Substitutes for Dijon Mustard are easily available, all you need is a legit guide like this to know about all the best Dijon mustard substitutes. Here we have shared the 6 best substitutes for Dijon mustard.

If you’re a foodie and an avid cook, chances are that you must have used Dijon mustard at least once. Used mostly as spreads on sandwiches, dressings, vinaigrettes, sauces, and sometimes dips, it has a peculiar light yellow color and a sharp, tangy, and amusing flavor. 

It offers that punch of a sharp taste to your dish which instantly makes your dish more palatable. But what should you do if you run out of Dijon mustard and cannot find it at the nearest store? 

Stone ground mustard, yellow mustard, whole grain mustard, and spicy brown mustard are some of the effective substitutes that you can use for Dijon mustard.

Here are 6 superb substitutes to be used instead of Dijon mustard, which will work just fine.

Substitutes for Dijon Mustard

What is Dijon Mustard?

As the name already suggests, Dijon mustard originated in Dijon City, located in France. Dijon mustard is kind of the traditional mustard that they use in their dish. The traditional dijon mustard is made from brown color mustard seeds.

Most American-style mustards are made from yellow color mustard seeds and compared to Dijon mustard they taste less pungent.

However, now Dijon mustard is available almost all over the world, and people really love it because of its sharp and tangy flavor.

In America, most street-style hotdogs and burgers are nowadays served with Dijon mustard.

Best Substitutes for Dijon Mustard (2023)

Dijon mustard is not easily available in all areas, and when you are running out of it, you should definitely know about substitutes for Dijon mustard so that you can continue cooking.

I have shared the 6 best substitutes for Dijon mustard, so don’t worry, just try the below recommended Dijon mustard substitute.

1.    Stone Ground Mustard

Substitutes for Dijon Mustard

This is one of the primary substitutes you can use in place of Dijon mustard.

Similar to Dijon mustard, it is made from brown color mustard seeds. You might find it slightly coarse in texture as the mustard seeds are not ground finely. 

You may find stone ground mustard a bit mild in flavor as compared to Dijon mustard. This is because the mustard seeds are ground coarsely and do not release all the pungent and sharp flavors.

The ingredients commonly used to prepare stone ground mustard are water and vinegar. The vinegar can be either white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. 

The appearance of the stone ground mustard is not smooth like that of Dijon mustard as you can see the partially ground seeds, which you might not like.

It is brown in color and is easily spreadable. It can be used by you, especially for marinades and dressings.

How to substitute: 

Because stone-ground mustard is just slightly milder as compared to Dijon mustard you can substitute it in the ratio of 1:1, which means for one portion of Dijon mustard, use one portion of stone-ground mustard.

2.    Yellow Mustard

Substitutes for Dijon Mustard

The next option that you can use if you ever run out of Dijon mustard is yellow mustard.

Unlike Dijon mustard, white or yellow mustard seeds are used to make the yellow mustard. It is smooth in texture just like Dijon mustard and can be easily used as a spread on your favorite hot dogs, and sandwiches. 

Flavor-wise you can find yellow mustard slightly sweeter, but sharper, and more acidic as it uses more vinegar in the preparation. Yellow mustard uses turmeric, one of the ingredients which impart the bright yellow color.

Since it is creamy and smooth you can use it in vinaigrettes and marinades as well. 

How to substitute:

As yellow mustard is slightly sharper in taste as compared to yellow mustard, we recommend a ratio of 1:2, which that means, for every two spoons of Dijon mustard, use one spoon of yellow mustard.

3.    Hot English Mustard

The hot English mustard is the spicier and hotter substitute to Dijon mustard. This is because it uses both black or brown and white mustard seeds.

Sometimes the hot and pungent flavor is also imparted because of additional ingredients like horseradish, and garlic. The hot English mustard is smooth, but slightly thinner than Dijon mustard. It is typically used to spice up gravies, and sauces.

You can also use it on your favorite roasted meat dishes. Like yellow mustard, hot English mustard is also bright yellow.

How to substitute:

As the hot English mustard is hotter and more potent, it is best to use the substitution ratio of 1:2, meaning, for every two spoonfuls of Dijon mustard, use 1 spoonful of the hot English mustard.

4.    Whole Grain Mustard

Tastewise, whole grain mustard is the closest substitute to Dijon mustard. This is because it uses a combination of brown and yellow mustard seeds along with other ingredients like vinegar, water, and salt. It tastes more or less the same as Dijon mustard.

However, because whole grains are used in this recipe, that is the mustard seeds are not crushed, the texture is much coarser and may not be up to everyone’s liking. As the seeds are left uncrushed, the color also looks like that of the seeds, which is brownish in nature.

You can use whole grain mustard in meat preparations. Additionally, you can use it in vinaigrettes by adding some amount of water.

How to substitute:

For every portion of Dijon mustard use an equal amount of whole grain mustard. Therefore, the ratio for this substitute remains 1:1.

5.    Spicy Brown Mustard

Adding to the list of hotter substitutes for Dijon mustard, we have spicy brown mustard. Similar to Dijon mustard, spicy brown mustard also comes from black or brown mustard seeds.

The main differentiation factor when it comes to taste is the use of vinegar instead of white wine. It is therefore pungent and spicy flavorwise. Spicy brown mustard is also coarser as its seeds are not completely ground. 

Because of the strong and sharp flavor, it is popularly used in dishes such as roast beef, and pastrami. Colorwise it looks paler than Dijon mustard.

How to substitute:

Because of the sharp flavor of spicy brown mustard, the ratio of usage of spicy brown mustard to Dijon mustard is 1:2.

6.    Honey Mustard

Honey mustard uses black or brown mustard seeds along with vinegar. But the ingredient that sets it a sweeter taste is honey. It is smooth like Dijon mustard and is slightly lighter in color as well.

Because of the sweet and tangy flavor of honey mustard, it is a popular choice for chicken and pork-based recipes. You can also use it in dips and sauces. The smooth appearance and texture also make it ideal for using it as a spread on sandwiches.

How to substitute:  

Honey mustard is sweeter as compared to Dijon mustard, so, if you want to substitute it to bring out the spicy flavors, use the ratio 2:1. But do note that it will also increase the sweetness of the dish.

Also Read:

  1. The Best Substitutes for Thyme
  2. The Best Substitutes for Sun Dried Tomatoes
  3. 6 Best Substitutes for Rotel

Conclusion | Substitutes for Dijon Mustard

What type of substitute you use depends totally on the type of dish you are preparing. Choose the substitute wisely depending on your taste preferences and your acceptability of certain textured mustards.

Happy cooking!

By Aditya Verma

David McGill who is the owner of the American City Diner blog is a big-time foodie, professionally he is a software developer who works at Amazon Web Services in Seattle, Washington. In his free time, he tries different food recipes in his home, and whenever he gets a chance he tries to visit and review restaurants across the state.

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