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    Home » Recipes » Sauces, Syrups & Dressings

    Homemade Chili Sauce (with Ketchup)

    by Mindy Boyd · Published: Aug 16, 2023 · Updated: Oct 16, 2024

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    ⏲️ 18 minutes mins
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    Our Homemade Chili Sauce Recipe takes regular store-bought ketchup to the next level. The good news is you don’t need tons of ingredients. All you need is sugar, vinegar and a few aromatic spices. 

    A small cream colored bowl filled with homemade chili sauce made with ketchup and the recipe title in text above it.

    Chili sauce is a tomato-based condiment made with chili peppers, sugar, vinegar and spices. While it is used as a condiment it is also used in cooking. It has tangy flavor with the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Heinz makes a ready made version of the popular condiment. 

    A jar of homemade chili sauce and an old silver soup spoon sitting next to it.

    What You Will Love About This Recipe

    • It is an easy homemade chili sauce recipe using simple ingredients you probably have on hand. 
    • If you don’t have the ingredients on hand they are inexpensive to buy. 
    • It is versatile because it can be used as a stand alone topping or as a base ingredient for other sauces and marinades.
    Jump to:
    • What You Will Love About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Your Own Chili Sauce
    • Storage
    • Variations
    • Do You Have to Cook Homemade Sauce
    • How to Use Homemade Chili Sauce
    • More Sauce or Dressing Recipes
    • Homemade Chili Sauce

    Ingredients

    The ingredients needed to make homemade chili sauce with ketchup measured out sitting on a white table.

    Ingredient Notes

    Tomato Ketchup – we use store bought for the base of this recipe, you can use homemade ketchup if you have it. 

    Brown Sugar – we use light brown sugar because we like the flavor it gives our sauce, you can use white sugar if you don’t have brown. 

    Apple Cider Vinegar – this results in a sweeter sauce, you can use white vinegar, red wine vinegar, or rice wine vinegar if that is what you have. 

    Chili Powder – it gives our chili sauce the spicy flavor.

    Minced Onion Flakes – I keep these on hand, you can use onion powder instead but you won’t have the little specks in your sauce.

    Granulated Garlic – we like it because it has a different flavor than fresh garlic. 

    Smoked Paprika – you can use regular paprika if you can’t find smoked, we have to go to the local spice shop downtown to get ours because the grocery store we shop at regularly doesn’t carry it. 

    A jar of homemade chili sauce with a spoon of it above the jar.

    How to Make Your Own Chili Sauce

    1. Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan. 
    2. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, lower to medium to medium low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
    A small gray saucepan filled with the ingredients to make homemade chili sauce from ketchup before being mixed and cooked.

    Storage

    Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks. 

    Variations

    Want a spicier sauce? Add some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or sriracha sauce to add extra flavor and heat. 

    Want a milder sauce? Cut the chili powder down a bit. 

    A small gray saucepan with the ingredients to make homemade chili sauce from ketchup after being mixed.

    Do You Have to Cook Homemade Sauce

    I have seen recipes that do not require cooking but because we used dried onion flakes we like to cook it. We also like to make sure the sugar is melted sufficiently. Plus it is  a great way to meld the flavors together. If you substitute onion powder for the dried onion then you can get away with not cooking the sauce. I would recommend making it ahead of time and letting it chill in the fridge for at least a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. 

    A small bowl of chili sauce and a spoon in it sitting on a cream colored cloth napkin.

    How to Use Homemade Chili Sauce

    This is a versatile condiment that has many uses. 

    • Put it in a squeeze bottle and use to top burgers or hot dogs. 
    • Mix half and half with ketchup to top meatloaf.
    • Mix with Thousand Island salad dressing to make a dipping sauce for french fries, potato wedges or onion rings. 
    • Use it as a cocktail sauce for dipping shrimp.
    • Mix 2 parts chili sauce with 1 part orange marmalade and use as a topping for baked chicken, just like you would use barbecue sauce. 
    •   It is a main ingredient in Grape Jelly Meatballs.
    A jar filled with homemade chili sauce with the recipe title in text above it.

    More Sauce or Dressing Recipes

    Buttermilk Honey Mustard Dressing

    Creamy Italian Dressing

    Avocado Lime Dressing

    Citrus Vinaigrette

    A small cream colored bowl of homemade chili sauce made with ketchup.

    Homemade Chili Sauce

    Mindy Boyd
    Homemade Chili Sauce is great to top hamburgers and hot dogs or as a dipping sauce for shrimp or French fries. It can also be used as a base ingredient for other sauces and marinades.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print – Email Required Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 13 minutes mins
    Total Time 18 minutes mins
    Course condiment
    Cuisine American
    Servings 18 tablespoons, approximately

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup ketchup
    • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tbsp brown sugar
    • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
    • 1/2 tsp dried minced onion
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
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    Instructions
     

    • Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan. 
    • Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, lower to medium to medium low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

    Notes

    Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
    Did you make this recipe? We would love it if you would leave us a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
     
    Nutritional information is approximate. 
     
    See tips, notes, and suggestions in the post above.
     
    Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was with a comment below.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nanajee Travels says

      August 31, 2024 at 6:03 am

      5 stars
      This Homemade Chili Sauce Recipe is fantastic! It’s amazing how a few simple ingredients like sugar, vinegar, and aromatic spices can elevate store-bought ketchup into something truly special. It’s a great example of how a little creativity can transform everyday items into something extraordinary. I can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
    2. Pauline says

      March 20, 2024 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      Hi Mindy, big kudos to a delicious chili sauce recipe. I needed some for a recipe and your’s was perfect!!

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        March 20, 2024 at 9:47 pm

        I am glad you like it, thank you for the comment!

        Reply
    3. Bob Sewell says

      March 06, 2024 at 4:03 pm

      Hi – I needed some chili sauce for a recipe, and the store was out. Your recipe came up in a quick search, and I made it last night. Perfect! I did put in a shake of cayenne pepper and a dash of hot sauce, and that little extra kick was nice. I don’t imagine I’ll ever bother to buy chili sauce again, as this is so easy & tasty. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        March 06, 2024 at 6:22 pm

        You are very welcome, I am glad you liked it!

        Reply
    4. Claudia says

      December 23, 2023 at 4:49 am

      5 stars
      Tastes really flavorful,great recipe

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        December 23, 2023 at 8:47 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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