This spicy tomato and onion chutney is a classic British-style preserve with a gentle Indian spice twist. Sweet, tangy, and warmly spiced with cardamom and chilli, it's perfect for jarring and keeping all year.
Delicious with bacon sarnies, cheeseburgers, cheeseboards, cold meats, or stirred into sauces. It's a versatile chutney you'll reach for all year round.
Forget ketchup - this spicy tomato & onion chutney will take your bacon sandwiches, cheese on crackers, and even buttered crumpets to a whole new level. Sweet, tangy, and gently spiced, it's the kind of condiment you'll wonder how you lived without.
It's also the perfect way to use up a glut of homegrown tomatoes with minimal fuss. Once jarred, it makes thoughtful Christmas hamper gifts that are just as special to give as they are to receive.
Versatile and full of flavour, it's brilliant with a cheeseboard, cold meats, or stirred through pasta and salads. Make a batch now, and you'll soon want it to be a yearly tradition.
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✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect way to use up homegrown or seasonal tomatoes
- Easy to make big batches
- So delicious and luxurious
- Stores up to a year when properly sealed
- Makes thoughtful edible gifts for friends and family
- Versatile with cheese, curries, sandwiches or cold meats
- Minimal prep - ideal if you don't have much time
🛒 Ingredient Notes
Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.
- Coriander seeds - left whole and dry fried in a pan, or you could use cumin seeds, nigella seeds, etc
- Olive oil - or any oil to soften and caramelise the onions
- Red onions - diced or finely sliced for a tangy taste, packed with heart health antioxidants
- Garlic cloves - minced to add a more complex flavour
- Fresh ginger - peeled & grated to add warmth
- Chilli flakes - add more or less to control the spice level, or us 1 or 2 red chilies if desired
- Cardamom pods - lightly crushed in their pods, which adds sweet and spicy notes
- Paprika - to add mild sweetness
- Mustard powder - or mustard seeds to add a tangy savoury taste
- Ground cinnamon - or a cinnamon stick to complement the sweet and savory taste
- Cayenne pepper - adds warmth, or swap for regular freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh tomatoes - these are ripe, with the skins left on and chopped. They're packed with lycopene to help protect cells from damage. Swap some for green tomatoes if needed, or other quick-cook veg like peppers, courgettes, etc, to reach the 1.5kg weight
- Soft light brown sugar - balances out the acidity from the vinegar and crucial to preserve the ingredients
- Red wine vinegar - or apple cider vinegar, for acidity and helps the chutney last longer
- Sea salt - to enhance all the flavours
📋 Instructions
Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to make tomato and red onion chutney with process photos so you can see exactly how it should look at each stage.
1. Toast coriander: In a large heavy-bottomed pan, or jam pan, dry-toast the coriander seeds for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Tip: they will start to crackle in the pan.
2. Cook onions: Add the oil, then stir in the sliced onions.
Cook gently over low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes until softened and lightly caramelised.
3. Add spices & aromatics: Stir in garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, cardamom, paprika, mustard, ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add tomatoes, sugar & vinegar: Stir in the chopped tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and salt.
Bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Then simmer uncovered for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes until thickened (it should mound on a spoon and not be watery).
5. Sterilise Jars: Towards the end of simmering time, sterilise your jars by washing in hot soapy water, rinse, then place in an oven at 180°C fan for 10 minutes.
Then spoon hot chutney into sterilised jars, and seal immediately with sterilised lids and leave to cool before eating. However, if you can resist, I recommend leaving it to mature for at least a month for a less acidic taste.
👩🍳 Substitutions
Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make:
- Vinegar - swap red wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar
- Onions - use white if red aren't available, or you could use a few bunches of spring onions
- Coriander seeds - opt for cumin seeds or nigella seeds (onion seeds)
- Chilli - adjust the flakes to taste or omit cayenne for a milder chutney
⚖️ Variations
- Sweeter - add sultanas or chopped dates
- Smoky - use smoked paprika instead of regular
- Extra hot - stir in fresh chopped chillies with the tomatoes
- Curry leaves - fry a handful of fresh leaves in the oil at the start for a citrusy, nutty depth
If you're looking for more chutney gift ideas from a glut of fruit and veg, you might also like this spicy plum chutney.
