As the name suggests, Mexican stewed tomatoes are simply stewed tomatoes with a twist. They are most commonly used to make sauces or to thicken up soups and stews but can also be used as a side dish.
Mexican stewed tomatoes tend to be harder to find than regular stewed tomatoes as they are a more specialised ingredient. If your local supermarket doesn’t supply Mexican stewed tomatoes, there are plenty of alternatives you can use to spice up your dish.
Our 5 Substitutes for Mexican Stewed Tomatoes
The addition of jalapenos (either in pureed or chopped form) means that Mexican stewed tomatoes have a real spicy kick to them.
The flavour of the tomatoes is enriched the longer they are stewed, making Mexican stewed tomatoes a very robust ingredient.
Here are our top 5 substitutes for Mexican stewed tomatoes:
You probably haven’t heard of ro tel before, but it is commonly used to make all types of spicy salsas.
Ro tel is essentially diced tomatoes that have been cooked with diced chillies. These chillies are not necessarily jalapenos, but they will still give your dish the same level of heat.
If you are a fan of the spicier Mexican stewed tomato varieties, then add some of your own chillies to match your preferred heat.
Ro tel also retains that same sweetness of Mexican stewed tomatoes though the tomato flavour itself is slightly weaker.
Cook for Longer Ro tel tomatoes are smaller than Mexican stewed tomatoes and are not cooked for as long, making their texture slightly different. You can stew pre-brought ro tel for an hour or so to make a texture more closely resembling stewed tomatoes.
Though Mexican stewed tomatoes do have an element of sweetness to them, tomato sauce is far sweeter as the tomatoes are not cooked for as long. This makes tomato sauce a better ingredient to use in sweeter dishes such as on pizza or in pasta sauces.
Tomato sauce is a lot thicker than Mexican stewed tomatoes and is full of flavour. You will only need to use half as much tomato sauce than a recipe calls for.
As far as substitutes go, tomato sauce is very convenient. In fact, you probably already have some in your pantry, but if you don’t, it is a very inexpensive ingredient.
Match Spice Tomato sauce with added chillies is commonly available in your everyday supermarket and can add a similar heat to your dish as Mexican stewed tomatoes. So, use spicy tomato sauce instead of the regular kind when replacing Mexican stewed tomatoes.
Best used in sauces and soups due to their thickness, crushed tomatoes are very easy to swap into a variety of dishes using Mexican stewed tomatoes without changing the dishes’ flavour.
Crushes tomatoes are not as thick as tomato puree but are still thicker than tomato sauce.
Some crushed tomato manufacturers will make chunky crushed tomatoes. It is this kind that will make the best substitute for Mexican stewed tomatoes in terms of texture.
Like with tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes are available to buy at different spice levels. But if you only have regular crushed tomatoes to hand, then just add your own heat.
Texture or Flavour? To get a stronger tomato flavour, favour smoother crushed tomatoes as they would have had the full tomato flavour pulled out of them in the crushing process.
If you want a deep, rich tomato flavour to match Mexican stewed tomatoes, then tomato paste is your best choice.
Tomato paste is made by cooking tomatoes for hours until they form a dense puree. As such, it has a highly concentrated tomato flavour, more so than stewed tomatoes.
You will have to add your own jalapenos or chillies and sweeteners to make tomato paste taste like Mexican stewed tomatoes.
However, it is a great ingredient to add an instant tomato hit to your dish and will help to thicken up thin sauces or soups.
Healthy Swap Because tomato paste has no added sweetness, it is the healthiest substitute on this list. Tomato paste also takes to heat very well and is able to retain the various health benefits of tomatoes when added to your dish.
Unlike the other substitutes on this list, diced tomatoes can be brought cooked or fresh, seasoned or unseasoned and smoky or roasted.
To best match Mexican stewed tomatoes, use cooked and seasoned diced tomatoes.
As they are diced and not whole tomatoes, you can expect a different texture to your dish when using diced tomatoes.
Though you can cook them for longer to break down the tomatoes and develop a similar feel to stewed tomatoes.
Use the Right Heat Avoid using smoked diced tomatoes as they will add a different kind of heat to your dish that won’t match the spice of Mexican stewed tomatoes.
How to make STEWED TOMATOES! No can, NO PROBLEM! Quick and Easy Tomatoes!
FAQ
What is a Mexican tomato substitute?
What is the best substitute for stewed tomatoes?
What are Mexican stewed tomatoes?
What is the difference between diced tomatoes and stewed tomatoes?
What can I substitute for Mexican stewed tomatoes?
However, understanding the flavor profile of the recipe is key to choosing the perfect alternative. Some of the most common substitutes for Mexican stewed tomatoes include canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with green chilies, fresh tomatoes, and tomato paste with added seasoning.
What can I substitute for chili pepper?
There are many varieties of chili peppers that have varying levels of heat. Typically, the larger the pepper, the milder the heat. If you don’t have chili peppers for the spicy kick needed in a dish you can substitute cayenne pepper or hot paprika. Start with small amounts to taste, then add more if the dish is not spicy enough. For individuals who don’t like spicy food, a mild sweet paprika works as a replacement, or simply use less chili pepper than the recipe calls for. You can also try bell peppers if you are looking to replace nutrients lost by removing chili pepper. For those who are allergic to peppers in general, the appropriate substitution will depend on the specific recipe. Many times chili pepper can be left out of a recipe. Experimentation is best way to find out what works.
What can I substitute for Tomatoes?
Substitution depends on the dish and the reason you wish to substitute. If it is the tomato flavor and color, the acidity and bit of sour, stewed tomatoes can be substituted with sweet paprika, a bit of sugar, and juice from sauerkraut in a stew or soup. There is not much difference between tomatoes, except for the quality of the brand of tomato.
Can you substitute diced tomatoes for stewed tomatoes?
Like Rotel, diced tomatoes often come in cans. This is the perfect kitchen staple and is commonly found in most pantries. You can also dice your tomatoes or use freshly packaged diced tomatoes as a substitute if you like. If you choose to use these as stewed tomato substitutes, be prepared to do a little extra work.