Substitutes for Chili Sauce: 6 Best Alternatives + FAQs!

Chili sauce is, without a doubt, the number one condiment at every mealtime for spicy cuisine connoisseurs. It’s the ideal partner for kicking any meal, whether it’s meat or veggies. You may also add it while the meal is cooking to make it fiery hot right away.

That’s why it’s so aggravating when you run out of them. Fortunately, you can use sriracha sauce instead of chili sauce. Let’s learn more about these alternatives and how you might use them to replace chili sauce.

1. Sriracha Sauce

Sriracha sauce was originated in Thailand in the 1930s by Thanom Chakkapak. Red jalapeno chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, and sugar are used to make the sauce. Since Thai cuisine got popular worldwide, the well-known sauce has received accolades from the international culinary community.

You can make this at home with your homemade sriracha sauce. However, if you like convenience, I strongly advise you to use Flying Goose Sriracha Sauce. Please handle caution because it’s rather fiery compared to other spicy condiments. For first-timers, start with a tiny quantity and work your way up depending on how you feel about the level of spiciness.

2. Chilies Garlic Paste

This paste is simple to produce at home using a mortar and pestle. With garlic sauce, this is a simple substitute. Perfect if you have some leftover red chilis and garlic in the fridge. If you have a chili plant outdoors that you can pick for a fresher taste, that’s even better.

I recommend roasting or drying the chilis first, then chopping it coarsely or leaving it whole. Start crushing a large number of chile and garlic cloves in the mortar and pound until a paste-like texture emerges. If you don’t have access to a mortar and pestle, you may use a blender or food processor instead.

For a week’s worth of use, could you keep it in a clean jar? Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to enhance flavor. But I prefer it that way to emphasize the hot garlic flavor. Perfect for topping rice bowls and a spicy chicken wing glaze.

3. Hot Sauce (Regular)

Of course, store-bought spicy sauce is the most convenient option from this list. But don’t be fooled; there are many excellent options for selecting a nice spicy sauce. Depending on your preferences, the market provides a choice of heat levels. There are hot sauces that are lower in heat and others that are incredibly spicy; select your weapon wisely.

Before purchasing, make sure to read the label for the contents and the amount of spice. This will assist you in deciding which ones to choose. I recommend Taco Bell’s Mild Sauce for individuals who like a slight kick to their food. In comparison, the Old Texas Ghost Pepper BBQ Sauce is for those who want to push their spicy limits. Please remember that this is a boiling sauce, so conduct a taste test before slathering it all over your dish.

4. Chili Flakes

Chili powder or chili flakes are also readily available in stores. It’s available in a bag or a jar form as a spice. It makes no difference whether you choose powdered or flakes. Everything comes down to the sort of chili in the package. Examine the label to see if the amount of spiciness is to your liking.

If you want a lesser sense of spice, banana, poblano, and anaheim peppers are among the varieties to choose from. Pick ones prepared with jalapeno peppers, Carolina reaper, ghost pepper, and Korean chili peppers for a truly fiery sensation.

You may also dry or roast your chili peppers to produce chili flakes. Use a food processor to ground it and store it in an airtight container or ziplock bag. This recipe is excellent to follow because it may be used for a year, making it both practical and time-saving.

5. Spicy Ketchup

Yes, you may use ketchup in place of chili sauce. Regular ketchup is a good option if you like a paste-like hot sauce rather than powdered ketchup. If you have standard ketchup on hand, add some chopped fresh chilis and stir to combine. This will undoubtedly improve the ketchup’s classic flavor.

Use a tablespoon of chili flakes or powder for every cup of ketchup if you have some on hand. Confident cooks use this method to make pasta sauces more fiery and distinctive. It also allows you to choose the sauce’s spiciness rather than buying pre-made chili sauces.

We hope the list above has given you some different ideas if you run out of chili sauce. However, spicy tomato sauces such as Bertolli and Prego Tomato Sauce are available. They provide spicy options for cooking spicy pasta and pizza. Remember that the sauce will have a more robust tomato flavor. You can use garlic to soften the tomato flavor if desired.

However, if you want the real thing, that’s completely acceptable as well! Make your homemade chili sauce by following the simple instructions below. 

Ingredients

• jalapeno peppers, 1 cup
• 1 cup chili peppers, red
• Three cloves of garlic
• One tomato, big
• a quarter cup of vinegar
• One teaspoon of pepper
• One teaspoon salt one teaspoon oregano
• 1 tbsp sugar (brown)

Instructions

• Chilis can be dried or roasted in the oven. Make care to wash the chilis and remove the stems before cooking. Remove the seeds if you want them milder. Keep the seeds for a spicier version.
• Start by sauteing the garlic and roasted chilis in a hot pan.
• Add the diced tomatoes, oregano, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper after that.
• Cover and set aside for 15 minutes. (Warning: depending on the chilis you used, you may need to use eye protection if it gets too fiery up close.)
• Remove the chili sauce from the heat and set it aside for 20 minutes to cool.
• Prepare the chili sauce in the blender or food processor when cooled down. Continue mixing until you obtain the desired consistency.
• Keep in an airtight jar or Tupperware container. You can keep the chili sauce for three months in the refrigerator. Just keep the sauce refrigerated to avoid impurities ruining it.

Keep this recipe on hand so you won’t be caught off guard the next time you run out. Have fun in the kitchen!