Out of Tomato sauce, one case
Tomato sauce substitute for chili
6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Tomato paste and water
½ cup paste + ½ cup water for every cup of tomato sauce
In chili, replace each cup of tomato sauce with ½ cup tomato paste whisked into ½ cup water, or with 1 cup crushed tomatoes. Both disappear into the pot. Jarred pasta sauce works cup for cup because the chili powder and cumin cover its herbs. Ketchup works for ½ cup or less, and it makes the chili sweeter.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Whisk equal parts paste and water until smooth, then add ¼ tsp salt per cup and taste. Canned tomato sauce is seasoned; most paste is not.
- Best for —
- chili that calls for an 8 oz or 15 oz can of sauce
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full tomato sauce card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup tomato sauce | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomato paste and waterchili that calls for an 8 oz or 15 oz can of sauce | ½ cup paste + ½ cup waterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Crushed tomatoesbeef and bean chili | 1 cupWorks | Works |
| 3 | Tomato pureesmooth, thick chili | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Diced tomatoeschunky chili | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Marinara or jarred pasta sauceweeknight ground beef chili | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Ketchupchili that calls for 1/2 cup of sauce or less | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Tomato paste and water
the same tomato flavor, a little deeper and less salty
Tomato sauce is close to tomato paste with the water left in. Equal parts paste and water, whisked smooth, give the same body and a slightly deeper cooked-tomato flavor.
- Best for
- chili that calls for an 8 oz or 15 oz can of sauce, thick, long-simmered chili, when the pot already has diced tomatoes in it
- Prep
- Whisk equal parts paste and water until smooth, then add ¼ tsp salt per cup and taste. Canned tomato sauce is seasoned; most paste is not.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Nothing in chili, as long as you add the water. Paste stirred in straight makes the pot thick, dark and prone to scorching on the bottom.
Crushed tomatoes
fresher and a little brighter than sauce
Crushed tomatoes are the same canned tomato in a coarser, slightly looser form. Cup for cup they bring the same tomato, acid and liquid.
- Best for
- beef and bean chili, slow cooker chili, chili you want a little chunkier
- Prep
- Blend for 10 seconds if the dish should be smooth, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer if it looks thin.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- A smooth sauce or a glaze, unless you blend them first. They are a little wetter than tomato sauce, so a quick-cooked dish can end up loose.
Tomato puree
plain cooked tomato, slightly more concentrated
Canned tomato puree is cooked, strained tomato, the same thing as tomato sauce but thicker and usually unseasoned.
- Best for
- smooth, thick chili, chili for hot dogs and chili fries, chili with no other canned tomato in it
- Prep
- Thin each cup with 2 to 3 tbsp water if it looks thicker than sauce, and add ¼ tsp salt per cup to start.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Used straight in a recipe with little other liquid it cooks up thicker than the recipe expects, and the dish tastes flat until you salt it.
Diced tomatoes
fresher tomato, in pieces
Canned diced tomatoes with their juice bring the same tomato and liquid, in pieces. The juice is thinner than sauce, so the chili needs a little longer to thicken.
- Best for
- chunky chili, chili that already calls for diced tomatoes, slow cooker chili
- Prep
- Use the tomatoes and their juice, blend them if you want the chili smooth, and simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Diced tomatoes are packed with calcium chloride so they hold their shape, and they do not break down however long the chili simmers. Blend them if you want a smooth pot.
Marinara or jarred pasta sauce
herbs and garlic come along with the tomato
Tomato sauce that has already been seasoned with garlic, onion, basil, oregano, olive oil and often a little sugar. The body is right; the flavor arrives pre-decided.
- Best for
- weeknight ground beef chili, turkey chili, when the only tomato in the house is a jar of pasta sauce
- Prep
- Hold back the salt, garlic and dried herbs the recipe adds until you have tasted the dish.
- Where it fails
- Dishes that should not taste Italian, such as enchilada sauce, curry or a sweet-and-sour sauce. Skip jars with cream or cheese in them.
Ketchup
sweeter and sharper, with a vinegar edge
Ketchup is tomato concentrate with sugar, vinegar, salt and spice added: about 1 teaspoon of sugar in every tablespoon. It gives tomato and body, plus sweetness and tang that tomato sauce does not have.
- Best for
- chili that calls for ½ cup of sauce or less, sweet, mild chili for hot dogs, stretching a pot that is short on tomato
- Prep
- Leave out any sugar and vinegar the recipe adds, then taste before salting. For more than ½ cup, use half ketchup and half water or broth.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Pasta sauce, pizza, shakshuka, tomato soup and any dish where tomato sauce is the main ingredient: it tastes of ketchup. Do not use it in a tested canning recipe.
Tips for substituting tomato sauce
5 tips- An 8 oz can of tomato sauce is 1 cup: use ½ cup paste plus ½ cup water. A 15 oz can is about 1 ¾ cups: use ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp of each.
- Thin the paste with beef broth or beer in place of water if you have it. The amount stays the same and the chili gains depth.
- Cook the paste in the pot with the browned meat and chili powder for 1 to 2 minutes before you add the liquid. It darkens and loses its raw, tinny edge.
- After any swap, simmer uncovered for the last 15 minutes and judge the thickness then. Add water ¼ cup at a time if it is too thick.
- Taste for salt at the end. Paste, puree and crushed tomatoes carry less salt than canned tomato sauce; pasta sauce and ketchup carry more.
Questions
5 questionsCan I use ketchup in place of tomato sauce in chili?
Yes, for small amounts. Up to ½ cup of ketchup goes in cup for cup and the chili comes out a little sweeter and tangier. For more than that, use half ketchup and half water or broth, leave out any sugar the recipe adds, and taste before you salt. A pot made with ketchup as its only tomato tastes of ketchup.
Can I substitute pasta sauce for tomato sauce in chili?
Yes, cup for cup. Marinara or a plain jarred pasta sauce has garlic, basil and oregano in it, and chili powder and cumin cover those. Hold back some of the salt until the end, and avoid jars made with cream or cheese.
How much tomato paste replaces a 15 oz can of tomato sauce in chili?
A 15 oz can holds about 1 ¾ cups, so use ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and the same amount of water. A 6 oz can of paste is about 2/3 cup, so one can plus one can of water covers most of it; make up the rest with broth or water.
Can I leave the tomato sauce out of chili?
You can, but replace the liquid: use the same amount of beef or chicken broth, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste if you have it for color and body. The chili will be browner and less tangy. Chili made with only diced tomatoes and broth is a normal recipe, not a mistake.
Can I use salsa or condensed tomato soup?
Salsa works cup for cup and brings onion, chile and some vinegar with it, so cut back the onion and taste before adding heat. Condensed tomato soup works at one 10 ¾ oz can per cup of sauce, undiluted, and it is sweet, so leave out any sugar.