What to use instead of oyster sauce
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Thick savoury glaze that coats a stir-fry
It is a salty, faintly sweet syrup with body, so it clings to greens and meat and reduces onto them instead of running to the bottom of the wok.
Vegetarian mushroom stir-fry saucePlant-based
1:1
Near identical body and salt with a deeper mushroom note behind it, and a touch sweeter on the finish.
Soy sauce with sugar and cornstarchRan out
1 tbsp soy + 1 tsp sugar + 1/4 tsp cornstarch per 1 tbsp oyster sauce
Matches the salt and gets close on body once it hits the heat. Thinner going in, and none of the shellfish depth.
Hoisin thinned with waterRan out
2 tsp hoisin + 1 tsp water per 1 tbsp oyster sauce
Much sweeter and spiced with five-spice, so the dish moves towards char siu and away from a clean savoury glaze.
Kecap manis with a pinch of saltRan out
2 tsp kecap manis + 1/8 tsp salt per 1 tbsp oyster sauce
Sweeter and darker, and the extra sugar means it catches and burns a good minute sooner in a hot wok.
What doesn't work: Fish sauce on its own. It has the salt and more of the funk, but it is water-thin with no sugar or starch in it, so nothing glazes and the greens taste sharply of anchovy.
Marinade that seasons and browns meat
The sugars in it caramelise on the surface over high heat and the salt pulls seasoning into the meat while it sits.
Vegetarian mushroom stir-fry saucePlant-based
1:1
Browns and salts the same, with mushroom standing in for the shellfish. The crust comes out a shade lighter.
Soy sauce with honeyRan out
2 tsp soy + 1 tsp honey per 1 tbsp oyster sauce
Browns faster and darker because honey scorches sooner, so pull the grill down a notch.
Hoisin with soyRan out
1 1/2 tsp hoisin + 1 1/2 tsp soy per 1 tbsp oyster sauce
Sweeter with a five-spice edge, and the crust goes close to black at the thin edges of the meat.
Tamari with palm sugarGluten-free
2 tsp tamari + 1 tsp palm sugar per 1 tbsp oyster sauce
Cleaner-tasting with a rounder caramel note, and the marinade clings a little less because there is no starch in it.
What doesn't work: Worcestershire. It has anchovy and salt in it but it is thin, vinegary and spiced with clove and tamarind, so the meat comes out tasting of steak sauce with no gloss on it.