Is Cooking with Alcohol Halal?
What do beer battered fish, Bolognese sauce and tiramisu have in common? The answer is their recipes contain alcohol. Most people know that alcohol is not Halal for Muslims to consume. But what about cooking with alcohol and ingredients that include alcohol?
Recipes Containing Alcohol
During the pandemic, cookbook sales skyrocketed, and millions of people turned to food networks and online videos to learn how to cook or to expand their cooking abilities. This resulted in higher sales of cooking supplies, equipment, ingredients, ethnic foods, and even alcohol for cooking.
More and more cooks who followed Halal dietary requirements were asking “What do I do when a recipe calls for alcohol?”
There are many answers to that question. One option would be to avoid the recipe entirely. Another is to simply ignore the alcohol component of the recipe. Thankfully, there are better options out there. There are very good substitutes for alcohol in cooking. Here are some examples:
- For brandy substitute apple juice
- For beer substitute chicken broth, tomato juice or apple juice
- For champagne substitute sparkling apple juice
- For Kahlua and coffee liqueurs substitute strong coffee
- For red wine substitute chicken broth or beef broth or grape juice or even tomato juice. Cooks can also combine grape juice with chicken or beef broth.
- For white wine substitute white grape juice mixed with ginger ale or chicken broth.
- For tequila substitute cactus or aloe juice.
- For rum substitute molasses with pineapple juice and almond extract.
Vinegars
Many people want to know if vinegars like red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar or white vinegar are Halal. Vinegars are derived from wine products, but do not contain enough alcohol to intoxicate. Most scholars agree that vinegar is Halal. Vinegars can be found in hundreds of over-the-counter sauces, dressings and spreads in Europe and North America. Vinegars are also healthy and add flavor to many foods. It’s used to make cheese like ricotta. And it’s an excellent cleaning product and antiseptic.
Alcohol Cook Off – Busting the Myth
To flambé, a cook douses a dish in alcohol, lights a match, the flames spread and rise quickly and burn the alcohol off the food. It’s often used when cooking fish, lobster, meat, and desserts.
Unfortunately, the flambé process does not remove all the alcohol and neither does long time cooking. According to a 1992 study by the USDA, after flaming, about 75% of the alcohol remains in the pan. Studies that have been conducted by ISU and other organizations found that alcohol burns off after hours of cooking. See the chart below:
Time Cooked at Boiling Point of Alcohol | Approximate Amount of Alcohol Remaining |
15 minutes | 40 percent |
30 minutes | 35 percent |
One hour | 25 percent |
Two hours | 10 percent |
Two and one-half hours | 5 percent |
Halal consumers should simply not cook with alcohol. In addition, for multiple reasons, it’s not advised for Muslims to bring alcohol into their homes for cooking. When eating in restaurants, Halal consumers are advised to ask if the food contains alcohol and to avoid it. The server may say “yes but it’s burnt off or cooked off” because they are not aware of the above studies.
Happy cooking, experimenting and substituting! And Bon Appetit!
Islamic Services of America (ISA) plays a large role in the Halal industry both as an educator and a certifier. ISA partners with companies that specialize in the production of all consumable and non-consumable products and certifies those that are found to be Halal compliant. For More information visit www.isahalal.com or contact info@isahalal.com
picture credit: istock.com
Read all ISA blogs
FAQs
Alcohol Cook Off – Busting the Myth
Can Muslims have alcohol in cooking? ›
Halal consumers should simply not cook with alcohol. In addition, for multiple reasons, it's not advised for Muslims to bring alcohol into their homes for cooking. When eating in restaurants, Halal consumers are advised to ask if the food contains alcohol and to avoid it.
Which alcohol is halal in food? ›
Ethyl alcohol (ethanol C 2 H 5 OH) non-khamr is alcohol that is derived from any source other than dates or grapes, and that does not have the potential to make people drunk. Non-khamr alcohol may be permitted in small amounts and forms as long as it does not cause intoxication or mental alteration.
