Out of Crushed tomatoes, one case
Can you substitute tomato sauce for crushed tomatoes?
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Tomato sauce (canned)
1 cup for every cup of crushed tomatoes
Yes: use the same amount of canned tomato sauce, so two 15 oz cans for one 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Tomato sauce is thinner and completely smooth, so simmer the dish uncovered about 10 minutes longer. It is usually seasoned already, so cut the recipe's salt by about ¼ teaspoon per cup of sauce and taste. In chili it works well; you lose only the small pieces of tomato.
- Verdict —
- You'll taste it
- The tweak —
- Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes longer than the recipe says. If the label lists salt, onion or garlic, cut the recipe's salt by about ¼ tsp per cup and taste before adding more.
- Best for —
- chili, soups and stews
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full crushed tomatoes card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup crushed tomatoes | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomato sauce (canned)chili, soups and stews | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 2 | Tomato sauce + diced tomatoeschunky pasta sauce | ½ cup sauce + ½ cup dicedTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Whole peeled tomatoes, hand-crushedmarinara and any long-simmered sauce | 1 can per canTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Diced tomatoeschili, soups and braises | 1 can per canTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Tomato paste + waterchili and braises | 1/3 cup paste + 2/3 cup waterTweak it | Tweak it |
| Not a swap | Ketchup | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Tomato sauce (canned)
smoother and a little more seasoned, with no pieces
In the US, canned tomato sauce is a thin cooked puree that often carries salt and sometimes onion, garlic and herbs. It brings the same tomato and more water.
- Best for
- chili, soups and stews, smooth pasta and pizza sauces, baked dishes where the sauce cooks down
- Prep
- Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes longer than the recipe says. If the label lists salt, onion or garlic, cut the recipe's salt by about ¼ tsp per cup and taste before adding more.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- A dish where you want pieces of tomato or exact control of the salt. A jar of finished pasta sauce is a different thing: it is a cooked, seasoned dish, not an ingredient.
Two 15 oz cans stand in for one 28 oz can. One 15 oz can stands in for one 14.5 oz can.
Tomato sauce + diced tomatoes
very close to crushed
Half sauce and half diced tomatoes, juice included, puts the pieces back. Crushed tomatoes are small pieces in puree, and this mix is close to that.
- Best for
- chunky pasta sauce, chili and stews, when you have a can of each
- Prep
- Press the diced tomatoes against the side of the pan as they cook, and allow 10 to 15 minutes longer: diced tomatoes are firmed to hold their shape.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- A sauce that simmers for under 20 minutes, where the cubes stay firm.
Whole peeled tomatoes, hand-crushed
the same as crushed, often a little fresher
The same product as crushed tomatoes before the crushing. Squeeze them apart in a bowl and use the juice from the can as well.
- Best for
- marinara and any long-simmered sauce, when this can is also in the cupboard
- Prep
- Crush by hand or pulse 2 or 3 times in a blender, stopping while there are still pieces.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Nothing specific. A full blitz in the blender makes it smooth.
Diced tomatoes
the same, chunkier
The same tomato in firmer cubes, with the juice. They soften more slowly than crushed tomatoes.
- Best for
- chili, soups and braises, long-cooked sauces
- Prep
- Give them 10 to 15 minutes longer than the recipe says, or pulse the can 2 or 3 times in a blender first.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Quick sauces, where the cubes never break down.
Tomato paste + water
deeper and more cooked, less bright
Tomato paste is tomato with most of the water cooked out, so adding water back gets most of the way to crushed tomatoes.
- Best for
- chili and braises, when a small can of paste is the only tomato in the house
- Prep
- Cook the paste in the pan's hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes until it darkens, then whisk in the water.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Fresh-tasting, quick sauces. It is smooth, with no pieces.
Ketchup
sweet and sharp
Ketchup is tomato cooked with a lot of sugar and vinegar.
- Best for
- a spoonful to adjust a finished sauce, not as the base
- Where it fails
- As the tomato base it makes the dish taste of ketchup. In the UK and Australia, tomato sauce means ketchup, so a recipe from there that calls for crushed tomatoes wants passata or canned tomatoes instead.
Tips for substituting crushed tomatoes
5 tips- One 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes is about 3 ½ cups. Two 15 oz cans of tomato sauce are close enough; an 8 oz can of sauce is 1 cup.
- Chili: tomato sauce cup for cup. A pot that simmers uncovered for an hour needs no extra time. Add half a can of diced tomatoes if you want pieces.
- Lasagna and baked pasta: simmer the tomato sauce for 10 minutes first, so the thinner sauce does not make the layers watery.
- In a slow cooker nothing evaporates, so the thinner sauce stays thin. Hold back a little of the recipe's other liquid, or leave the lid ajar for the last 30 minutes.
- A spoonful of tomato paste stirred in thickens tomato sauce without the extra simmering.
Questions
5 questionsCan I substitute tomato sauce for crushed tomatoes in chili?
Yes, in the same amount. Chili simmers long enough to cook off the extra water, and the spices cover the difference in flavor. You lose the small pieces of tomato, so add half a can of diced tomatoes if you want them, and go easy on the salt until you have tasted it.
How much tomato sauce equals a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes?
28 oz, which is about 3 ½ cups. Two 15 oz cans come to 30 oz and are close enough. For a 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes, use one 15 oz can of sauce.
Can I use tomato sauce in place of crushed tomatoes on pizza?
Yes. A pizza sauce is meant to be smooth. Simmer the tomato sauce about 10 minutes to thicken it, or stir in a spoonful of tomato paste, so it does not soak the dough.
Is tomato sauce the same as tomato puree or passata?
Close, but not the same. Tomato puree and passata are plain sieved tomato, usually unseasoned, and puree is thicker. Canned tomato sauce is thinner and often seasoned. All three replace crushed tomatoes in the same amount; thin a thick puree with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water per cup.
Can I use jarred pasta sauce instead?
Only where its flavors fit. Jarred pasta sauce is a finished dish with oil, sugar, garlic and herbs already in it. If you use it, use the same amount and leave out or cut back the recipe's own seasoning and salt.