becomes an essential ingredient in medicine in the East.
Horseradish originates from Eastern Europe. Horseradish is in the same family as mustard, wasabi, and broccoli. Their roots are white. When you cut the roots, they secrete sinigrin to form mustard oil.
Horseradish is a tuber. It is usually used fresh or ground to form horseradish powder. Horseradish is often added to mustard or mayonnaise. You can combine horseradish with vinegar and salt to make horseradish sauce.
What Does Horseradish Taste Like?
Because horseradish belongs to the same family as wasabi, when you taste it, you will feel the tangy taste and pungent smell. The spicy taste of horseradish can directly impact your nose, so you will have a burning sensation when eating them.
Horseradish burn can spread to the nose and sinuses. You can feel the burn for a few moments. Because horseradish’s spiciness can wear off quickly, green color is often added to replace wasabi at sushi restaurants.
Best Methods To Use Horseradish In Cooking
You can find many ways to use horseradish in cooking. You can use their roots like ginger or turmeric roots. Grind them and combine them with vinegar and other ingredients to make horseradish sauce for cooking.
You can also use horseradish with red meat or combine it with sauces to create spiciness. The bloody mary is a popular drink that has the appearance of horseradish. Pair with dressings, potatoes, sandwiches, or grilled dishes are fantastic ideas.
What Nutrients Does Horseradish Contain?
Horseradish is not usually used in excessive amounts because of its characteristic spicy taste and pungent odor. Horseradish contains many essential nutrients for the body, such as calories, protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, folate, and other nutrients.
The table below will give you the content of nutrients per 1 tablespoon horseradish. Let’s take a look!
Nutrients | Content |
Calories | 7 |
Protein | 1 grams |
Fat | 1 grams |
Carbohydrates | 2 grams |
Fiber | 0.5 grams |
What Are The Health Benefits Of Horseradish?
Horseradish is not only a popular ingredient in culinary but also plays an essential role in medicine, thanks to the nutritional components of horseradish. Let’s learn about the importance of horseradish to health.
1. Horseradish Is An Anticancer Factor
The good news is that horseradish will help you prevent cancer. The content of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates will inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent the formation of harmful cells. This helps you prevent cancer effectively.
In addition, you will reduce your chances of getting lung, stomach, and intestinal cancers thanks to the sinigrin component in horseradish. Peroxidase in horseradish also helps you reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.
2. Horseradish Supports Antibacterial
Besides preventing cancer, horseradish is also a perfect antibacterial ingredient. With allyl isothiocyanate in horseradish, you can fight dangerous bacteria. It will help prevent the growth of bacterial cells (1)
Isothiocyanates also help kill bacteria in the mouth. You will prevent chronic nail infection by eating horseradish because isothiocyanates also help prevent the growth of bacteria that lead to infections.
3. Improve Respiratory System Function
With its hot spicy taste and characteristic pungent smell, eating horseradish will directly affect your nose to help reduce respiratory difficulties when you have a cold as well as breathing problems (1).
Boost Your Knowledge With 16 Fantastic Substitutes For Horseradish
It is time to blow your mind with the list of perfect substitutes for horseradish. I hope the list will make it easier for you if you cannot find horseradish or change your taste.
1. Wasabi Root Or Powder Will Be A Good Replacement For Horseradish
Wasabi is arguably the best alternative to horseradish. Because they’re in the same family, both wasabi root and horseradish taste pretty similar. Unlike horseradish, wasabi root is usually bright green in color.
Like horseradish, wasabi root and wasabi powder both have a spicy taste and a pungent odor. This flavor also has a direct impact on your nose. However, wasabi is a bit less spicy than horseradish.
You can use wasabi root or wasabi powder as a substitute for horseradish in bloody mary and french dip sandwiches. For best results, you should replace horseradish with wasabi root or powder in a ratio of 1:1.
Let’s take a trip to a wasabi garden in Japan to harvest wasabi root for horseradish substitutes.
2. Wasabi Paste Will Bring Similar Taste Like Horseradish
In case you cannot find wasabi root or wasabi powder, you can use wasabi paste as a substitute for horseradish. Wasabi paste is not difficult to find because they are widely available in many stores.
