Skip the sodium and sugar in store-bought ketchup. Instead, make your own with this quick and easy tomato ketchup recipe using the slow cooker!
I love ketchup, but I don’t love getting the bottled stuff from the store. Sure, it’s delicious… but it’s also packed with high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives.
That’s why I like to make this quick and easy tomato ketchup right at home! It’s so simple, and the recipe comes together right in the slow cooker.
And it tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff! Even non-ketchup eaters love this zesty, slightly-spicy, low-sodium version.
If you ask me, the red pepper flakes give it just the right amount of kick. You can even spice it up by replacing the apple cider vinegar with jalapeño white balsamic! Or you could omit the flakes if you don’t want it to be spicy at all.
Feel free to have some fun with this homemade ketchup recipe. That’s the beauty of making it yourself!
How to make quick and easy tomato ketchup
Ready to see how easy it is to make ketchup right at home?
Step 1: In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, shallot, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, allspice, cinnamon, mace, ginger, cloves, and red pepper flakes. Blend until puréed.
Step 2: Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
Step 3: Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2-1/2 hours. Stir and scrape down the sides every 30 minutes or so.
Step 4: Remove the lid and continue to cook the ketchup on HIGH, stirring and scraping down the sides regularly, for about another hour or until the ketchup is the consistency you want.
Step 5: Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir, then turn off the slow cooker and let the ketchup cool to room temperature in the pot.
Step 6: Scrape into a glass jar for easy storage.
You can serve your ketchup warm, at room temperature, or cold straight from the refrigerator.
What to serve with this condiment
People who love ketchup tend to put it on EVERYTHING! If that’s you, then feel free to keep doing what you’re doing.
Personally, I love the classic ketchup and French Fries. But rather than go through the drive-thru, I just make this ketchup and serve it with my garlic home fries instead. It’s equally tasty, but SO much healthier!
The cinnamon and other pumpkin pie spices also make this condiment the perfect thing to serve with baked sweet potato fries or sweet potato hash.
However you choose to enjoy your ketchup, you’ll feel so much better knowing that it’s not packed with sugar, salt, high-fructose corn syrup, or preservatives!
Storage
One of my favorite parts about homemade ketchup is that it lasts for up to two months. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy whenever you like.
This recipe makes about 6 tablespoons, so if you have several ketchup fans in the house, you may want to make a double or triple batch!
Other easy tomato condiment recipes
I’m a big fan of making my own sauces, condiments, and dressings at home. I can control the ingredients, plus I know they aren’t filled with preservatives!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes to make:
- Easy Homemade Low-Sodium Salsa
- Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Marinara Sauce with Red Lentils (Instant Pot)
When you’ve tried this ketchup, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Quick and Easy Tomato Ketchup (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- One 28-ounce carton or can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 small sweet onion (coarsely chopped)
- 1 medium shallot (chopped)
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, shallot, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, allspice, cinnamon, mace, ginger, cloves, and red pepper flakes. Blend until puréed.
- Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2-1/2 hours. Stir and scrape down the sides every 30 minutes or so.
- Remove the lid and continue to cook the ketchup on HIGH, stirring and scraping down the sides regularly, for about another hour or until the ketchup is the consistency you want.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir, then turn off the slow cooker and let the ketchup cool to room temperature in the pot.
- Scrape into a glass jar for easy storage.
Can this ketchup be frozen? How long would it keep in the fridge?
Hi Llynn – The ketchup should keep in the refrigerator for about 2 months. Store it in a glass jar with a screw-top lid. I’ve never tried freezing the ketchup, but don’t know why that wouldn’t work. Let me know if you try it.
Thanks for the recipe and the chance to win! Was visiting DiabeticFoodie for the Hot Curried Fruit recipe! A must for Fall. 🙂
I love slow cooking Chile!
has several bells and whistles that your mother would have wanted with her first crock pot, more than 30 years ago. Even before Super Bowl parties and tailgating became common gatherings, cooking for a crowd got easier by using slow cookers to make, take and keep the food warm while everyone had a good time. These small appliances, generically called slow cookers today, were an immediate hit because they are such a kitchen time-saver. The original Crock Pot by Rival, introduced in 1971, was an innovation. I remember when these came out, and they were as hot as any small kitchen appliance you see advertised today. The technology continues to evolve, and models have become smaller, larger. The newest models include multiple temperature settings, removable stoneware inserts, hinged lids, clamp-on lids, and the list goes on.
Homemade ketchup is so much better than store bought and I love the idea of making it in the slow cooker.
I need a large crock pot for my bone broth!
Love cooking in my crockpot as often as possible.