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.
It’s in my slow cooker now…. smells good :)
I skipped the onion and added a little bit of oil and it is delicious. I’m so glad you posted this. I was able to get the crushed tomatoes for $1 for each 28oz can, by looking in the dollar isle of my grocery store (Super Saver). Thanks for this recipe! Yum!
I just made this and it was SO tasty. I only tweaked a few things; subbed agave nectar for the brown sugar & added some chopped broccoli stalks and carrots to up the veggie quotient. The flavor is so complex that it makes for a much more exciting dinner than the usual pasta with marinara. A little parmesan and you’re good to go! Yum!
-Lauren
sorry – sizeable silicone molds..
– Margo
a piece of advice: use any of the sizeable (from 1/2 cup and up) to freeze the sauce in batches.. this way you can store the sauce in portion-controlled frozen cubes which are easier to defrost and easier to store..
– Margo
Made this today. Added another onion and substituted 3 cans of diced instead of crushed (I have a large slow cooker). I like mine chunky. I used a 12 oz can of tomato paste. I didn’t add the vinegar. This was yummie! Definately will make again. I plan to freeze quart bags for quick meals.
I’ll be making a half batch of this tomorrow, it looks yummy. I have a cabinet full of tomatoes. The store I shop at has them (on a pretty regular basis) buy one, get one free and I’m a sucker when they do this. Got a good stash of chicken broth that way too.
I think you can freeze them in jars as long as you leave a big enough air space for them to expand as they freeze… otherwise you’ll end up with exploded jars! :)
I like my sauce chunky, so I did one can crushed and one can diced. Turned out wonderfully! They are cooling in the fridge—but I wonder if I can freeze them in the old spaghetti jars…thoughts?
I must say that I am somewhat of a marinara snob. But I must say that after trying this sauce . . . I have taken the pledge. I will NEVER buy canned/sauce again. Ever! I tried this a few weeks ago and quickly realized my one problem. In order to maintain enough inventory, I need a bigger slow cooker. A quick trip to Target and, problem solved. When we have guest carnivore’s, I simply roll in some browned Italian sausaage. There are NEVER any leftovers! Thank you so much for this easy, inexpensive, delicious sauce!
Rachel – liquid and all :)
Do I drain the crushed tomatoes or add them liquid and all?
will this work in a rice cooker
I can’t wait to try this. I actually think it’s going to be cheaper than store bought because most of the list is staple food, plus this recipe looks like it would be the equivalent of two big jars of sauce. The only thing I had to buy were the tomatoes which only cost $3. Has anyone added red wine to this recipe and if so how did it turn out? I love to add Lambrusco to my sauce (I know, it’s cheap and nobody drinks the stuff but it’s amazing in sauce). I’m going to make this as the sauce to put on my stuffed shells.
Thank you for your great site and recipe. I used this recipe in my Menu Plan Monday Post. http://www.samanthaandersenphotography.com/2012/01/variety-is-spice-of-life.html
Can’t wait to try it!