All About Ketchup
Ketchup is America's favorite condiment, a sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce that shows up everywhere from French fries to meatloaf. Made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and spices, it adds moisture, sweetness, and a hint of acidity to countless dishes. Beyond its role as a dipping sauce, ketchup serves as a base for barbecue sauces, glazes, and even stir-fry sauces.
How to Select
Look for bottles with deep red color through the glass. Avoid any with separation or watery liquid at the top. Check the expiration date. Most people prefer name brands like Heinz for consistent flavor, but store brands work fine for cooking. Organic versions contain 3-4 grams less sugar per tablespoon.
How to Store
Keep unopened bottles in the pantry for up to 2 years. After opening, store in the refrigerator door where it stays good for 6 months. The high vinegar and sugar content acts as a natural preservative. Glass bottles keep flavor better than plastic squeeze bottles. Wipe the cap threads clean before closing to prevent crusty buildup.
How to Prep
For cooking, measure ketchup straight from the bottle into your mixing bowl or pan. When making glazes, thin with 1 tablespoon water per 0.25 cup ketchup for easier brushing. For barbecue sauce, start with equal parts ketchup and brown sugar, then add vinegar to taste. Room temperature ketchup mixes more easily than cold.
Flavor Pairings
Ketchup loves brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar in barbecue sauces. Soy sauce and garlic turn it into teriyaki-style glazes. Hot sauce, lime juice, and cilantro create quick cocktail sauce. Mayonnaise mixed 1:1 makes fry sauce. Mustard, pickle juice, and onion powder give you burger sauce.
Cooking Tips
Mix 0.5 cup ketchup with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon brown sugar for a 5-minute stir-fry glaze.
Brush meatloaf with ketchup during the last 15 minutes of baking at 350°F for a glossy finish.
Combine equal parts ketchup and grape jelly, then simmer frozen meatballs in it for 20 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons ketchup per pound of ground beef to keep burgers moist.
Varieties
Need a substitute? See our Best Substitutes for Ketchup guide with tested ratios.
FAQ
Why does my homemade BBQ sauce taste too much like ketchup?
You need more complexity. Start with a 2:1 ratio of ketchup to other liquids like vinegar, worcestershire, or beer. Add 1 tablespoon molasses per cup of sauce for depth. Simmer for at least 15 minutes to let flavors meld. A teaspoon of liquid smoke or smoked paprika masks the ketchup taste.
Can I substitute ketchup for tomato sauce in recipes?
Sometimes, but ketchup contains about 25% sugar while tomato sauce has almost none. For each cup of tomato sauce, use 0.75 cup ketchup mixed with 0.25 cup water, then reduce other sugars in the recipe by 2 tablespoons. This works for meatloaf or sloppy joes but not for pasta sauce or pizza.
How much ketchup should I use in meatloaf?
Use 0.5 cup ketchup per 2 pounds of meat mixture, plus 0.25 cup for the glaze on top. Mix the first portion directly into the meat along with breadcrumbs and eggs. Spread the glaze portion on top during the last 20 minutes of baking. Too much ketchup makes the loaf too sweet and prevents proper browning.
What's the difference between ketchup and catsup?
Nothing but spelling. Both refer to the same tomato-based condiment. Ketchup became the standard American spelling by the 1980s. Some brands labeled catsup tend to be slightly spicier or less sweet, but check the ingredients. The base recipe of tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and spices remains identical.
Recipes with Ketchup
Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple
30 min
Hickory Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce
35 min
Instant Pot Carolina Pulled Pork with Vinegar Sauce
1 hr 40 min
Instant Pot Korean Chile Braised Brisket
3 hr 30 min
Oven-Baked Hamburger Sliders with Buttered Onions
50 min