Usually yes, and it is far easier than tiling over a floor because a backsplash carries no traffic load. The two things that stop you are outlets that will no longer sit proud of the surface, and the extra thickness fouling your upper cabinets or window trim.
Check these four things before you buy tile
- Is the existing tile solid? Tap across the whole area. Hollow or drummy spots mean it is already letting go and your new tile goes with it.
- Outlets and switches. Adding 3/8 inch of tile means the boxes are now recessed too deep. Electrical code requires the device to sit correctly relative to the finished surface, and the fix is box extenders — cheap, but you have to plan for them.
- Where the top edge dies. If the existing backsplash finishes tight under the upper cabinets, the extra thickness has nowhere to go and the edge will look wrong. Same with window casing.
- Behind the range. Some slide-in ranges need a specific clearance to the back wall. Add thickness and the range may no longer sit flush.
The prep, which is the actual job
Degrease it properly — a kitchen backsplash is coated in years of aerosolised cooking oil and nothing bonds to that. Then scuff-sand the glaze so the mortar has something mechanical to grip. Then a bonding primer rated for tile-over-tile.
Use a good quality modified thinset, not mastic, and not the pre-mixed tub adhesive. Behind a range and around a sink you want something that will not soften.
What makes it look like a cover-up
Two things give it away. First, the finished edges: if you can see the old tile peeking out at the ends, use a metal trim profile or a bullnose to close it properly. Second, deep grout lines in the old tile telegraphing through — if the existing tile has wide or heavily contoured joints, skim them flat first or the new surface will read as slightly rippled in raking light.
When to just take it off
Removing a backsplash is genuinely not that bad, because it is one tile thick on drywall with no waterproofing to preserve. If the existing tile is loose, if you want the new surface to run to the underside of the cabinets, or if the outlets are already tight, demolition plus a sheet of new drywall gives a better result and is often barely more work.
The exception is if the old tile was set on cement board or the drywall behind it is in poor shape. Then tiling over is genuinely the easier path.