How to Make Chilli Tomato Jam

After making my sweet chilli jam and roasted red pepper jam, this chilli tomato jam felt like the obvious next one to try.

It sits somewhere between a chilli jam and a tomato chutney — sweet, sharp, a little bit fiery, but with that deeper savoury flavour from red onions, garlic, fennel seeds and slow-cooked tomatoes.

This is not a smooth sauce or a perfectly refined preserve. I wanted this one to feel a bit more rustic, with chunks of tomato, visible chilli seeds and a thick, sticky texture that works brilliantly with cheese, cold meats, burgers, sandwiches, or just spread on toast if you are feeling impatient.

It is simple to make, uses everyday ingredients, and fills the kitchen with the sort of smell that makes you feel like you are definitely doing something right.

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What Is Chilli Tomato Jam?

Chilli tomato jam is a sweet and savoury preserve made by slowly cooking tomatoes with sugar, vinegar, onions, garlic and chillies until the mixture becomes thick, glossy and sticky.

It has the sweetness you expect from a jam, the acidity you expect from a chutney, and the gentle heat of a chilli preserve.

That makes it a really useful jar to have around because it can go with so many things. It is not just for toast. In fact, I think this one is probably at its best with cheese, burgers, sausages, cold meats, or anything that needs a sweet chilli tomato kick.

Why This Recipe Works

There are a few things going on in this recipe that make it slightly different from a basic tomato chutney.

The red onions and garlic give it a savoury base.

The fennel seeds add a subtle background flavour that works really well with the tomatoes without taking over.

The white wine vinegar keeps the flavour sharp and bright.

The light brown soft sugar adds sweetness, but also brings a little more depth than plain white sugar.

And the chillies give it warmth without turning it into something that blows your head off.

Of course, the chilli level is completely adjustable. Use fewer chillies, deseed them, or add more depending on how much heat you want.

Chilli Tomato Jam Ingredients

This recipe makes a small batch.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
2–3 chillies of your choice, finely chopped
800g tomatoes, quartered
300g light brown soft sugar
250ml white wine vinegar

You can use whatever tomatoes you have to hand. Ripe tomatoes will give you the best flavour, but this is also a useful recipe for using up tomatoes that need dealing with.

For the chillies, use what suits your taste. I left the seeds in because I like the look they give in the final jar, and I enjoy a gentle chilli kick. If you prefer a milder preserve, remove the seeds or reduce the number of chillies.

Equipment You Will Need

You do not need anything complicated for this recipe.

Large heavy-based pan
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Wooden spoon or spatula
Clean sterilised jars and lids
Jam funnel, if you have one

If you are new to preserving, the main thing is to make sure your jars are clean, sterilised and ready before the jam is finished. There is nothing worse than having a pan of hot preserve ready to go and then realising your jars are not prepared

1. Prepare the Onions

Start by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan.

While the oil heats, finely dice the red onions. Because this is more of a jam than a chutney, I prefer the onions diced rather than sliced. It helps them soften into the finished preserve rather than sitting in long strips.

Once the oil is hot, add the onions to the pan and cook gently for around 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.

You do not need to brown them. You are just giving them a head start and building the base flavour.

2. Sterilise Your Jars

While the onions are cooking, this is a good time to get your jars ready.

Use clean jars with sound lids, and make sure they are sterilised before filling. I usually do this while the preserve is cooking so the jars are still hot when the jam is ready.

For this kind of recipe, do not reduce the vinegar or sugar if you are planning to store it. Both are part of the preserving balance as well as the flavour.

If you are unsure about storage, or if you have changed the recipe significantly, keep the finished jars in the fridge and use them sooner rather than treating them as a long-term cupboard preserve.

3. Add the Garlic, Chillies and Fennel Seeds

Peel and roughly chop the garlic.

Finely chop the chillies, removing the seeds if you want less heat.

Once the onions have softened, add the garlic, chillies and fennel seeds to the pan. Cook everything together for a few minutes.

