Yellow mustard can usually be found in any restaurant or diner, and in most homes. It is a common condiment that is great for adding to dishes or sauces.
It is widely available in grocery stores, but there might be some occasions when you can’t get hold of it. Perhaps you forgot to pick some up from the store?
Or maybe you don’t like yellow mustard, and you need to find something else to use instead.
We have put together this list of the 6 best substitutes for yellow mustard. Keep reading to find out more.
What Is Yellow Mustard?
Mustard is a very popular condiment that can be added to lots of different dishes or used in sauces to add extra flavor.
It is made from the seeds of a mustard plant, which are usually cracked or ground up before being mixed with other ingredients to make the mustard.
Mustard has been used for centuries. It is widely accepted that the Romans were the first people to experiment with using mustard seeds to make a condiment.
They ground them up and mixed them with unfermented grape juice.
Most mustards are made from a combination of mustard seeds, water, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt.
Depending on which type of mustard you are using, it may also have wine or other liquids added, and other seasonings like herbs or spices.
Yellow mustard tends to get its warm color from the addition of turmeric, as well as the use of yellow mustard seeds. The different varieties of mustard have different colors, and yellow is considered the mildest.
It has a strong, punchy flavor, but also has a slightly sweet taste as it usually contains honey. The blend of tart and tangy makes it perfect for hotdogs and burgers. You can also use it in sauces or salad dressings.
What Can You Use Instead Of Yellow Mustard?
If you are making a recipe that calls for yellow mustard but you don’t have any in your kitchen, don’t panic! There are plenty of other ingredients you can use instead.
Perhaps you don’t like yellow mustard, but you still want to add a punchy flavor to your recipe. Here are some substitutes for yellow mustard.
1. English Mustard
English mustard has a similar yellow color to classic American yellow mustard. It is not quite as vibrant, but they look almost identical.
English mustard is a little thicker in consistency, and it has a spicier flavor.
It works well as a substitute for yellow mustard and can be used as a garnish, to add flavor to sauces or casseroles, or even as a rub for different meats.
If you want to make the flavor of english mustard more mild, perhaps to add to a hotdogs or a burger, mix it with a little mayonnaise.
This will thin it out slightly and dilute some of the spicy flavors, making it even more similar to yellow mustard.
2. Dijon Mustard
Dijon mustard originates from the French town of Dijon. It is yellow in color, but it is much paler than American yellow mustard.
There is much less vinegar in dijon mustard, so it tends to be a lot thicker in consistency.
As well as the powdered mustard seeds, you may also see whole or crushed mustard seeds that are black or brown in color.
These seeds are stronger than the yellow ones, and give the mustard a much punchier, spicier flavor.
You can use dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard in most circumstances, but be aware that it will add a lot more flavor.
You might want to add less than the recipe suggests to avoid overpowering your food.
3. German Mustard
German mustard is quite different to yellow mustard, but it can still be used as a substitute. It is made using a combination of whole and ground mustard seeds, which means it has a coarser texture.
You could use a food processor to blit it before adding it to a sauce or dressing if you really wanted a smoother consistency.
German mustard uses wine as one of the main liquids which gives it quite a sour taste. IT is also very spicy, and uses a mixture of different types of mustard seeds for a complex flavor.
There are different variations of German mustard including Bavarian sweet mustard, extra spicy mustard, and Duseeldorf sweet and sour mustard.
You can experiment with the different types and see which ones work best for you.
Remember that you can dilute the strong german mustard with a little mayonnaise or even add a bit of honey for sweetness if you want to adjust the flavor profile.
4. Wasabi
Wasabi is a Japanese horseradish that is in the same family as mustard. It is used to make a green paste which is very commonly used in Japanese cuisine.
It has a punchy and firey flavor, but it is also sweet and fragrant, with a fresh and vibrant taste. It adds flavor to dishes without overpowering the other, more subtle ingredients.
You can’t use wasabi as a direct substitute for yellow mustard as a garnish (unless you want wasabi hot dogs!) but you can add it to sauces and dressings.
It will provide the spicy flavor that you are looking for.
Depending on which wasabi paste you use, you might want to add less wasabi than the amount of yellow mustard that you would use.
The spice in wasabi tends to go straight to your nose and makes your eyes water.
If you want to use wasabi as a garnish, you can add it to some mayonnaise to make a milder but tasty sauce to add to burgers and hot dogs etc.
5. Horseradish
Like wasabi, horseradish is in the same plant family as mustard. It is a root vegetable with a very spicy flavor that is native to Asia and Southeast Europe.
It is now grown and used all over the world, and is a traditional accompaniment to beef in Western cuisine.
Horseradish doesn’t look like mustard – it has a pale, off-white color and a thick, stodgy consistency. It tends to be quite creamy and saucy, but if you make it yourself then you can make it thicker and coarser.
It works well as a replacement for yellow mustard in sauces, dressings and casserole dishes, as it adds the spicy and punchy flavor.
You can grate fresh horseradish into a recipe, use store bought horseradish sauce, or make your own. To make it yourself, use grated horseradish with sour cream and honey.
You can control the ratio of ingredients to make it hotter, sweeter or creamier depending on what you need for the recipe.
6. Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce is a very thin sauce that is used to flavor various dishes.
It won’t thicken a sauce or a dressing like mustard would, but it can add a lovely savory and punchy flavor if you don’t have any mustard.
It can bring out the flavor of different meats, or add a more complex flavor to dishes that don’t have meat like a vegetable bolognese or casserole.
Worcestershire sauce is made out of anchovies, molasses, tamarind, garlic, onion, and vinegar. It doesn’t sound very appetizing, but the result is very tasty and is a great ingredient to keep in your pantry.
Other Alternatives To Yellow Mustard
There are a few other ingredients you can use to replace yellow mustard:
Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise doesn’t have the same flavor as yellow mustard, but it has a similar consistency so could be used in a sauce or salad dressing; You could add some Worcestershire sauce as well to introduce more flavor.
Spicy Mustard – Using spicy mustard instead of yellow mustard will have a more powerful flavor, but it could work for some recipes
Honey mustard – Honey mustard is much sweeter than yellow mustard, but it would work really well in salad dressings or in a pork sandwich
Egg Yolk – An egg yolk obviously won’t have the same flavor as mustard, but it works well to bind ingredients together in a sauce
Homemade – You could try making your own yellow mustard from scratch. This gives you more control over the amounts of the different ingredients you use so you can the perfect balance of flavors
Summary
There are lots of different ingredients that you can use instead of yellow mustard. Don’t forget to adjust the amount in line with how strong or spicy the replacement ingredient is.
Hi, I’m Aubrey, and I have been a chef for close to 8 years. Cooking has always been a passion of mine, as long as I can remember. I loved my play kitchen when I was a kid, and would offer my parents my own (albeit gross) cookie recipes to taste!
Here at ButterandSaltGatherings, I want to offer a wide range of ingredients, flavors, meals and recipes so that you can start living each day to the fullest, and enjoy only the best food.