Spicy and pungent wasabi jars will help you forget the horseradish nostalgia and change the flavor of the dish. You can find wasabi paste at sushi parties in Japan. In some cases, horseradish is also used to make wasabi paste.
You can replace horseradish with wasabi paste in a 1:1 ratio. However, this ratio also depends on how spicy you want your dish to be. If you want a spicier flavor, you can increase the ratio and vice versa.
3. Another Effective Choice Is Mustard Seeds Or Powder
The bright yellow mustard seeds are a perfect alternative to horseradish. You can also grind the mustard seeds into a powder to use for many different purposes. Basically, both mustard seeds and powder work well in place of horseradish.
Both mustard seeds and powder have a spicy and pungent taste that is pretty similar to horseradish, so it will bring out the flavor you want. You should consider using mustard if you are allergic to it. Use a 1:1 ratio to replace horseradish.
4. Bring Spicy Taste With Spicy Mustard
If you cannot find mustard seeds or powder, you can use spicy mustard as an effective alternative. The main ingredients of spicy mustard are brown mustard seeds and vinegar. The spiciness of spicy mustard is lower than horseradish.
Spicy mustard has a silky texture that will not change the texture of the dish. You get the zesty taste, pungent odor of mustard seeds, and the distinctive flavor of vinegar. Since it is not as spicy as horseradish, you should use more spicy mustard to replace horseradish.
5. Creating Fantastic Flavor With Dijon Mustard
Another mustard variation that you can substitute for horseradish is dijon mustard. Because of the similar flavor, using dijon mustard will give you the same flavor you would expect when using horseradish.
Dijon mustard is the result of the fermentation of mustard seeds, white wine, and acidic raw materials. The pungent taste of the dijon mustard is not too strong. You should use a large amount of dijon mustard to replace the horseradish.
6. Why Don’t You Use Horseradish Sauce To Replace Horseradish?
Horseradish sauce is a wonderful alternative when you cannot afford fresh horseradish. The main ingredient that makes horseradish sauce is fresh horseradish, so its taste and scent are similar to fresh horseradish.
Horseradish sauce is creamy, so it helps to preserve the texture of the dish. However, horseradish sauce does not have an intense taste like fresh horseradish. You should use a 1:1 ratio, and if you like spicy, you can increase it to a ratio of 1.5:1 to replace horseradish.
Let’s jump into the kitchen to learn how to make fantastic horseradish sauce to replace fresh horseradish.
7. Fresh Ginger Is Another Perfect Options After Horseradish
Fresh ginger is a fairly easy substitute for horseradish. Ginger also has an intense taste with a slight bitterness, a hint of earth, and a slightly peppery taste. Ginger will bring a bit of warmth as well as a decongestant effect like horseradish.
Ginger has a strong flavor and has its unique taste, so you should not use too much ginger as a substitute for horseradish because it can affect the quality of the dish. You should use a small amount first and adjust until satisfied.
8. Variety Of Substitute Ingredients With Black Radish
If you do not have horseradish in the kitchen, you can use black radish to add to dishes. The appearance of black radish resembles a beetroot. To create a spiciness like horseradish, you need to spend a little time because its skin is difficult to remove
Grating black radish will create the same heat as horseradish, but the color will be darker. You can also remove the skin of the black radish and use the inside for a more horseradish-like color, but with a lighter flavor. 1:1 ratio is most suitable for replacement.
The spiciness of horseradish is highest in its skin. You can combine black radish and ginger to create an amazing alternative to horseradish.
9. Daikon Radish Will Increase Taste Of Dishes
You should try using daikon radish as a substitute for horseradish because the results will surprise you. Because it belongs to the same family as horseradish, daikon radish still has a bit of a spicy taste and pungent smell like horseradish.
Daikon radish has a crispy and succulent texture. Daikon is often used as a substitute for horseradish in stews and soups. For the best results, you should start with a 1:1 ratio and increase when required.
10. Sauerkraut (Sour Cabbage) Is The Best Choice For Savory Dishes
If you want a new taste for the dish, you can consider sauerkraut as a top choice. Shredder cabbage is fermented with lactic acid, salt to create sauerkraut. Sauerkraut will be suitable as a perfect substitute for horseradish in savory dishes.
