I’ve made a few variations of pasta sauce over the years, but this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce is definitely one of my favorites. The long slow simmer caramelizes the sugars in the tomatoes and creates a depth of flavor that can’t be matched. Plus, what more could you ask for than to just throw some ingredients in a pot, forget about it for 8 hours, and then come back to a rich, delicious homemade sauce? Then you can divide the sauce into portions, freeze, and you’ll have delicious homemade pasta sauce on hand for quick busy weeknight dinners.
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Why make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce?
Pasta sauce can be bought premade really cheaply, so I think in a lot of cases it does make sense to just buy a jar and go with it. But if you want to have a little more control over the quality and ingredients of your pasta sauce while still keeping costs low, this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce is a great option.
What Size Slow Cooker to Use
This recipe makes about 2 quarts of sauce, so I would suggest using a 3 quart or larger slow cooker. You don’t need anything fancy, just a very basic slow cooker with basic functions like warm, low, and high. I do find that slow cookers made with a thick ceramic insert (or “crock”) cook much more evenly than metal inserts, like you’d have when using the slow cooker function on an Instant Pot.
Why Add Balsamic Vinegar?
The balsamic vinegar in this recipe adds a subtle depth and brightness to the sauce. It can seem strong at first, but it mellows out as the sauce is cooked. If you’re not a fan of balsamic vinegar or just don’t have any on hand, this recipe will still make a really amazing sauce even if you leave it out.
Can I Add Meat?
I’ve tried this sauce before with ground beef and I found the cook time to be far too long for the ground beef, so if you do want to add meat I suggest browning it separately and then just stirring it into the sauce after cooking. You can also check out my quick Weeknight Pasta Sauce for an easy and flavorful meat sauce option.
How to Freeze Pasta Sauce
This recipe makes about 7 cups. I suggest dividing the sauce into two or three cup portions before freezing so you can take out just enough for one recipe at a time to thaw. Let the spaghetti sauce cool completely in the fridge, then transfer to freezer-safe containers to freeze. The sauce will stay good in the freezer for about three months, but this can vary depending on the conditions in your freezer. If you use quart-sized freezer bags and freeze them laying flat they stack nicely in the freezer without taking up much space.
You can thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight or just cut the bag away from the frozen sauce, place it in a saucepot, and heat over medium-low until it’s heated through (stir occasionally).
This sauce goes great with Homemade Meatballs (also freezer-friendly)!
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Servings 7 cupsIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 2 28oz. cans crushed tomatoes ($2.00)
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste ($0.69)
- 1 Tbsp dried basil ($0.30)
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano ($0.15)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.03)
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar ($0.14)
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.40)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste) ($0.05)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Place both in a 3 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and butter to the slow cooker. Stir everything together well.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
- After cooking, give it a good stir, then add salt to taste. Start with just ½ tsp of salt and add more if needed (I added 1 tsp). Use the sauce immediately, refrigerate, or freeze for later.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Looking for a stove top pasta sauce recipe? Check out our Easy Marinara Sauce.
How to Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce – Step By Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Add both to a 3 quart or larger slow cooker.
Add 2 28oz. cans of crushed tomatoes and one 6oz. can of tomato paste to the slow cooker.
Also add 1 Tbsp dried basil, 1.5 tsp dried oregano, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 4 Tbsp butter to the slow cooker.
Give the ingredients a good stir until they’re evenly incorporated.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours. After cooking, it will look a little like the photo above (the white is just the milk fats from the butter). Give it a good stir.
Add salt to the sauce to taste. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more until the flavors pop. I ended up using one teaspoon total.
Use the slow cooker spaghetti sauce immediately or refrigerate then freeze for long-term storage.
I’m looking forward to trying this. I haven’t always used my slow cooker because a very tiny kitchen and just forgot about it. I’ve recently moved and need great budget friendly meals that I can stretch as I get back on my feet! Thank you! Pizza, pasta, lasagna here we go with this one :)
Hi! I’ve made your pizza sauce recipe and your other marinara recipe before, and they’re both so good that I’m really excited to try this one now that I’ve finally bought a slow cooker. I just have one question, about the balsamic vinegar. I don’t really don’t use that for anything else (when I make your other recipe that calls for it I leave it out) so I’m hesitant to buy it just for this. I was wondering, since this recipe doesn’t have olive oil in it like the others do, will leaving out the balsamic affect it in any way? Should I add extra water or oil or something? Thanks!
You can definitely leave the balsamic out–some people don’t like the tanginess that it adds anyway. Adding oil will help it be more rich, so you can also do that if you prefer. :) It’s a pretty flexible recipe!
OMG I have to say, your recipes are unbelievable! This marinara is absolutely fantastic, it’s my standby for every occasion. Sometimes I add some chicken broth, a bit of heavy cream and whizz it up to make a delicious tomato soup!
I have been using your recipe for a forever now & we love it! I need to make another batch but the link contained in my old pin no longer worked. I was so upset. I am so thankful I was able to find it again!
