Do you have the need for a chili sauce substitute? The sauce is an important ingredient and the heart of several recipes. One of its key roles is bringing heat and spice to the food, but its secondary role for its color should not be underestimated for many recipes.
Luckily for the need of substitution, though this condiment is brilliant, it’s not entirely irreplaceable. As such, there are several condiments and ingredients that can handle the substitution for chili sauce.
I’ll list some of my suggested options for this substitution, as well as the ways to make the best of this change. So, let’s get started and get to where the action is at!
Table of Contents
Top Substitutes For Chili Sauce
1. Your Choice Of Hot Sauce
If it’s heat you want to add to the food, your favorite hot sauce can do the job as good as any chili sauce.
Regular hot sauce can be a bit more thinner or runnier than chili sauce. While that’s unlikely to make a big difference, it’s still sensible to keep that distinction in mind. Then again, this can vary between brands, so the variance can change.
Yet, we can be certain that it will do its job of handling the heat for the recipe, without much trouble. And with the wide variety of options available in the hot sauce category, you can pretty much pick whatever suits your taste!
There is no clear ratio for substitution here, considering that the amount of spiciness and heat can vary depending on the hot sauce you choose. So, check the taste of the recipe as you add the hot sauce for best results.
2. Sriracha Sauce
Here’s a famous sauce that’s a good enough replacement for chili sauce in your recipes. The famous sriracha will happily add the heat, flavors, and colors to your recipe, while also bringing its classic and beloved flavors.
It’s also got a bit of vinegar, garlic, and sugar, which add to its distinctive taste. Since it’s made from red jalapeno peppers, there’s also more of that distinctive jalapeno flavor
However, the most important part of this substitution is heat – Sriracha sauce can get quite hot! So, it’s always wiser to add a small amount of Sriracha first and see how it agrees with your taste buds. Then adjust the quantity to suit your taste and preferences!
3. Red Chili Powder Or Flakes
This old way to add heat and color to food can work just as well as any other method. Just get your choice of chili powder or flakes and sprinkle them into the recipe.
But again the amount of heat available can depend on the specific brand or type of chilis used for the chili powder or flakes. Also conventionally, chili flakes usually pack less heat as compared to chili powder.
So, make your choice of chili powder or flakes carefully. If unsure, it’s best to read the label and be more certain of the amount of heat available with the product.
4. Spicing Up Some Tomato Sauce Or Ketchup
Adding spice and heat to tomato sauce or tomato ketchup can be a simple way of getting a good chili sauce substitute, or rather, a quick chili sauce copy.
The process is simple enough – simply add crushed chili peppers or chili powder/flakes to the tomato sauce, and it’s ready!
The depth of flavors can feel a bit off in such a scenario, but it surely works well if it’s important to get a chili sauce substitute quickly.
5. Other Choices Of Spicy Condiments
There are several condiments and spicy options that can work in this scenario, but can be more specialized or region-dependent on their availability.
These include the famous Korean Gochujang, Harissa from the Maghreb/North African region, Ajvar from Balkans and South-Eastern Europe, and many others depending on other culinary traditions.
Of course, remember the color, ingredients, and the spice level can change depending on the product and its intended use. That said, most of these options are available in different spice levels and other flavor options depending on customer preferences.
Making A Decision On Substituting Chili Sauce
For all the wonderful qualities that chili sauce has, it’s not exactly irreplaceable as an ingredient in many recipes. To be clear, it is invaluable as a condiment and ingredient, but as far as the question of substitution is concerned – getting a chili sauce substitute isn’t all that difficult.
Our discussion here presents several ideas that could work as a chili sauce replacement. To be fair, even though the numbered list is short, it’s because a lot of it is about entire categories of ingredients, rather than a list of possible ingredients that can work as substitutes.
So, in that spirit, if you’ve got a good idea for an ingredient that can work for your needs, go right ahead! Finding the right substitute shouldn’t be all that difficult to get a dose of chili goodness!