Chinese Five Spice Substitute: The 6 Best Alternatives
If you’re in need of a Chinese Five Spice Substitute, you’re in the right place! Whether you’re looking for a quick spice blend or something you can grab from your pantry, I’ve got you covered with the best alternatives for your recipe.
What is Chinese Five Spice Powder?
Here’s a little Five Spice 101: Not every blend uses exactly five spices. The number five actually represents the five key flavors—sweet, bitter, sour, salty and savory—that the blend is meant to capture.
The most common Five Spice blend includes star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds and Sichuan peppercorns.
The best Five Spice substitutes
I’ve never been happy with Five Spice from the grocery store. The blends I’ve tried all had an intense fennel-forward flavor that overpowered my dish. Since I don’t keep it in my pantry, I’m sharing my go-to homemade version, along with a few alternative options if you’re missing any ingredients.
1. Make your own
The best option is to simply make your own Chinese Five Spice! Here’s my go-to blend. Simply combine the ingredients in a spice grinder and pulse to your desired consistency.
- 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 12 whole cloves
- 3 star anise pods
Substitution notes: This is my favorite blend. Use it as a starting point and adjust to taste. For even more flavor, toast the whole spices in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes before grinding.
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice = 1 teaspoon homemade Five Spice.
2. Star anise and Sichuan peppercorns
If you want to capture the essence of Chinese Five Spice without using a full lineup of spices, I find star anise and Sichuan peppercorns to be the most essential. Star anise brings a bold, sweet flavor, while Sichuan peppercorns add their unique numbing spice and aromatic kick.
Substitution notes: You can use either ground star anise and sichuan peppercorns or whole spices, which work well in soups and braises.
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice = 1/4 teaspoon ground star anise + 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns.
3. Homemade Five Spice without Sichuan peppercorns
Because Sichuan peppercorns might be the one ingredient that’s not a pantry staple in many American kitchens, it’s worth noting that you can also prepare the spice blend without them. Simply omit them from the recipe listed in the homemade Five Spice blend above.
Substitution notes: For a little zing, feel free to add a bit of ground ginger or white pepper to the blend.
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice = 1 teaspoon homemade Five Spice without Sichuan peppercorns.
4. Allspice
Ground allspice berries mimic some of the same flavors of Chinese Five Spice, namely the warm clove and cinnamon-y notes. Consider adding fennel or star anise to get the sweet licorice flavor.
Substitution notes: Whole allspice berries can be used in soups and braises.
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice = 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice.
5. Garam Masala
Garam Masala is a widely used Indian blend that overlaps with Chinese Five Spice in ingredients like fennel, cloves and cinnamon. However, it also features other spices like coriander, cumin and chili powder, giving it a more earthy and savory profile.
Substitution notes: Garam Masala will take your dish in a different direction, especially used in large quantities. It’s best avoided in recipes where the sweetness of Chinese Five Spice is essential.
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice = 1 teaspoon Garam Masala.
6. Fresh ginger
Fresh ginger isn’t a direct Chinese Five Spice substitute, but it often works well with the flavor profile in sauces and marinades were Five Spice is recommended.
Substitution notes: Use fresh ginger when you’re looking for a sharp zing in stir-fries, sauces or marinades.
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice = 1 inch fresh ginger.
FAQs
Generally, no, Chinese Five Spice is not spicy in terms of heat. However, many blends contain Sichuan peppercorns, which have a slight mouth-numbing quality and provide a tingling sensation.
The most common spices in the blend are cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel and Sichuan peppercorns. Five Spice is full of warming, sweet flavors with slightly tingly notes from the peppercorns.
This step isn’t 100% necessary, but I highly recommend it. Toasting the spices enhances their flavor for a more intense blend.
Yes, and actually, I’ve come across many Five Spice blends on the market without Sichuan peppercorns. That being said, I love the complexity that Sichuan peppercorns add and so rarely leave them out of my own blend.