Out of Tomato sauce, one case

Can you substitute ketchup for tomato sauce?

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Ketchup

1 cup for every cup of tomato sauce

Yes, in a pinch: use 1 cup ketchup for each cup of tomato sauce, and leave out any sugar and vinegar the recipe adds. Ketchup is sweetened and soured, with about 1 teaspoon of sugar in every tablespoon, so the swap suits meatloaf, sloppy joes, baked beans and chili. It does not suit pasta sauce, pizza or any dish where tomato sauce is the main ingredient.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Leave out any sugar and vinegar the recipe adds, then taste before salting. If the dish simmers, thin each cup of ketchup with 2 to 3 tbsp water.
Best for —: meatloaf, sloppy joes and baked beans
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full tomato sauce card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Tomato sauce substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup tomato sauce	Verdict
1	Ketchupmeatloaf, sloppy joes and baked beans	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Tomato paste and waterpasta sauce, pizza and casseroles	½ cup paste + ½ cup waterTweak it	Tweak it
3	Tomato pureepasta sauce and lasagna	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
4	Crushed tomatoespasta sauce	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
5	Marinara or jarred pasta saucepasta bakes and lasagna	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

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: meatloaf, sloppy joes and baked beans, chili and stew that need ½ cup or less, barbecue sauce and sweet-and-sour sauces, cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers with a sweet-sour sauce
Prep: Leave out any sugar and vinegar the recipe adds, then taste before salting. If the dish simmers, thin each cup of ketchup with 2 to 3 tbsp water.
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.

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: pasta sauce, pizza and casseroles, soups and stews, any recipe where ketchup would be too sweet
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 much, as long as you season it. Unsalted paste and water alone taste flat.

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: pasta sauce and lasagna, soups and braises, enchilada and curry sauces
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.

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: pasta sauce, soups, stews and chili, shakshuka and braises
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.

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: pasta bakes and lasagna, meatballs and chicken parmesan, pizza
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.

Tips for substituting tomato sauce

5 tips

Keep ketchup for recipes that use 1 cup of tomato sauce or less. Past that the sugar and vinegar take over the dish.
Leave out the sugar, brown sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce the recipe lists, then add them back to taste at the end.
Ketchup is thicker than tomato sauce. For a simmered dish, thin each cup with 2 to 3 tbsp water so it does not catch on the bottom of the pan.
The sugar in ketchup scorches. Keep a ketchup-based sauce at a low simmer and stir it, and brush a ketchup glaze on in the last 15 minutes of baking.
If you have tomato paste as well, use it first: ½ cup paste plus ½ cup water per cup of sauce, with no sweetness to work around.

Questions

5 questions

How much ketchup equals a can of tomato sauce?

An 8 oz can of tomato sauce is 1 cup, so use 1 cup of ketchup. A 15 oz can is about 1 ¾ cups, which is a lot of ketchup: in that case use 1 cup ketchup and make up the rest with water or broth, then taste.

Can I use ketchup in place of tomato sauce in chili?

Yes, for ½ cup or less it goes in cup for cup and the chili comes out a little sweeter. For more, use half ketchup and half water or broth and leave out any sugar. Chili powder and cumin hide a small amount of ketchup well.

Can I use ketchup in place of tomato sauce for spaghetti or pizza?

It is not a good swap there. Tomato sauce is most of what you taste in spaghetti sauce and on pizza, and ketchup makes both sweet and vinegary. Use tomato paste thinned with an equal amount of water, crushed tomatoes or a jar of marinara.

How do I make ketchup taste more like tomato sauce?

You cannot take the sugar out, but you can dilute and balance it. Thin the ketchup with water or unsalted broth, add a pinch of salt, and cook it with onion and garlic. Do not add more acid or sugar.

Is ketchup the same as tomato sauce?

In American cooking, no. Tomato sauce is cooked, strained tomato with salt and mild seasoning. Ketchup is tomato concentrate with sugar, vinegar and spices. In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, tomato sauce is the everyday name for ketchup, so check where the recipe was written.