Is 0.5% alcohol halal? ›
Most non-alcoholic beers still contain small amounts of alcohol. This can range between 0.05% and 0.5% and results from the natural fermentation process; even if alcohol has been removed through 'de-alcoholisation,' trace amounts will remain. This would suggest that non-alcoholic beers are haram.
Is the alcohol in soy sauce halal? ›
Soy sauce or rice wine has up to 50% alcohol. However, it is not an alcoholic beverage. It is produced to be used in cooking, and for cooking food that is not alcoholic beverages. So it is Halal and safe to use.
Is it halal to eat cake with alcohol? ›
Apart from gelatin and other animal by-products, alcohol is also an ingredient considered haram but is found in most cakes. Because of its volatile nature, alcohol in cakes is often used not for intoxication but to improve the taste and aroma of cakes.
Is cooking rice wine halal? ›
There are several different styles of rice wine, but generally the ABV is around 15%, though most of this will be evaporated away during the cooking. In Islam, alcohol is considered haram.
Does alcohol burn off when cooking? ›
The longer you cook, the more alcohol cooks out, but you have to cook food for about 3 hours to fully erase all traces of alcohol. A study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Data lab confirmed this and added that food baked or simmered in alcohol for 15 minutes still retains 40 percent of the alcohol.
Is isopropyl alcohol in food halal? ›
Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) does not have a formal Halal certification; however based on the following process statements it meets the basic requirements of Halal: Raw materials used in manufacture of Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) are not of animal nor enzyme origin.
Can alcohol be halal certified? ›
Food and drink that are halal have been prepared and cooked according to guidelines and don't contain any prohibited ingredients. But when it comes to beverages, alcohol is a big no-no and any drink that contains it is considered haram.
In order to be Halal compliant and certified, foods must contain less than 1% ethanol than that been produced by natural (aerobic) fermentation. However, the level is lower for beverages, which must contain less than 0.1% ethanol in order to be classified as Halal.
Is 1% ethanol halal? ›
Any ethanol produced by anaerobic fermentation and ranging between 1 and 15% is considered to be Haram (non-Halal, Forbidden), whereas ethanol produced by natural fermentation and less than 1% is considered as preserving agent and its Halal status is allowed.
Is kombucha halal in Sunni? ›
You might think so, but kombucha is halal.
Islamic authorities state that substances and foods which are mostly beneficial are permitted. Those that are mostly detrimental are not permitted.
Is it halal to use alcohol in cooking? ›
Halal consumers should simply not cook with alcohol. In addition, for multiple reasons, it's not advised for Muslims to bring alcohol into their homes for cooking. When eating in restaurants, Halal consumers are advised to ask if the food contains alcohol and to avoid it.
Can Muslims eat Japanese food? ›
There are few Muslim-friendly foods in Japan you can eat without worry. However, look out for the sauces and dippings as many of the ingredients used are not halal. For example, teriyaki sauce, tempura dippings and sushi rice are prepared with a Japanese rice wine that isn't halal because of its alcohol content.
Can Muslims eat shrimp? ›
For example, Muslims are not allowed to eat pork or shellfish. Shrimp is one type of shellfish that is specifically mentioned in the Quran as being permissible to eat. This is because shrimp is considered to be a clean and wholesome seafood option. In addition, shrimp is a good source of protein and other nutrients.
Are you allowed to cook with alcohol? ›
Whether it's beer, sake, rum or Cabernet, using alcoholic beverages in cooking can act as a flavor enhancer. It can also be used to tenderize meat in marinades or concentrate flavor when simmered down into sauces. What's even more fun about cooking with alcohol is how versatile it can be.
Is it haram to use beer for cooking? ›
Even though the amount of alcohol used may be small and may evaporate during the cooking process, it is still considered haram (forbidden) in Islam. Alcohol is not only prohibited for consumption but it is also forbidden to use it as an ingredient in cooking.
Is alcohol used to be allowed in Islam? ›
As a result, alcohol derived by means of honey, barley, wheat and millet such as beer, whisky or vodka was permitted according to some minor faction of followers of Abu Hanifa and Abu Yusuf, although all forms of grape alcohol were banned absolutely.
