🍯 Sauces & Condiments

Best Tomato Paste Substitutes for Chili: Complete Guide

Find the best substitutes for tomato paste when making chili. Learn proper ratios, techniques, and tips for perfect chili results every time.

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Quick Answer

The best tomato paste substitutes for chili are Tomato Sauce + Sugar, Ketchup, and Canned Tomatoes + Sugar. Use 1/2 cup tomato sauce + 1 tsp sugar, or 1:1 ratio for ketchup.

Best Substitutes

Tomato Sauce + Sugar

1/2 cup tomato sauce + 1 tsp sugar

Tomato sauce with added sugar to mimic the concentrated sweetness and thickness of tomato paste. Perfect for chili recipes.

Best for:

chiliwhen you want similar tomato flavorsauceswhen you have tomato sauce availablemost recipes

Mix tomato sauce with sugar to concentrate the flavor. Use 1 teaspoon of sugar per 1/2 cup of tomato sauce for best results.

Ketchup

1:1

Condensed tomato product with similar sweetness and thickness to tomato paste. Good for when you want a quick substitute.

Best for:

chiliwhen you want quick substitutionwhen you have ketchup availablesimple recipesmost recipes

Ketchup has a slightly different flavor profile but works well in chili. Use in equal amounts by volume.

Canned Tomatoes + Sugar

1/2 cup canned tomatoes + 1 tsp sugar

Canned tomatoes with added sugar to mimic the concentrated sweetness and thickness of tomato paste.

Best for:

chiliwhen you want fresh tomato flavorwhen you have canned tomatoes availablesimple recipes

Blend canned tomatoes with sugar to concentrate the flavor. Use 1 teaspoon of sugar per 1/2 cup of canned tomatoes for best results.

Tomato Puree + Sugar

1/2 cup tomato puree + 1 tsp sugar

Tomato puree with added sugar to mimic the concentrated sweetness and thickness of tomato paste.

Best for:

chiliwhen you want smooth texturewhen you have tomato puree availablesauces

Mix tomato puree with sugar to concentrate the flavor. Use 1 teaspoon of sugar per 1/2 cup of tomato puree for best results.

Fresh Tomatoes + Sugar

1/2 cup fresh tomatoes + 1 tsp sugar

Fresh tomatoes with added sugar to mimic the concentrated sweetness and thickness of tomato paste.

Best for:

chiliwhen you want fresh tomato flavorwhen you have fresh tomatoes availablesimple recipes

Blend fresh tomatoes with sugar to concentrate the flavor. Use 1 teaspoon of sugar per 1/2 cup of fresh tomatoes for best results.

Cooking Tips

  • 💡Tomato paste is concentrated, so you'll need more of the substitute to achieve the same flavor intensity
  • 💡For best results, cook the substitute longer to concentrate the flavor and reduce the liquid
  • 💡Tomato paste adds both flavor and thickness to chili - choose substitutes that can provide both
  • 💡Consider adding a pinch of salt to your substitute to enhance the tomato flavor
  • 💡Store homemade tomato paste substitutes in the refrigerator for up to a week

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

Find the best substitutes for tomato paste when making chili. Learn proper ratios, techniques, and tips for perfect chili results every time.