One of the cardinal cooking rules is to taste as you go, adjusting a little of this or that to craft the perfect plate. But even the best chefs have off days. Your BBQ sauce is tooth-achingly sweet, the chili lights your mouth on fire, or potato salad tastes like the Dead Sea. Don’t fret—there’s a way to fix your broken dish.
In their latest guide to speedy dinners, Dinner Illustrated, the editors of America’s Test Kitchen outline exactly what to add when food is too salty, sweet, spicy, rich, or simply feels a little flat.
“While salt and pepper are always a consideration for final tweaks, our test cooks also look to a range of other pantry ingredients that can help bring a dish into the right balance,” they write.
There's no way you can mess this dishup
Below, we’ve shared their smart tips. But don’t overdo it (remember how we got here!), you just want to start with a pinch or teaspoon.
If your food is too salty...
Add an acid such as lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar; or a sweetener like sugar, honey, maple syrup, or fruit jam.
If your food is too sweet...
Add an acid or seasonings such as lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar; chopped fresh herbs, citrus zest, or a dash of cayenne for savory dishes, liqueur or instant espresso for sweet dishes.
If your food is too spicy or acidic...
Add a fat such as butter, olive oil, heavy cream, cheese, or sour cream; or sweetener like sugar, honey, maple syrup, or fruit jam.
If your food is too rich...
Add an acid such as lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, or pickled vegetables (such as jalapeños).
If your food is too flat...
Add a salty and/or savory boost such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, miso, Parmesan cheese, anchovies, tomato paste, mushrooms, sherry.
Another option? Follow Catherine Lamb’s expert advice and dilute your spicy or salty food. Use water, unsalted broth, or cream to create more volume (and spread out the spice or salt). If you can’t add liquid, serve over rice, potatoes, or other neutral grains to balance everything out.
More from Food52
How have you saved an over-seasoned dish? Share your best remedies in the comments below!
FAQs
How to Make Food Less Sweet. Add an acid or seasonings such as vinegar or citrus juice; chopped fresh herbs; a dash of cayenne pepper; or, for sweet dishes, a bit of liqueur or espresso powder.
How to save a dish that's too spicy? ›
Add more vegetables, protein, or starches, too — whatever ingredient you have extra of.
- Add dairy. Dairy is great at counteracting spiciness and can add a nice cooling effect. ...
- Add a sweetener. Like acid, sugar or other sweeteners add a different element of flavor that can tame spiciness. ...
- Add nut butter.
How to Make Food Less Sweet. Add an acid or seasonings such as vinegar or citrus juice; chopped fresh herbs; a dash of cayenne pepper; or, for sweet dishes, a bit of liqueur or espresso powder.
How do you save a dish that is too salty? ›
You can add lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar to salty food to help neutralize the saltiness. A tomato product, such as tomato sauce or tomato paste, will also work since tomatoes are acidic.
What to do if a dish is too rich? ›
Brighten up overly rich dishes by adding something sweet or sour. Try adding fresh lime or lemon juice, a splash of vinegar (such as apple cider), sour condiments such as pickles or sauerkraut, and sweet-flavored herbs such as cilantro and basil.
How to cool down food that is too spicy? ›
Fixing Spicy Food FAQs
You can also add a dollop of sour cream or a good helping of grated cheese to cool down the intensity of the heat. A pinch of sugar or a touch of honey may also be just what your chili dish needs to take the bite out of the heat.
What cancels out spicy taste? ›
6 Tips to Fix Dishes That Are Too Spicy
- Add Dairy. There's a lot of hype about using milk to help provide relief from spicy foods, and for good reason. ...
- Use Citrus. ...
- Add Nuts or Nut Butters. ...
- Sprinkle in Sugar. ...
- Add Starch or Grains. ...
- Dilute It.
Just Add Acid
Use an acidic ingredient, like vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, fresh tomatoes, or unsalted tomato sauce, to cut the saltiness of soups, sauces, meat dishes, pasta, salads, and more. A splash should be all it takes to dial back the taste of saltiness.
How to fix salty stir fry? ›
Incorporate Lemon Juice, Vinegar or Sugar
Many cooks combat a salty dish with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar. You can also try mixing in a sweetener like white sugar, brown sugar, honey or agave syrup.
How do you make something less salty and sweet? ›
Add acid (citrus, vinegar, alcohol). Adding just a few ml of extra liquid won't reduce the salt level much but somehow acid makes food taste less salty.
Sourness comes from acidic ingredients (including tomatoes, wine and vinegar). If your dish tastes too sour try to add sweetness—think sugar, honey (it's healthy!), cream or even caramelized onions. You can also dilute the dish (same as you would with a dish with too much salt).
What cancels out salt in a dish? ›
Add acid. Of all the ways to cut down on saltiness, adding acid might be the easiest. A squeeze of lemon juice, lime juice, or spoonful of vinegar (any kind) can do wonders in dialing back the perceived amount of salt.
How to counteract sweetness in sauce? ›
Diluting a sweet tomato sauce will dull its sweetness, so you can add water or chicken or vegetable broth, a little at a time until the sauce tastes better. Or, if you like spicy food, you can try spicing the tomato sauce with some crushed chili flakes, which should help balance out its sweetness.
How to fix a dish that is too sweet? ›
Add vinegar.
Start with just a splash or teaspoon and taste, so you can ensure that the recipe is balanced. You can always add more if necessary. Virtually any vinegar can help correct food that's too sweet, but white, red wine, white wine, and apple cider usually work the best.
How to reduce sweetness in a casserole? ›
Sour: The general go-to here would be lemon juice, although lime will also work. Orange juice will only add more sweetness as will some kinds of vinegar. White wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar are good choices but shy away from balsamic because of its inherent sweetness.
How to Save A Dish That's Too Spicy (or Sweet ...Food52https://food52.com ›
One of the cardinal cooking rules is to taste as you go, adjusting a little of this or that to craft the perfect plate. But even the best chefs have off days. Y...
When it comes to seasoning food, it pays to go slowly: If you've added too much salt, sweetener, or spice to a dish, the damage is usually done.
Does adding a raw potato reduce salt? Many a cook has been advised that adding a peeled, sliced potato to an over-salty soup or stew reduces the salt. However, ...
Adding something sweet to a too-spicy dish is another great way to reduce spiciness. A sprinkle of sugar or honey should do the trick. Or add a touch of sweet ketchup. If it's a tomato-based sauce, stir in a little more tomato sauce and maybe a touch of sugar.
What deactivates spicy food? ›
DO reach for some dairy. Many milk-based products contain a protein called casein, which can help break down those capsaicin tricksters. Think of casein as a detergent — attracting, surrounding and helping wash away the oil-based capsaicin molecules floating around your mouth, similar to how soap washes away grease.
How to tone down spicy curry? ›
Lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar can take away some of the intensity of chilli heat. HelloFresh's Recipe Development Manager, Mimi Morley, recommends tasting your curry sauce after you've made it, but before you serve, as you may want to add a pinch of sugar afterwards to balance out the tartness.
