Substitutes for kosher salt
Kosher salt substitutes
A teaspoon of kosher salt is less salty than a teaspoon of table salt, and Diamond Crystal and Morton differ from each other. Pick the amount for the brand your recipe used.
What kosher salt does
Seasons food and draws out moisture. Kosher salt crystals are coarser and lighter than table salt, so a teaspoon holds less salt, and the two common brands differ from each other.
Quick reference
| Substitute | Amount |
|---|---|
| Table salt (if your recipe used Diamond Crystal kosher salt) | ½ tsp table saltper 1 tsp kosher salt |
| Table salt (if your recipe used Morton kosher salt) Sources vary | ⅔ tsp table saltper 1 tsp kosher salt |
When the substitute matters
- Diamond Crystal recipes need about half as much table salt by volume.
- Morton recipes need less table salt too, but sources disagree on how much, so start low.
- By weight, grams of any of these salts are the same, so use the recipe's grams if given.
- Taste before adding more.
The substitutes, in detail
Table salt (if your recipe used Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
Amount: ½ tsp table salt per 1 tsp kosher salt
Use this when the recipe was written with Diamond Crystal, the lighter brand. America's Test Kitchen lists 2 tbsp Diamond Crystal for 1 tbsp table salt, so the swap is the exact inverse (half). King Arthur and Food Network agree. If the recipe gives grams, use the same grams of either salt.
- Measure table salt level, not heaped.
- Taste before adding more.
Best for
- soups and sauces
- seasoning meat
- baking
Not for
- finishing a dish where flake texture matters
What changes
Same saltiness from a smaller spoonful. Table salt dissolves faster and has no flaky crunch.
Table salt (if your recipe used Morton kosher salt)
Amount: ⅔ tsp table salt per 1 tsp kosher salt
Sources vary
Use this when the recipe was written with Morton, the denser brand. America's Test Kitchen lists 1 1/2 tbsp Morton for 1 tbsp table salt, so this is the inverse (two thirds); the sentence is a reverse-direction row used as an exact kosher/table equivalence. King Arthur instead says 1 tbsp table salt is approximately 1 tbsp Morton, so the sources disagree: ATK 2/3, King Arthur roughly equal. Start with the lower amount and taste. If the recipe gives grams, use the same grams.
- Start with two thirds of a teaspoon per teaspoon of Morton.
- Taste before adding more.
Best for
- soups and sauces
- seasoning meat
Not for
- recipes where you cannot taste and adjust
What changes
Same saltiness from a smaller spoonful. Table salt dissolves faster and has no coarse crunch.
Don't use
- Swapping Morton and Diamond Crystal one for one
King Arthur says the two kosher brands cannot be used interchangeably unless you measure by weight.
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.