Yes — use chicken stock instead of white wine 1:1 (in cooking). The recipe says white wine — a risotto, a pan sauce, a steamed mussel pot — and you have no wine open, or you are cooking for someone who does not drink. Chicken stock is the standard stand-in, and it is a good one, but it changes the dish from bright to savoury, so the rest of the seasoning needs to follow.
How much chicken stock to use
| White wine in the recipe | Chicken stock to use |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup |
| 1/3 cup | 1/3 cup |
| 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup |
| 3/4 cup | 3/4 cup |
| 1 cup | 1 cup |
| 1 1/2 cups | 1 1/2 cups |
| 2 cups | 2 cups |
The ratio is 1:1 (in cooking). All amounts above are approximate — measure with a tablespoon or a measuring jug, and taste as you go.
Worked example 1: a mushroom risotto
A risotto asks for 1/2 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan after the mushrooms and onions have softened. Use 1/2 cup of chicken stock instead, and add a squeeze of lemon juice — about a teaspoon — to replace the acidity the wine would have brought. Pour it in, let it bubble for a minute while you scrape the browned bits off the bottom, then carry on adding stock as usual. The risotto will be a little less bright and a little more savoury, but with the lemon it is very close, and nobody at the table will miss the wine.
Worked example 2: a chicken pan sauce
A pan sauce asks for 3/4 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan after searing chicken thighs, then to reduce with cream. Use 3/4 cup of chicken stock and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice. Deglaze, scrape, reduce by half, then add the cream. The sauce will be rounder and less sharp than the wine version, which suits a cream sauce anyway. Taste before you add salt: stock is salted, wine is not, and the sauce can end up over-seasoned if you salt it the way the recipe tells you to.
Worked example 3: the wrong recipe — coq au vin blanc
A coq au vin blanc asks for 2 cups of white wine, and the wine is not a background note — it is the cooking liquid the chicken braises in for an hour. Swapping in stock here does not work, because the dish's whole character is wine, and stock plus lemon juice is a pale imitation that tastes of soup rather than of a braise. The lesson is that the swap works for splashes and deglazing, not for dishes where wine is the main liquid. If wine is the recipe, use wine or cook something else.
What changes when you use chicken stock
Flavour is what changes, not volume. Stocks, water and wine all swap 1:1 by volume, so the measuring is the easy part; the judgement is in the flavour. Wine brings acidity, a little fruit and the savoury depth that comes from fermentation, while stock brings salt, body and a meaty background note. Water brings nothing, which is sometimes exactly what a delicate sauce needs. The second change is behaviour: wine's alcohol cooks off over time, but its acidity stays and brightens a sauce, while stock adds gelatine and salt that thicken and season as the pan reduces. A third change is colour — red wine darkens a pale sauce in a way white wine and stock never will, so a cream sauce or a light fish dish can look muddy if you pick the wrong bottle. Finally, think about who is eating: dishes with wine need a proper simmer so the alcohol has time to evaporate, and that matters far more in a quick pan sauce than in a stew that bubbles for an hour.
When not to substitute
Do not make this swap when wine is the main cooking liquid — braises, coq au vin, and wine-poached fish all need real wine. Do not use stock in a dish where the wine's acidity is doing structural work, such as a ceviche-style cure, and remember that stock adds salt, so hold back on seasoning until the end. If the dish is for children, stock is the right choice; the point is simply that some dishes should not be made at all without wine.
Method and source
The 1:1 ratio comes from the CookScale substitution data, which records that stocks, water and wine swap 1:1 by volume and that flavour is what changes. There is no density figure involved here — this is a liquid-for-liquid swap measured in cups and tablespoons, so a measuring jug is all you need. Treat the result as approximate: stocks vary in saltiness from brand to brand, and wines vary in acidity, so taste the sauce before you serve it and adjust the salt at the end rather than at the start. If a recipe calls for wine and you are cooking for children, keep the dish at a simmer for at least a few minutes so the alcohol has time to cook off; a splash added at the very end of cooking keeps far more of its alcohol than one added at the beginning.
Practical guidance
Keep a carton of chicken stock and a bottle of inexpensive dry white wine in the kitchen and most of these swaps sort themselves out. Opened wine keeps for a few days in the fridge, and leftover wine freezes well in ice-cube trays — one cube is about 2 tablespoons, which is exactly the amount many pan sauces ask for. Stock cubes and paste are a fine backup, but dissolve them fully and taste before adding more salt, because the salt in stock is the easiest thing to get wrong. When a recipe says deglaze, use the liquid that matches the dish: white wine for fish and cream sauces, red wine for beef and tomato, stock when you want body without acidity. And never use a wine you would not drink — cooking concentrates its faults instead of hiding them.
Keep the lemon juice or white wine vinegar in the swap — it is the one addition that makes stock behave like wine. A teaspoon of acid per half cup of stock is the right amount for most sauces; more than that and the dish tastes of vinegar rather than of brightness.
Buying and storing
If you cook with wine often, keep a small bottle of dry white and a small bottle of dry red on hand, and do not buy expensive bottles for cooking — a wine you would happily drink is good enough, and a wine you would not drink will only get worse in the pan. Opened wine keeps for a few days in the fridge, and a vacuum stopper buys you an extra day or two. Stock cubes and paste are a fine backup to fresh stock, but dissolve them fully and taste before adding salt, because the salt in a cube is concentrated and easy to overdo. For a dish that needs only a splash of wine, a tablespoon is enough to deglaze a pan, and the rest of the bottle can wait for the next recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chicken stock instead of white wine in risotto?
Yes, 1:1, and add a teaspoon of lemon juice per half cup of stock to replace the wine's acidity. The risotto will be a little more savoury and a little less bright, but it works well.
Is stock or water better instead of white wine?
Stock, almost always. Water adds nothing, while stock adds body and savoury depth. Water is the better choice only in a very delicate dish, such as steamed fish, where stock's salt and flavour would be too much.
Does chicken stock change the colour of a sauce?
A little. White wine is pale and clear, while stock is golden, so a white cream sauce will look slightly warmer. It is rarely noticeable once cream or herbs are in the pan.
Can I use stock instead of wine when cooking for children?
Yes — that is one of the best reasons to make this swap. Stock has no alcohol at all, so there is no question of cooking time, and the dish is safe for everyone at the table.