How to use Soy Sauce - Ideas & Recipes

17. April 2023

Kikkoman soy sauce is so versatile it can be used in many different ways. So how do you know how much to use in a salad dressing, marinade or stir fry?

Our guide advises on the approximate amounts to use to achieve the best results - whether you are cooking, marinating, glazing or seasoning after cooking.

Kikkoman soy sauce really is an all-rounder in the kitchen. It gives a unique, complex, full-bodied flavour to meat, fish, sauces and vegetables due to the high levels of natural umami. Use in place of table salt in your everyday cooking and you will soon appreciate how it brings out the flavour of your food, without overpowering.

Salad dressings

There aren’t any hard and fast rules about how much soy to use, but generally one tablespoon of soy sauce for every tablespoon of oil works well. Simply add some acid by way of citrus juice or vinegar and your choice of fresh herbs or spices. Fresh ginger and garlic are good.

Cooking with Kikkoman soy sauce

When you cook with soy sauce, it depends what kind of recipe it is and how pronounced you want the flavour to be. In braises or recipes with a lot of liquid you can add more, but in dry dishes less would be needed. The best thing to do is add a few splashes of Kikkoman to taste and then adjust the flavour accordingly. You can always add more at the end.

Glazes

Kikkoman soy sauce makes a brilliant glaze for roasted or pan-fried meat, fish and vegetables. It adds shine as well as a deep, savoury flavour. Try mixing equal amounts with honey or maple syrup and brush it onto a joint of roasted meat then pop it back in the oven briefly to caramelise.

Marinades

Our soy sauce is great for marinades as the salty flavour penetrates the food more easily than table salt can. Allow 3-4 tablespoons per portion, along with the other marinade ingredients. An ideal ratio of soy to other liquids is 2:1. Just be sure to brush off any herbs or ingredients that are stuck to the food before cooking otherwise they will burn.

Of course, if you want even more convenience then look no further than our Teriyaki Marinade – you don’t need to add any other seasonings, just pour straight from the bottle!

Soy sauce for seasoning

You decide! The amount of soy sauce you use after cooking depends on what you're eating. A dash or two of soy sauce will add a final flourish to most dishes. It is wonderful drizzled over baked fish or in a noodle dish. Our dispenser is perfect for table-top seasoning.