Get your hands on fresh and low-cost homemade food recipes to try everyday!
Posted December 24, 2022 by reemhanif
So, you’re also a fan of quick and easy homemade recipes? You must be looking for a healthy substitute for ketchup as you landed here!
Well, this blog does cover some great options for the readers. All these ketchup alternatives work well whether you are making pasta or fries this weekend! These simple, easy recipes are ready for use in less than an hour.
Let’s jump right in!
No ketchup? No problem! You will love these alternatives to ketchup for many good reasons. Some of them are:
You will find a jarred tomato sauce handy as a good ketchup substitute. It has the same rich flavor and becomes even tastier if you add a splash of apple cider vinegar. Believe me, it will be a kick to your dishes!
Just like ketchup, tomato sauce is a staple for your pantry. People use it for cooking, but it doesn’t serve as a nice condiment. Get the best homemade tomato sauce recipe here.
Homemade tomato paste has an amazingly similar taste and texture to tomato paste. This healthy alternative to ketchup also helps in making ketchup. However, tomato paste is not acidic, so you can add a splash of vinegar to acquire a similar taste.
You can make sauces or recipes from tomato paste as the closest alternative to ketchup. Even so, better use another option while making a dipping sauce. The reason behind this is that tomato paste has a very strong tomato flavor.
This popular ketchup substitute is made from chili. It’s a hot sauce that doesn’t contain tomatoes but goes through the same procedure as ketchup, this time with chili. Sriracha sauce is acidic in taste. This makes it an ideal choice for spice lovers being an excellent substitute for ketchup in a recipe.
Sriracha can be best used as a dipping sauce for a nice tomato flavor. It goes well with French fries taking the taste to the next level! All replacements of sriracha sauce are used to add a unique taste to the meal.
Note: People with a low tolerance for heat should go for another substitute. You can also add less sriracha to your meal or add some brown sugar to decrease the spices.
This is another nice substitute for your dishes. Sun-dried tomatoes last for a long time because they are stored in oil. These tomatoes are good to go in sauces or stews while cooking. They are high in umami flavor.
You can also use any sun-dried tomato substitutes as a nice condiment. To get that specific paste-like consistency, you’ll need to blend them in a food processor. These tomatoes do not have an acidic taste. You can add some vinegar to get a similar flavor as ketchup.
Salsa is made of tomatoes and has a thicker consistency than ketchup. It tastes rich and sweet, which makes it a good substitute for ketchup, being a dip. Including salsa in recipes containing sauce is not a good idea, but it is okay if needed.
Salsa is great for dipping. Its flavorful seasoning, onions, and other spices add a lot of flavor. You can use it as your salad dressing or Serve it with casseroles and crock pot meals.
Apple cider vinegar is a kitchen staple with many health, cooking, household, and beauty benefits. It is also known to be one of the best substitutes for ketchup. It fills the acidic flavor requirements in your recipes or sauces, which are found high in ketchup.
My favorite part is that apple cider vinegar is also slightly sweet, giving a similar taste to ketchup. Yet it does not have any tomatoes added! It has a strong flavor and is more acidic than ketchup, so be careful while adding it. Only a teaspoon or two will be enough.
Note: Do NOT use it as a condiment for French fries. Also, while using white vinegar, only use a pinch because it is too acidic.
That chilled bottle of BBQ sauce makes an ideal substitute for ketchup. BBQ sauce is the best recipe ingredient, including sandwiches, ribs, BBQ chicken, beans, etc. Other than being perfect for bringing to your weekend’s cookout, it can also be used in place of ketchup.
Although it doesn’t have the same flavor, it has similarities to ketchup. It’s good to use as a condiment with various recipes. Barbeque sauce even tastes better with meatloaf than ketchup. Adding It to sauces is also a good catch.
Note: On the contrary, adding ketchup to sauces can bring unwanted results. It completely changes the flavor of the original recipe.
Not only tomato jam but chili jam is also taken as another sort of ketchup! There’s no ketchup, but the sweetness and slight spiciness make it worth adding to the recipes. It goes well with recipes and sauces. It is best to be used as a condiment for its sweet and spicy kick!
You can add a dollop of chili jam to your gravies for a spicy punch. Or use a spoonful in your chili con carne’s round-off and bolognese sauce. Whether you enjoy chili jam with your summer pasta sauces to get a sweet, warm flavor. And surprisingly, add a sweet and spicy glaze to your chocolate cake mix with a spoonful.
Many people also replace this smooth and creamy puree called ‘hummus’ with tomato ketchup. However, it is a condiment that does not have tomatoes, so it might sound odd to some. Hummus is made from chickpeas and is served in many different flavors. This treat offers a more savory flavor than ketchup.
Having said that, adding hummus to your recipes might spoil the taste and texture of the meals. It’s a Middle Eastern dip, savory sauce, or spread that is seasoned with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. They serve it with standard garnish, including whole chickpeas, olive oil paprika, and parsley.
You can spice up your recipes with this nice ketchup substitute as well. It’s tomato jam, which is a sweeter and less-processed dish. We sometimes consider it a fancier form of ketchup in cooking.
Tomato jams are readily available in markets. You can also make a jarful at your home. Both ways, you’ll get an acidic, sweet flavor, making it a good replacement for ketchup. Its texture is thicker than ketchup, yet it does add taste to the food. For best results, you should use tomato jam in sauces, stews, or as a condiment to your chips and snacks.
Another time-saving ketchup substitute for the last minute is mayonnaise. You might wonder that mayonnaise and ketchup are two entirely different condiments, right?! Even so, you can pinch mayonnaise with many other recipes. This includes hamburgers, meatloaf, sandwiches, and more.
Mayonnaise will always do the trick when you don’t have ketchup or any of its substitutes. Not only is mayo the most popular American condiment, but it is also the most basic and quick recipe to make with just a few ingredients, such as oil, salt, vinegar, and egg yolks.
Why not make your own ketchup, and name it your homemade success? Yes, it is possible and very easy with the optimal use of cooking ingredients most commonly present at home.
You’ll need tomato paste, salt, sugar, vinegar, and some spices you love to make homemade ketchup. Consider adding garlic powder and onion powder to acquire a more savory taste!
Just cook all these ingredients down, so you get a saucy texture. Once done, you have your homemade ketchup ready to use. Homemade ketchup is extremely useful in cooking, even being a side for many dishes. The best thing is that this delicious healthy treat lasts in the fridge for two weeks.
Above are some handy replacements for ketchup to continue your delicious and healthy eating routines. Be it tomato paste, tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, sriracha, or BBQ sauce, you can continue enjoying your meals to their fullest!
We hope this list helped you choose the best ketchup substitute. Your meatloaf or sandwiches will never be left unattended if you run out of your favorite tomato ketchup.
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