Let’s talk about bouillon and the reasons I’ve started to make my own homemade bouillon powder. When I started pre-mixing dry ingredients for soups and stews to take on our camping trips last year (meals in a jar), I looked at different kinds of vegetarian bouillon. I wanted delicious, quick, one-pot meals that I could make with just water and a few common pantry items, like chickpeas or crushed tomatoes. In a couple of the soup mixes I call for a bouillon cube. Bouillon cubes are a super handy way to get a jumpstart on introducing flavors – whatever you’re cooking. Still, a lot of the options on the market are very salty and have flavor enhancers and artificial ingredients. A lot of you wrote to me asking for suggestions. So here we are, let’s make our own!.
Technically, a bouillon cube is a dehydrated cube or powder used to create an instant stock. You see a range of bouillon in stores, often available as vegetable, meat, or chicken bouillon. It is used to make quick, flavorful broth when cooking soups, stews, grains, risottos, curries, and the like. They’re a great way to introduce depth and flavor to your cooking. Bouillon cubes are quite common in stores, and bouillon pastes seem to be increasingly common.
As a home cook I rely on beef bouillon cubes to add rich meaty flavor to soups, stews, gravies, and more. But sometimes I find myself without those handy little cubes when a recipe calls for them. If you’ve also wondered what to use when you’re out of beef bouillon, you’ve got options!
In my trials, I’ve found several viable stand-ins to mimic the savory umami taste and easy solubility of bouillon cubes. Read on for my top recommendations of substitutes you likely have in your pantry already.
Why Use Beef Bouillon Cubes in Cooking
First, let’s look at why cooks use bouillon cubes in the first place. These small, compressed cubes deliver big flavor.
Benefits of beef bouillon cubes
- Concentrated, meaty flavor in a portable format
- Easy to dissolve into sauces, soups, etc.
- Adds savory depth quickly with minimal effort
- Shelf-stable and inexpensive
- Made from beef stock so suitable for many diets
You can simply drop a cube into boiling water for instant broth. Or simmer it directly in recipes to intensify the flavor. The cubes infuse meals with rich, aromatic notes.
11 Handy Substitutes for Beef Bouillon Cubes
If you don’t have bouillon cubes on hand, these convenient stand-ins can replicate that savory essence:
1. Beef Broth or Stock
The simplest swap is premade beef broth or stock. Use 1 cup broth per 1 bouillon cube. The liquid format integrates easily into recipes.
2. Chicken Broth
When beef broth isn’t available, chicken broth makes a versatile sub. It provides a similar savory profile. Swap 1:1 for beef bouillon cubes.
3. Bone Broth
For a nutrient boost, use bone broth, ideally beef bone broth. It contains collagen and minerals extracted from bones during simmering. Substitute 1 cup per cube.
4. Beef Consommé
Beef consommé packs concentrated beef flavor. Use a smaller amount (like 1/4 cup) per cube since it’s highly seasoned.
5. Gravy Mix
Surprisingly, instant gravy mixes like those from McCormick work well. Use about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of dried mix per cube.
6. Beef Base/Paste
Look for beef base or paste near the broth at stores. Stir a teaspoon into hot water to equal one cube. Better Than Bouillon is a popular brand.
7. Mushroom Broth
For a vegan option, use mushroom broth, ideally low sodium. The savory umami notes mimic beef bouillon. Use a 1:1 ratio.
8. Vegetable Broth + Seasonings
For another vegan choice, vegetable broth with added seasoning approximates the taste. Use tamari or soy sauce, garlic, onion, smoke flavoring, etc.
9. Miso Paste
Whisk a teaspoon of miso paste per bouillon cube into hot water or recipes for an umami kick. Reduce salt elsewhere since miso is salty.
10. Tomato Paste + Seasonings
Tomato paste enhanced with meaty seasonings like smoked paprika and garlic creates faux beef flavor. Use about 1 tablespoon paste per cube.
11. Water + Bouillon Powder
As a last resort, use water and stir in bouillon powder, which dissolves easily. Add 1 teaspoon powder per cup of hot water to replace a cube.
Tips for Cooking Without Bouillon Cubes
When subbing, keep these tips in mind:
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Reduce additional salt in the recipe since most replacements add sodium.
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For cubes crumbled directly into stews or chili, substitute broth or paste.
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For cube-based broth, stronger products like consommé or base work best.
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When in doubt, use more sub rather than less for fullest flavor.
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For vegetable dishes, mushroom or tomato-based subs integrate most seamlessly.
With a combination of homemade and store-bought broths, pastes, concentrates, and clever seasoning, you can replicate the meaty umami taste of bouillon cubes in recipes. Next time you’re without cubes, try one of these flavorful substitutions in your cooking.
Homemade Bouillon Powder Variations
- In order to make a bouillon powder that tastes more like the sea, I like to lightly toast a sheet of nori and then pulse that into my bouillon powder.
- Mushroom Bouillon Powder: Cooks can now find a wide range of great mushroom powders and dried mushrooms. One fun thing to try is adding 2 teaspoons of your favorite powder or 1/4 cup of chopped dried culinary mushrooms before you blend.
- As for the spicy bouillon powder, I like to keep it separate from my bouillon. This allows you to control those ingredients independently. Still, over time, adding a few dried chiles (or a mix of dried chiles) to your bouillon mix might help you make the spiciest broth possible.
How To Make Bouillon Video
For my purpose of making dry soup mixes in a jar (like this or this), pre-made broths weren’t an option, but I’ll weigh in here anyway. I’m a hard-pass on most canned broth or pre-made broth in cartons. I generally don’t like how they taste – often muddied flavors or salty. I actually prefer to start with water and control salt levels myself, and will choose this route over packaged broths nearly always. I do love this homeamde bouillon paste from years back, but it doesn’t work if you’re pre-prepping dry ingredients.
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