Sauerkraut will add flavor to cured meats, sausages, or you can also add sauerkraut to the broth to make it more flavorful. You should not use too much sauerkraut in place of horseradish. Let’s add a 1:1 ratio and adjust it to suit your taste.
Listen to these detailed instructions to make delicious and amazing sauerkraut substitute for horseradish.
11. Using Parsnip As An Excellent Substitute For Horseradish
You cannot find horseradish to make the broth, and parsnip will do the job of bringing a delicious dish. Parsnip has a taste and texture similar to carrots, but it has spiciness so that it is suitable to replace horseradish.
You can use parsnip in stews, roasts, stir-fries, and soups as a substitute for horseradish. However, parsnip will not be as spicy as horseradish, so parsnip is an amazing option if you cannot eat spicy food. Use it in a 1:1 ratio to gain the best dish.
12. Rutabaga Will Help You Forget Horseradish Nostalgia
Another root that you can substitute for horseradish is rutabaga. Because of the similar flavor, rutabaga can bring the flavor of horseradish to the dish. Rutabaga also has a similar texture to horseradish.
However, compared to horseradish, the taste of rutabaga is milder. It is not too spicy, and the smell is not as pungent as horseradish. Start with a 1:1 ratio, then taste and adjust to suit your needs.
How To Use Substitutes Of Horseradish In Some Recipes?
To help you understand better how to use horseradish alternatives in dishes. I will give you a few ways to use substitutes in some popular dishes, such as bloody mary, prime rib.
1. How To Use Wasabi To Substitute For Horseradish In Bloody Mary?
The creation of bloody mary is indispensable for horseradish. However, if you cannot buy horseradish, you can still make bloody mary with wasabi. Wasabi will substitute for horseradish to give this dish its spicy taste.
To substitute for horseradish, you should combine ¼ or 1 teaspoon wasabi to replace 1 teaspoon of horseradish. In case you do not have wasabi, you can also use spicy mustard to replace it in a ratio of 1:1.
2. Using Wasabi And Mustard To Substitute For Horseradish In Making Prime Rib
The use of wasabi or mustard as a substitute for horseradish in prime rib depends a lot on the color you want. If you like the green color of wasabi, the taste of wasabi will not disappoint.
Conversely, if you do not like the green color of wasabi, you should choose mustard instead of horseradish. The taste that mustard brings is just as fantastic as the flavor that wasabi brings to your dish.
FAQs
These answers of frequently asked questions about horseradish substitute will help you comprehend more about the topic. I hope you will gain more new helpful knowledge.
Which Would You Choose As A Substitute For Horseradish?
Choosing an alternative to horseradish is extremely essential because it will help you diversify the ingredients and avoid boredom and in case you cannot find horseradish. I hope the alternatives I offer will help you with those problems.
You need to carefully consider these substitutes to choose the most suitable substitutes according to your uses and desires. The 12 substitutes I have provided are the best ones. Your life will be better if you keep learning new things.
If you feel the article brings useful information to you, please like and share the article so that this helpful knowledge reaches more people. If you know any other substitute, do not hesitate to share in the comment section. Thanks for reading!
Amanda Collins
Founder and Senior Culinary Editor
Expertise
Culinary Arts and Management, Food Journalism and Critique, Recipe Development and Testing, Global Culinary Traditions, Sustainable Food Practices
Education
Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), New York, NY
Program: Diploma in Culinary Arts
Focus: Intensive hands-on training in culinary techniques, recipe development, and kitchen management, preparing students for professional roles in the culinary industry.
Monroe College, New Rochelle, NY
Program: Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts
Focus: Practical culinary skills, including cooking techniques, menu planning, and kitchen operations, with an emphasis on hands-on experience and industry standards.
Amanda Collins is a seasoned chef and food editor with a deep love for global flavors. Trained at the Institute of Culinary Education and Monroe College, and with over 15 years in the culinary field, Amanda has refined her skills in kitchens worldwide. Her background in food studies gives her a unique ability to share both recipes and the cultural stories that shape them.
As senior culinary editor at thebreslin.com, Amanda’s work brings authentic dishes to life, inviting readers to explore new flavors and techniques from around the globe. Her approachable style makes it easy for anyone to bring a bit of the world’s cuisine into their kitchen.