Top 8 Kitchen Twine Substitutes

If you prefer homemade meals, you have probably come across dishes that call for kitchen twine for better results. For example, you might need to keep the chicken in a certain position. Or make sure your turkey stays nicely stuffed while you cook it.

However, if you don’t have the kitchen twine, there is no reason to panic. You can still keep your food in place by using one of the substitutes in this guide.

The best substitutes for kitchen twine include dental floss, aluminum foil, a regular string, a cooking bag, toothpicks, wood sticks, or baking paper. Keep on reading learn more about each substitute in detail.

Kitchen Twine Substitutes 

Use the following alternatives to kitchen twine and you will get away without this item while you will still cook a delicious meal.

1. Dental floss

You most likely have dental floss in your home and if you do, you can use it instead of kitchen twine successfully. It will hold your meat in place safely so you can cook it just the way you want to.

It is sturdy and will resist high temperatures. However, use dental floss that is unflavoured only because you don’t want any odd taste in your recipes. You can use this product just the way you would use kitchen twine.

2. Aluminum foil

Another common substitute for kitchen twine is aluminum foil. You most likely have this foil in your kitchen too since it can be very useful for many tasks.

You can use aluminum foil as it is to wrap your food tightly. Or you can make ropes out of aluminum pieces and only wrap your food in certain areas. Keep in mind that aluminum foil is thin and might not resist keeping your stuffed turkey together.

3. Regular string

If you have regular string, you can use that instead of kitchen twine. Opt for one that is highly resistant to temperatures considering that you will put it in the oven. Make sure your string is not made of a material that could easily melt and that is cut just right to not reach the flame.

Also Check: Kitchen Bouquet Substitutes

4. Cooking bag

In local stores, you can find plenty of cooking bags from different brands with or without seasoning included in the package. There are such bags for potatoes as well as meats and you can buy exactly the type of cooking bag you need for your recipe.

These bags will not hold your foot tightly in place, however, they will also separate it from other ingredients you might have in the oven. For instance, if you want to cook your meats in a certain taste. Also, if you don’t want the flavor to mix with your potatoes or vegetables, using a bag like this can be a great idea.

5. Toothpicks

Toothpicks can also help you keep your rolls from coming undone in the oven. Just stick a toothpick in the places that are more fragile so you prevent your rolls from opening in the oven.

You can use toothpicks on all types of dishes as long as you stab them in the right places. This is something you most likely already have at home so try using it instead of kitchen twine.

6. Wood sticks

If you don’t have any of the products above you can also use wood sticks from your yard or any tree you have available. Just clean them before using them and allow them to dry.

Also, you have to cut them at the right dimension. If they are too long, they might reach the flame and catch on fire. If you are not sure how long to cut your wood sticks, use the same size of a toothpick and you can’t fail.

7. Baking paper

Just as you can use aluminum foil, baking paper can also be a great substitute for when you run out of kitchen twine. You can wrap your meal in the baking paper as tightly as possible and the chances are that it will not come undone.

You can also cut thinner strips of paper and wrap your rolls in certain places where you feel they might be fragile. The advantage of baking paper is also that will not allow your food to burn.

8. Don’t use anything but place your food right

You might not have any of the replacements in this guide and if that is the case you will have to get creative. Simply put your food with the two ends underneath its weight so you prevent them from coming undone.

You can also use parsley to tie the ends of a roll which will help to keep it in place as well. If you pay attention to what you have in your kitchen, you will definitely find something you can use.

What Kind of String Can be Used for Cooking?

As there are different types of strings you can use, some are safer than others.

You can use cotton strings to be completely on the safe side. But if you don’t find a cotton string, you should look for one that is made of natural fiber because it will not melt.

You can also use linen twine as it will not impact the flavor of the food and it will be easy to add to different dishes.

What Can I Use to Tie Chicken Legs for Rotisserie?

If you need to tie chicken legs at the rotisserie, you can go for any string that is heat-resistant. So, pick a string or kitchen twine but stay away from aluminum or baking paper strips as they are not sturdy. Cotton strings remain the best replacement and if you can’t find that, try to find linen strings.

Final Tips

As you can see, there is no need to quit making your dish if you are missing kitchen twine. While using kitchen twine is perfect, you can also use some of the substitutes above and end up with a great meal.

Feel free to get creative too because you might be able to improvise much better than you think so look around in your house and see what you can find. The substitutes we suggested to this guide might already be in your kitchen so give them a try and see how it goes.