Homemade Ketchup Recipe

Today, I am bringing you a recipe for homemade ketchup. No fancy flavors, no unique twists. Just plain old ketchup. When you see how to make ketchup with no added sugar or other funky ingredients, you’ll forget all about the bottled stuff.

If your kids are anything like mine, they’ll eat anything if it’s dunked or covered in ketchup! So I set out to make my own quick version, minus the simmering and straining found in many ketchup recipes.

Why This Ketchup Recipe Is Better Than a Bottle

This homemade recipe starts with tomato paste, which is essentially a can of simmered and reduced tomatoes. There really is no need to go through all of that extra work. This homemade ketchup has a thick consistency and rich flavor. Here’s why you’ll love it.

• Quick to whip up. No cooking, only basic pantry ingredients, and ready in minutes. Just stir in all of the ingredients that give this ketchup its characteristic tangy, smoky, savory flavor. You can adjust it exactly how you like.
• Great to keep on hand. You can eat it right away, but it actually tastes better when you refrigerate it and let the flavors blend for a bit. Plus, you can make a double batch to keep in a bottle for weeks, so you always have some ready for dipping French fries or dressing burgers!
• No funny add-ins. Without added sugar (unless you want to sweeten it up a bit) or preservatives, this homemade ketchup is a better, tastier option than store-bought. With just concentrated tomato, vinegar, and some spices, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, too.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Tomato paste – One small can is all you need. Of course, this depends on how much ketchup you’re making, so feel free to scale up the recipe as needed.
• Apple cider vinegar – If you don’t have cider vinegar, substitute it with white vinegar or wine vinegar. If needed, replace some of the vinegar with water if you want your ketchup less tangy, or to thin out the consistency.
• Seasonings – I use a combination of salt, dry mustard powder, dried oregano, cumin, and black pepper.
• Sugar – Optional, and you can also sweeten the ketchup with molasses, brown sugar, honey, or a combination. You can skip the sweetener for a no-sugar recipe.

Variations of Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Once you’ve tried this traditional ketchup recipe, you can swap the liquids, herbs, and spices to make all kinds of gourmet ketchup.

• Balsamic Ketchup – Replace the vinegar in this recipe with balsamic vinegar.
• Worcestershire Ketchup – Add Worcestershire sauce for more umami flavor.
• Spicy Buffalo Ketchup – Bring the heat and use it on these Buffalo hot dogs!

How to Store Homemade Ketchup

• Refrigerate. Homemade ketchup needs to be refrigerated. If you put it in a jar, bottle, or another airtight container, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Ways to Use It

From mac and cheese to meatloaf, people love ketchup on so many things. But here are some of the all-time favorites.

• French fries: The classic pairing! Dip these air fryer truffle fries, oven-baked fries, or sweet potato fries.
• Tots: We love dipping air fryer tater tots. But you can also sneak some veggies into the mix with cauliflower tots or zucchini tots.
• Hot dogs and hamburgers: Just toss some burgers and dogs on the grill and put out some ketchup. Or get creative with French onion stuffed burgers or hot dog taquitos.
• Finger food: Little kids, chicken nuggets, and ketchup go hand in hand. Also, try these cheesy quinoa bites, chicken tenders, or air fryer onion rings smothered in ketchup.
• Eggs: This is a controversial take, but I love ketchup on eggs. Make some breakfast sandwiches or drizzle ketchup over egg muffins or a slice of bacon cheddar quiche.