Worcestershire Sauce Is the Secret to Instant Umami—Here’s How to Use It

Did you buy a bottle of Worcestershire sauce for a recipe (maybe Bloody Marys?), and since then it's been lingering in your refrigerator, overlooked? It's time to embrace this powerhouse condiment, an ingredient that can transform and elevate even the simplest dishes. It might be hard to pronounce its name (It's WUSS-ter-sher, with the stress on the first syllable), but it’s a small bottle with big potential. We spoke to a chef and fan of Worcestershire to learn about its powers and how best to use it. 

What Is Worcestershire Sauce? 

A dark, flavorful, and fermented condiment that adds instant umami and depth to anything it’s added to, Worcestershire sauce was created in the early 19th century by two names that might sound familiar: John Lea and William Perrins. These two English chemists lived and worked in the city of Worcester, in the county of Worcestershire. Its signature complex flavor comes from a blend of many ingredients: white or malt vinegar, anchovies, tamarind, molasses, garlic, onions, sugar, and more spices like chili pepper and cloves. “I don't believe in secret ingredients the way the term is used,” says Shawn Matijevich, lead chef-instructor of Online Culinary Arts & Food Operations at the Institute of Culinary Education. “However, Worcestershire sauce, and its close cousin fish sauce, are about as close as you can get to one ingredient that just takes your flavor up a notch in so many dishes.”

Why It’s Such a Powerful Ingredient

One or two of any of the ingredients in Worcestershire sauce are enough to boost the flavor of any dish, but put all together, it’s one of the most versatile ingredients out there. “There is a reason you see Worcestershire sauce in so many different types of recipes,” says Matijevich. “It gives dishes a layered savory depth that punches way above its weight in terms of flavor for a single ingredient. You get umami, brightness, and a subtle sweetness along with some background spices. In short, it rounds out your dish when you feel it's ‘missing something.’”

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13 Ways to Use Worcestershire Sauce

Expect to use your Worcestershire a lot because for everyday cooking, there are few places where Worcestershire sauce can’t be used, and it often rewards experimentation. 

• In a marinade for beef, chicken, or tofu 
• In burger patties or meatballs 
• Stirred into soups and gravies 
• In deviled eggs or potato salad
• Whisked into salad dressing: “A few drops in a vinaigrette will have people asking how you made it taste so good,” says Matijevich.
• Added to pan sauces 
• In cocktails, famously a Bloody Mary or a Michelada 
• Brushed onto roasted vegetables 
• Mixed into softened butter with chives, salt and pepper, and put on a baked potato

Tips for Cooking With Worcestershire Sauce 

It’s hard to go wrong with Worcestershire. “There really isn't a place where it is out of place,” says Matijevich. His biggest tip is to add it drop by drop so you don’t overdo it. Here are a few more helpful suggestions:

Heat it up: Just like any other spice or flavoring agent, Worcestershire sauce blooms when cooked.

Balance it with other ingredients: Worcestershire sauce is bold, acidic, tangy, and sweet, and does best when balanced with fatty ingredients like ground beef, chicken thighs, or soups and stews.

Use it in layers: Treat it like you would balsamic vinegar or soy sauce, depending on their savory complexity with other seasonings and herbs.

Mix it with other condiments! A few dashes stirred into mayonnaise, ketchup, or mustard transforms familiar favorites into something even more deliciously full-bodied.

Where to Store Worcestershire Sauce

There’s a lot of confusion about which condiments need to be refrigerated. Let’s set the record straight—Worcestershire is not one of them. It can be stored at room temperature and has a long shelf life; it should be good for two years after opening. 

Is It Worth Making Your Own?

Because it’s such a complex ingredient, Matijevich believes that the majority of home cooks should be perfectly content buying it. However, there’s more to Worcestershire sauce than Lea & Perrins, if you want to explore, he says. “There are artisan batches and even barrel-aged varieties.”  And, “if you're into crazy, weird science experiments like I am, and you have somewhere to age it (because it does emit smells while it’s aging), I would say go for it.”

If you’re interested in making Worcestershire sauce at home, Matijevich compares the process, in ways, to homemade sourdough bread. “The process is very similar, but a bit more advanced,” he says. “When you do go down that road, it opens some crazy doors in terms of flavor. You won't be the same person once you figure out how to do it yourself!”