This is where the recipe starts to smell properly good. The garlic, chilli, onion and fennel seeds create a deeper savoury base before the tomatoes go in.

4. Add the Tomatoes

Weigh out 800g of tomatoes and cut them into quarters.

You can blitz the tomatoes if you want a smoother finished jam, but I prefer this one a bit more rustic. I leave the skins on and keep the tomatoes chunky so the final preserve has more texture.

Add the quartered tomatoes to the pan and stir everything together.

5. Add the Vinegar and Sugar

Next, add 250ml of white wine vinegar and 300g of light brown soft sugar.

The white wine vinegar gives the preserve its sharpness, while the brown sugar gives sweetness and a little extra depth.

Stir everything well and let the sugar dissolve into the tomato juices and vinegar.

Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture up to the boil.

6. Simmer Until Thick and Glossy

Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat and bring it down to a steady simmer.

Let it cook for around 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring regularly, until the mixture thickens.

The exact cooking time will vary depending on your pan, your hob, how juicy your tomatoes are, and possibly what day of the week it is.

Rather than relying only on the clock, look for the visual signs.

You want the mixture to:

reduce down noticeably
darken slightly in colour
become thick and glossy
bubble more slowly
leave a clear trail when you drag a spoon through the pan

This is not a firm-set fruit jam, so you are not looking for the same wrinkle test you might use with strawberry jam. You are looking for a thick, sticky, chutney-like jam that holds together on the spoon.

How to tell when its ready; thick, glossy and leaves a trail when stirred

7. Jar the Chilli Tomato Jam

Once the chilli tomato jam is thick, sticky and glossy, remove it from the heat and carefully ladle it into hot sterilised jars.

Wipe the rims clean, add the lids, and leave the jars to cool.

As the jars cool, the preserve will thicken a little more.

Label the jars once cool, especially if you are like me and have several red jars of homemade preserves sitting on the shelf at once.

How Do You Know When Chilli Tomato Jam Is Ready?

The best sign is the spoon trail.

Run your spoon or spatula through the pan. If the mixture is still very loose and watery, it needs more time. If it parts and leaves a clear trail before slowly coming back together, it is ready.

It should look:

thick
sticky
glossy
reduced
rich in colour

The tomatoes should have softened down, and the whole mixture should look more like a spoonable jam than a pan of tomato sauce.

What to Serve with Chilli Tomato Jam

This is one of those jars that could easily become a regular fridge favourite.

Try it with:

cheese and crackers
cold meats
burgers
sausages
bacon sandwiches
toast
grilled cheese
sausage rolls
roasted vegetables
as a glaze for chicken or pork
stirred into sauces for extra sweetness and heat

Personally, I think cheese is probably where this one shines. The sweetness, acidity and chilli heat all work really well against something rich and savoury.

Can You Make It Hotter?

Yes, absolutely.

This recipe is very adjustable when it comes to heat. You can:

use 1 chilli for a milder version
remove the seeds
use 2–3 chillies for gentle warmth
use hotter chilli varieties if you want more fire
add chilli flakes for extra heat

Just remember that chilli heat can develop as the preserve sits, so if you are unsure, start gently.

Can You Make It Smoother?

Yes.

If you prefer a smoother chilli tomato jam, you can blitz the tomatoes, garlic and chillies before cooking, or carefully blend the mixture once it has softened.

I kept this version chunky because I wanted it to sit somewhere between a chilli jam and a tomato chutney, with a more rustic texture.

Storage Notes

Use clean, sterilised jars and sound lids.

Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge and use it within a sensible time.

If you have changed the recipe, reduced the vinegar or sugar, used different quantities, or are unsure whether the jars have sealed properly, store the jam in the fridge and use it sooner.

For longer-term cupboard storage, it is always worth following a tested preserving method and being careful with acidity, cleanliness and sealing.

Homemade Chilli Tomato Jam Recipe

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes to 1 hour