Skip to content

Is Cooking Wine Halal? Does the Alcohol Cook Off?

Short answer Not halal

Cooking wine is not halal. It is wine with salt added so people won't drink it [1], and brands like Holland House list wine and neutral spirits as ingredients [2]. Cooking does not remove all the alcohol [3], and scholars say food made with wine stays prohibited [4][5]. If you're unsure, ask a scholar you trust.

Last verified:

What the schools of thought say

SchoolViewSource
Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali All four schools agree that wine is prohibited in any quantity, so food cooked with it is forbidden even if only a small amount remains. [4]
Hanafi (impurity) Wine is a severe impurity, so adding it makes the food impure; evaporation during cooking does not change this. [4][5]
Contemporary scholars Sheikh Ahmad Kutty says no reputable fatwa council has permitted wine because it evaporates, and that God forbade wine whether raw or cooked. [6]

What cooking wine is

Cooking wine is ordinary wine that has been made unpleasant to drink. In the US, the alcohol regulator TTB defines salted wine as wine with at least 1.5 grams of salt per 100 milliliters [1]. Because of the salt, it counts as a nonbeverage wine and can be sold in grocery stores like food [1].

The salt doesn't remove the alcohol. Holland House red cooking wine, a common US brand, lists red wine, water, invert sugar, neutral spirits and salt among its ingredients [2]. Neutral spirits are distilled alcohol, so the product contains both wine and added spirits.

Salted cooking wine still needs a formula approved by TTB, but it doesn't need an alcohol label approval. Instead it follows FDA food labeling rules [1]. That's why you'll find it near the vinegar, not in the liquor aisle.

Does the alcohol cook off?

Less than most people think. A study by USDA and university researchers measured how much alcohol stays in food [3]:

How it's cooked Alcohol left
Added to boiling liquid, then removed from heat 85%
Flamed 75%
Baked or simmered 15 minutes 40%
Baked or simmered 1 hour 25%
Baked or simmered 2.5 hours 5%

So a quick pan sauce keeps most of the alcohol. Even a long braise keeps some.

Why scholars say it is not halal

The Qur'an tells believers to avoid intoxicants [7]. A hadith reported by Abu Dawud says that what intoxicates in a large amount is forbidden in a small amount too [4].

Scholars give two reasons that cooking doesn't help:

  1. Alcohol remains. As the table shows, some alcohol stays in nearly every method [3][4].
  2. Wine makes food impure. Hanafi sources class wine as a severe impurity, so once it's added, the dish is impure whether or not the alcohol evaporates [4][5].

Darul Iftaa Birmingham states plainly that cooking with alcohol is not permissible [5]. Sheikh Ahmad Kutty compares the evaporation argument to saying cooked pork is fine [6].

Good swaps for cooking wine

You can get similar flavor without wine:

  • For red wine: beef or vegetable broth with a splash of pomegranate or grape juice
  • For white wine: chicken or vegetable broth with a little lemon juice
  • For sherry or marsala: broth with a little apple or grape juice
  • For deglazing a pan: broth or water works fine

Wine vinegar is a different product, and scholars view it differently from wine. See our pages on white wine vinegar and red wine vinegar.

Dishes that often use wine

Wine shows up in risotto, coq au vin, beef bourguignon, marsala chicken, pan sauces and some tomato sauces. Asian dishes often use rice wine or mirin. Desserts like tiramisu may use marsala or liqueur. At restaurants, ask whether wine is used in the sauce. See also rice wine, mirin and vodka sauce.

Frequently asked questions

Is cooked wine halal if the alcohol evaporates?

Scholars say no. Research shows some alcohol stays even after 2.5 hours of cooking [3]. Hanafi scholars add that wine makes the food impure, so evaporation doesn't change the ruling [4][5].

Does cooking wine have alcohol?

Yes. It is real wine with salt added [1]. Holland House red cooking wine lists red wine and neutral spirits in its ingredients [2]. The salt makes it unpleasant to drink but doesn't remove the alcohol.

Is food cooked with a little wine haram?

Most scholars say yes. A hadith says what intoxicates in large amounts is forbidden in small amounts too [4]. Darul Iftaa Birmingham says cooking with alcohol is not permissible [5].

What can I use instead of cooking wine?

Use broth for most savory dishes, and add a little lemon juice, grape juice or vinegar for acidity. These give depth and brightness without alcohol.

Sources

  1. Do I need a formula? (Wine) · Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) · accessed
  2. Red Cooking Wine - Holland House · Open Food Facts · accessed
  3. Cooking with alcohol · Wikipedia · accessed
  4. Cooking with wine (answer by Shaykh Sikander Hashmi) · Qibla.com (via IslamQA.org) · accessed
  5. Is cooking food with alcohol permissible? · Darul Iftaa Birmingham · accessed
  6. Does Evaporation Make Alcohol Permissible? · AboutIslam · accessed
  7. Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:90 · Quran.com · accessed