🔪 Equipment
- Jam pan
- Wooden spoon
- Sterilized jars
- Chopping knife
- Chopping board
- Garlic press
- Cheese grater
- Labels set
❄️ Storage
Storing - keep sealed jars in a cool, dark cupboard for 6-12 months.
After opening - refrigerate and use within 6 weeks.
💡Pro Tips
- Simmer low and slow for the richest flavour.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Let jars mature for at least 2 weeks before opening.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- Spoon tomato chilli chutney onto homemade beef burgers or veggie burgers for a spicy-sweet kick
- Use as a roast lamb glaze, or other meats
- Spread inside a cheese toastie or panini
- Serve alongside onion bhajis, curries, samosas, or pakoras
- Drizzled on salads as a dressing
- Use as a topping for jacket potatoes with cheese
- Pair with homemade quiche, pies, or savory turnovers
- Dollop onto grilled halloumi, paneer or baked camembert
- Spread thinly as a pizza base tomato sauce, pizza roll or tear and share pizza bread dip with a kick
❓ FAQ
Yes, allow the chutney to cool completely, transfer into freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.
Sugar is important for preserving chutney and giving it its sweet balance, but you can reduce it slightly or replace it with honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar. Just note that shelf life may be shorter.
Relish is usually chunkier and less sweet, while chutney is cooked down longer with sugar and vinegar for a thicker, jam-like consistency.
Keep simmering on low heat until it thickens, stirring often. Alternatively, you can add a grated apple, which naturally helps it set.
No, peeling isn't necessary. The skins break down during the long simmer, adding texture and flavour.
This usually happens if the heat is too high. Keep the pan on a gentle simmer and stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Yes, but the flavour will be more tart. Green tomato chutney is a classic variation that's just as delicious.
➕ More Jam & Chutney Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍽️Pairing
Try pairing it with these:
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Tomato & Onion Chutney Recipe for Preserving
Equipment
- sterilized jars Yields 1250ml/1250g, so use 6-7 x 190ml jars or 2.5 x 500ml jars
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds lightly crushed or left whole
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 750 g Red onions diced
- 4 Garlic cloves crushed
- 4 cm Fresh ginger peeled & finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes (or 1& ½ teaspoon for more heat)
- 4 Cardamom pods lightly crushed
- ½ teaspoon Paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon Mustard powder OR 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper or ground black pepper
- 1.5 kg Tomatoes chopped
- 250 g Light brown sugar
- 250 ml Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
Instructions
- Toast coriander: In a large heavy-bottomed pan, or jam pan, dry-toast the coriander seeds for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and crackling.1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
- Cook onions: Add the oil, then stir in the sliced onions. Cook gently over low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes until softened and lightly caramelised.1 tablespoon Olive oil, 750 g Red onions
- Add spices & aromatics: Stir in garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, cardamom, paprika, mustard, ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.4 Garlic cloves, 4 cm Fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes, 4 Cardamom pods, ½ teaspoon Paprika powder, ½ teaspoon Mustard powder, ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- Add tomatoes, sugar & vinegar: Stir in the chopped tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and salt.Bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then simmer uncovered for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes until thickened (it should mound on a spoon and not be watery).1.5 kg Tomatoes, 250 g Light brown sugar, 250 ml Red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- Sterilise Jars: Towards the end of simmering time, sterilise your jars by washing in hot soapy water, rinse, then place in an oven at 180°C fan for 10 minutes.
- Spoon into jars: Spoon the hot chutney into sterilised jars, and seal immediately with sterilised lids and leave to cool before eating. However, if you can resist, I recommend leaving it to mature for at least a month for a less acidic taste.
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/. Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
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