This could, though, work in soup or stew that already has a tomato base. Consider all other options before going either or these routes, as it will most definitely change the expected flavor of your recipe. Note, there will be a distinct flavor differences here as tomatoes have an acidic tang that’s quite different than chili paste. You could also opt for a spicy tomato sauce and thicken it up in a pan over medium-high heat. Only if you must: Spicy tomato paste, spicy tomato sauceīoth are not recommended solutions, but ( and it’s a big but) if your need relies on the ingredient having more of a paste-like consistency, then you could opt for spicing tomato paste with red pepper flakes and/or chili powder. Sriracha is a chili garlic sauce with only a small amount of vinegar, so as flavors go, it’s a reasonable match. You could also thicken it further by adding in paprika to the Sriracha sauce. It’s thicker than most hot sauces and rich in chili pepper flavor. We recommend Sriracha sauce as a very good chili paste alternative. Chili pastes don’t typically have that level of vinegar tang, so when looking for chili paste alternatives among hot sauces opt for those that go light on the vinegar. This is especially true for Louisiana-style hot sauces which are vinegar-based (like Tabasco sauce or Original Louisiana Hot Sauce). The other big difference is the amount of vinegar used. Hot sauces aren’t nearly as paste-like (obviously), but if the only reason your recipe needs chili paste is for heat, you could use a hot sauce instead. There are two big differences between hot sauce and chili paste.

A good flavor alternative: Hot sauce (Sriracha hot sauce recommended) You can also add in additional spices like earthy cumin to give depth to the paste. Ground cayenne sits at an upper-medium level of spiciness (30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units), so start conservatively with adding it. If this red pepper flake mixture isn’t hot enough for you, you could also add in ground cayenne pepper. Muddle the mix to create more of a paste-like texture and stir it well. One tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakesĪdd a dash or two of soy sauce to the red pepper flakes, then add a few pinches of sugar to provide some thickness to the paste.Just consider the sweetness against your recipe and consider whether it works. This spicy condiment recipe is often used as a gochujang substitute, as it’s very sweet, but it can also work as a general chili paste substitute in certain circumstances. You can simply use red pepper flakes to add spice to a meal, but what if you’re also looking for that paste thickness? Making an ad hoc chili paste with red pepper flakes is possible. Quick from the spice rack: A red pepper flake paste It’ll work for nearly any chili paste use case in recipes. Follow our sambal oelek recipe as it’s the simplest. If you have fresh red chilies available to you, it’s not that difficult to make your own homemade chili paste. It can include the likes of onion powder, coriander, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, and more. But it, too, is heavily spiced beyond the chilies used. Harissa and gochujang are comparatively much more spiced, but can work in some circumstances.Ĭurry paste can also work as it’s primarily made of chilies. Sambal oelek is made with four total ingredients (chilies, salt, vinegar, and water), so it’s about as simple as it comes, so the taste will be basic enough to work across many recipes. If your recipe calls for a simple chili paste, we recommend sambal oelek if it’s available to you. But, as a whole, this is your best chili paste substitute. All are pastes, but each has a very different flavor, so be careful with what you choose. Or there are pastes out there from specific regions, like Thai chili paste. There are many types of chili paste available in the international section that you may not be aware of due to their exotic names, like sambal oelek, harissa, or gochujang. Your best substitute: A named chili pasteĭon’t only look for the term “chili paste” when you are at the grocery store.

Only if you must: Spicy tomato paste, spicy tomato sauce.

A good flavor alternative: Hot sauce (Sriracha hot sauce recommended).

Quick from the spice rack: A red pepper flake paste.

Your best substitute: A named chili paste.

Tomato paste substitute in stock recipe