Substitutes for beef broth

Beef broth substitutes

Beef broth adds dark, meaty flavour and liquid. Bouillon dissolved in water is the closest match.

What beef broth does

Gives dark, meaty, salty flavour and liquid to stews, gravies, braises and French onion soup.

Quick reference

SubstituteAmount
Beef bouillon cube and water 1 cube beef bouillon cube + 1 cup boiling waterper 1 cup beef broth
Beef bouillon granules, powder or paste base and water Sources vary1 tsp beef bouillon granules or broth base + 1 cup boiling waterper 1 cup beef broth

When the substitute matters

  • Stews and gravy: 1 beef bouillon cube per cup of boiling water.
  • Granules or paste: about 1 tsp per cup, but follow your package.
  • Bouillon is salty, so add salt at the end.

The substitutes, in detail

Beef bouillon cube and water

Amount: 1 cube beef bouillon cube + 1 cup boiling water per 1 cup beef broth

All sources use 1 cube per cup of hot or boiling water. Saskatchewan Health Authority says to follow the package instructions, and allows chicken or vegetable bouillon as well; beef bouillon is the closest flavour.

  1. Dissolve 1 cube in 1 cup boiling water.

Best for

  • stews
  • gravy
  • soups

What changes

Closest flavour match; usually saltier than carton broth, so cut added salt.

Sources: North Dakota State University Extension·Saskatchewan Health Authority (provincial government health agency, Canada)·This Healthy Table·Greedy Gourmet·Feed Me Better

Beef bouillon granules, powder or paste base and water

Amount: 1 tsp beef bouillon granules or broth base + 1 cup boiling water per 1 cup beef broth

Sources vary

NDSU Extension and Greedy Gourmet use 1 tsp granules or powdered base per cup of water; Better Than Bouillon uses 1 tsp of its paste per 8 oz (1 cup). This Healthy Table uses 2 tsp granules, and Mississippi State's revision of the extension chart gives 1 1/2 tsp powdered base. Brands vary, so follow your package.

  1. Stir into 1 cup boiling water until dissolved.

Best for

  • stews
  • gravy
  • soups

What changes

Salty and savoury; a little flat compared with homemade stock.

Sources: North Dakota State University Extension·Better Than Bouillon·Greedy Gourmet·This Healthy Table

How we source this

Each swap is backed by at least two independent sources, including a test kitchen, university extension service or product maker. The amounts replace one unit of the original ingredient and do not work in reverse. See the full source list.

Sources

Related substitute pages