· By Susan Kim
Soy Sauce Is America's Secret Ingredient: 7 Ways to Use It Beyond Stir-Fry
Key takeaways
- Soy sauce demand in North America keeps climbing. In September 2026, the largest U.S. soy sauce producer opened its third American brewery, in Jefferson, Wisconsin, to keep up.
- Home cooks are using soy sauce well beyond stir-fry: in tuna salad, brown butter, chili, gravy, salad dressing and even dessert.
- The reason is umami. A small splash adds savory depth, browning and balance, and with a less sodium soy sauce it can stand in for some of the salt.
Soy sauce is having a moment in America
If it feels like soy sauce is showing up everywhere lately, it is. In late September, Food Dive reported that Kikkoman Foods opened a new 240,000-square-foot plant in Jefferson, Wisconsin, its third U.S. production facility, with shipments starting this fall. The company said its North American soy sauce business has grown by more than 6% a year on average over the past decade.
The same report points to a bigger shift. Datassential found that Asian flavors are reshaping grocery shelves and that several ingredients are becoming everyday "pantry staples." And earlier this year, The Marzetti Company bought Japanese barbecue sauce brand Bachan's for $400 million.
In other words, soy sauce isn't a takeout-packet condiment anymore. It's moving into the same "good bottle on the counter" territory as olive oil and hot sauce.
The tuna salad secret everyone's talking about
This month, Chowhound wrote about a long-running Reddit claim from people who say they worked at Jimmy John's: the chain's tuna salad gets its savory kick from soy sauce. Jimmy John's hasn't confirmed it publicly, though Chowhound notes the company lists soy as an allergen in its tuna salad.
Whether or not that's the exact recipe, the idea works, and it's a great example of how soy sauce behaves in Western food. You don't taste "soy sauce." You taste a richer, rounder, more seasoned version of the dish.
Why soy sauce works in so many dishes
Naturally brewed soy sauce is fermented from soybeans, wheat, salt and water. Fermentation breaks proteins down into amino acids, including glutamate, the compound behind umami, the savory "fifth taste." That's why a teaspoon can make a stew taste like it simmered longer, or make a dressing taste finished.
Soy sauce also brings gentle sweetness and color from the brewing process, which helps with browning and glazes. SANC is fermented for six months or more, and our Upgraded bottle is a less sodium formula, so you get that depth with less of a salt hit.
7 secret-ingredient ways to use soy sauce (beyond stir-fry)
1. Tuna salad and chicken salad
Drain one 5-oz can of tuna well, then mix in mayo, celery and onion as usual. Add 1–2 teaspoons of soy sauce, taste, and adjust. It deepens the fish flavor without making the salad taste "Asian." It works the same way in chicken salad and egg salad.
2. Brown butter (for pasta, popcorn, rice and vegetables)
Brown 2 tablespoons of butter until it smells nutty, take it off the heat, and stir in 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Toss it with pasta or roasted vegetables, drizzle it over popcorn, or spoon it over hot rice for Japanese-style butter soy rice. Sweet, salty, nutty: it's the shortcut to "how did you make this?"
3. Chili and beef stew
A tablespoon of soy sauce added with the tomatoes gives fall chili and beef stew that slow-cooked, meaty depth. Reduce the added salt a little to compensate, then taste at the end.
4. Gravy (yes, Thanksgiving gravy)
Whisk 1–2 teaspoons into turkey or mushroom gravy. It boosts savory flavor and gives the gravy a richer brown color, which is especially helpful for vegetarian gravy. Add it before the final salt check.
5. Salad dressing
A simple soy vinaigrette: 3 tbsp olive or neutral oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp honey, ½ tsp Dijon. Shake it in a jar. It's great on bitter greens, cucumber salad and grain bowls.
6. Dessert: caramel and ice cream
Soy sauce works the same way flaky salt does on sweets. Stir a few drops into caramel sauce, or drizzle SANC over vanilla caramel ice cream. Our soy sauce chocolate chunk cookies are another fan favorite.
7. Jammy marinated eggs
The trend that won't quit on TikTok and Instagram: Korean mayak eggs, soft-boiled eggs marinated overnight in a sweet-savory soy sauce marinade. Get our step-by-step Korean Mayak Eggs recipe.
Quick guide: how much soy sauce to use
| Dish | Start with | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Tuna or chicken salad (5 oz) | 1–2 tsp | Savory depth |
| Brown butter (2 tbsp) | 1 tsp | Nutty, salty-sweet finish |
| Chili or stew (4–6 servings) | 1 tbsp | Meaty, slow-cooked flavor |
| Gravy (2 cups) | 1–2 tsp | Color and savoriness |
| Vinaigrette (¼ cup) | 2 tsp | Balance and body |
| Caramel sauce (1 cup) | ½–1 tsp | Salted-caramel effect |
FAQ
Does soy sauce make food taste Asian?
Not in small amounts. Used like a seasoning, a teaspoon or so, it reads as "savory" or "rich" rather than as soy sauce. That's why it shows up in everything from tuna salad to chili. We dig into this more in Is Soy Sauce Just for Asian Dishes?
Can soy sauce replace salt?
Partly. Soy sauce contains salt, so it seasons food, but it also adds umami, which can make a dish taste fully seasoned with less added salt overall. A less sodium soy sauce gives you more room to do this.
Can I use soy sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce?
Often, yes. Both bring savory, fermented depth. See our guide to a Worcestershire sauce replacement you might not expect.
Is soy sauce gluten-free?
Most traditionally brewed soy sauce, including SANC, is made with wheat and is not gluten-free.
Does soy sauce need to be refrigerated after opening?
It's shelf-stable, but refrigerating after opening helps keep its flavor and color fresh longer. Always follow the storage directions on your bottle.
Watch: soy sauce, the secret ingredient
Upgrade your secret ingredient
SANC is naturally brewed Korean soy sauce with less sodium, non-GMO soybeans and no high-fructose corn syrup.
Tried one of these? Tag @officialppmt1 and @officialppmt1_foodie on Instagram and show us your secret-ingredient upgrade.
Sources: Food Dive via Yahoo Finance, "Kikkoman expands US production with $560M soy sauce plant" (Sept. 23, 2026); Plant Services, "Kikkoman opens $560 million soy sauce manufacturing facility in Wisconsin" (Oct. 2026); Chowhound, "Jimmy John's Secret For Richer Tuna Salad? Grab Some Soy Sauce" (Oct. 5, 2026).