I am going to try this and add some red wine to it, about a cup, along with some browned chopped meat.
I am so disappointed with this recipe. I followed it exactly, except for the balsamic vinegar. I made a double batch and I now have an entire crockpot full of extremely bitter, nasty sauce. I just went thru at least 20 other recipes for marinara sauce and not ONE of them called for tomato paste, let alone an entire 6 oz can. Wasted my money, and my time.
Hi Jen,
I come from an Italian family and we absolutely use tomato paste. In fact, the recipe I made on Sunday called for 12 ounces. I slow cook mine on the stove for 4-6 hours. I add the tomato paste 1/2 way through with red wine. So instead of the idea of wasted money and wasted time, you learned that you do not care for the recipe.
Thanks for your interpretation of the recipe, Beth!
Emma
The quality of tomatoes used here is key I think. If your tomatoes taste bad, the sauce will too. And vice versa.
I had the exact thing happen to me. The recipe was somewhat bland and bitter.
I’ve made this recipe before & we love it. It was in the back of my mind that I just used the last bag of sauce from the freezer & thought I might make some for the trip up north in a few weeks with the guys, I have to feed myself & 4 hungry guys, I usually take an extra turn cooking & the guys make sure I don’t have to do dishes, a good trade off in my opinion. Pre-made homemade sauce, some pasta & a pack of frozen meatballs will make for an easy but delicious meal. When I was @ the food service store for some other things I was wandering the aisles & found a 107 oz can of crushed tomatoes for $3.99. I found a 12 oz can of tomato paste @ the grocery for $0.68. I doubled all the other ingredients. I made it in the 6 quart crockpot I’ve all but retired since I generally only cook for 2 now. I added everything but the crushed tomatoes & made sure it was combined well, added about 2/3 of the crushed tomatoes & again mixed well, after adding the last 1/3 I was still able to stir, but glad I took the extra precautions. My 6-qt is full. I tallied up my other ingredients & used your costs for the herbs x 2. I came in @ $7.05 for the batch. I usually buy 45oz jars of sauce if I buy it, I checked, they are $2.65 for the store brand $3+ for name brand. I will get at least 4 jars worth for about $1.76 each & it’s much better quality & seasoned the way I prefer. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe.
I made this sauce and froze it in some mason jars. It really comes in handy. It tastes so much better than store bought sauce and I can use it with pasta or even as a dip. I made the smoked paprika cauliflower today and used this marinara as a dip. It rounded out the veggie dish and gave it a bit more substance.
This was just good when it finished (smelled great) but was absolutely amazing by the time the flavors had time to sit. I followed the recipe exactly and was able to fill ~three 1.5 qt mason jars and put one in the freezer. It froze great and that one tasted the best, I think.
Getting ready to make this one again tonight, it’s now my go-to red sauce recipe. Thank you!
I made this today with fresh tomatoes. They were blanched and cored. I weighed 4lb, 2lb for each 28oz can. It smelled delicious all day and all the children kept asking to see what smelled so good.
Hi, was wondering if I wanted to use this for a big cook up, could I add raw chicken, beef or ground beef directly into the slow cooker to cook in the sauce?
Thanks,
Ali
You could add chicken breasts and then shred them after it’s done cooking (they’ll be quite soft and tender), but it will also add moisture to the marinara and might make it a bit more thin. The last time I attempted to cook ground meat with sauce in a slow cooker, the meat overcooked and turned into tiny little pellets. So, I can’t suggest that. :) There might be a way to do it, but I haven’t found it. I think most people brown the meat separately and then add it at the end.
This is delicious, thanks for posting! I cut down on the oregano and basil and added some italian seasoning, also a little olive oil and some tri-colored peppers. I used the vinegar and think it added to the flavor. I am so glad I saw the tomatoes on sale for $1 each, it made a lot of sauce for less than $4!
Hi, I live in a dorm and have a 0.65 quart slow cooker. I have a lot of 14.5oz cans of sliced tomatoes. I’ve been looking for recipe for this little cooker. Any recommendations? A single can of sliced tomatoes fits easily with other ingredients. Thanks
Hmmm, I don’t know of any recipes that would fit a slow cooker that small. :(
Hi,
You should be able to break any recipe down in half to make it work for you. If the 28 oz can of tomatoes will fit, keep a bit of them in reserve, add the other ingredients, and if there is room, add the rest of the tomatoes.
I have a small crock pot (there is just 2 of us), and, often the recipes are for 4 or more. I just cut the recipe down to half. A lot of the time, I keep the liquids the same, but, cut down on the protein portion size. Good Luck!
Can you add fresh basil and kale to this recipe?
Sure! I think I’d try adding the kale in the beginning because it’s a bit more hearty and can stand up to the slow cooker cooking, but I’d add the fresh basil at the end to keep that pop of flavor.
Stupid question.
Do I drain the canned tomatoes first?
Not a stupid question. :) No, do not drain them first.