I’ve made Homemade Pizza Sauce before, but I wanted one that was even thicker and richer because I had some BIG plans to dip things in it. Dipping sauces have to be really thick, or else they won’t hang on to whatever is being dunked in them. But I also love a good, thick sauce on my pizzas. A thick sauce gives all the flavor without making the dough soggy. And that’s exactly what this recipe achieves.😉
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
“Absolutely delicious!!! I have made this a few times now. I freeze this in 1/2 cup portions for Friday night pizza, love it!! I always have these ingredients on hand and it is so simple to make. Thank you for this recipe!!”
Kathy R
Super Easy Pizza Sauce Recipe
More often than not, store-bought pizza sauces can be watery, overly sweet, or just…meh. But when you make it yourself? You can control EVERYTHING. The richness, the seasoning, the texture. And let me tell you, this sauce recipe is next-level. It’s bold, thick, perfectly balanced, and honestly, so easy to make. Oh, and did I mention it makes a HUGE batch? You’ll have plenty to slather on pizzas, use as a dipping sauce, or even stash in the freezer. Because trust me, once you taste this, you’ll want to use it all the time.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
Servings 3 cupsIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.04)
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes ($1.67)
- 1 6 oz. can tomato paste ($0.94)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar ($0.01)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 tsp dried basil ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.08)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.05)
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and garlic to a sauce pot and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, basil, oregano, some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill), and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pot, allow the pot to come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, and let simmer for 15 minutes minimum, or up to 30 minutes (I often let it simmer as I prepare my pizza dough).
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
- Garlic Press
Notes
- To freeze this sauce, first cool it completely in the refrigerator, then transfer to quart-sized freezer bags or freezer-safe resealable containers and freeze until solid. Simply reheat over low heat in a sauce pot, with a lid to minimize evaporation, and stir often, until heated through.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
How to Make Pizza Sauce Step-by-Step Photos
Sauté the garlic: Sauté one clove of minced garlic (or two if you like things garlicky!) in 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
Add ingredients: Add one 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, one 6 oz. can tomato paste, 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, some freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce pot.
Stir and simmer: Stir the ingredients together, place a lid on top, then allow it to come up to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes minimum (I sometimes let it simmer longer while I’m preparing whatever I’m serving it with and the flavor just gets sweeter and deeper).
How to Use Homemade Pizza Sauce
This recipe makes three cups, which is enough for about 3 large pizzas or 12 dipping portions (and it freezes great!). Other than pizzas, one of my favorite ways to use it is for pizzadillas—I add cheese and toppings to a tortilla, warm it up, and use the sauce for dipping! It’s also perfect with stromboli, giving that extra layer of flavor when paired with crispy dough. You can even use it to make our zucchini boats recipe! However, one of my absolute favorite dinners at the moment is my baked pizza chicken. It’s gooey, cheesy, saucy, and always a win when made with this sauce recipe!
How to Store and Reheat
If this recipe makes more sauce than you need for one meal, go ahead and freeze the remainder of the sauce. I suggest using a quart-sized freezer bag. To reheat, just tear away the freezer bag and empty the frozen sauce into a small sauce pot. Reheat over low, stirring often, until it is heated through. You can also store it in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4-5 days. As for canning, I haven’t personally tried to can this sauce, so I can’t vouch for the results.
Try These Homemade Pizza Recipes
Our Homemade Pizza Sauce recipe was originally published 8/3/11. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 2/28/25.
This sauce is my go-to every time I make a pizza. It’s the perfect consistency and flavor with a good amount of kick to it.
Im going to can this in pint size jars.
I’m excited, I made aka canned marinera 9 jars yesterday@
I will never buy pizza sauce in a jar again. This was delicious. I made a half recipe because I only had a 14oz can of diced tomatoes. I pulsed them in the blender to get the crushed tomato consistency then carried the recipe out from there. I’m going to start making this in bulk and freezing for our pizza nights.
This is so easy to make with shelf-stable staples. I freeze it in half cups for use in pizzas, particularly the no-knead pan pizza recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/knead-pan-pizza/
Delicious and so very easy! I like to add extra red pepper flake sometimes for a little more kick, but great as written.
Hello do you ever bottle your sauce up to keep on the shelf or give to friends as a gift?
We haven’t tried that for this one! Sweet idea, though!
Can this recipe be canned?!
We haven’t tried, Susanna! We don’t can in the studio really so we haven’t tested that out.
Absolutely delicious!!! I have made this a few times now. I freeze this in 1/2 cup portions for Friday night pizza, love it!! I always have these ingredients on hand and it is so simple to make. Thank you for this recipe!!
This is the only pizza sauce recipe I use and I make a lot of pizzas! I do add less tomato paste (about 1/3) because I like my sauce a little less thick. I also saute the paste, garlic and herbs separately, prior to adding to the tomatoes (which I crush myself). If I have them in the freezer, I also add Parmesan or grana padano rinds for a little extra flavour. I always make at least a double batch (I tripled it today!) so I have jars in the freezer when I need them. Thank you!!
Can I make(crust) night before, put in fridge overnite and finish making the pizza next day???
The sauce can be made ahead of time, refrigerated, and used the next day! If you’re asking about the crust, it depends on what recipe you’re using, how much yeast is used, etc. But most pizza doughs can be refrigerated over night and used the next day.
This recipe is so damn good. Been using it for a couple years now. I could probably eat a bowl of it alone with a spoon
I changed a few things like I toasted the herbs and garlic. I also added finely chopped green bell pepper just a teaspoon. I followed every thing else in reciepe. Turned out great.
We make pizza regularly, just about every week, and this sauce quickly replaced all others I’ve tried. It’s great as written, though often, I blitz whatever vegetables I have on hand to sneak some extra nutrients in for picky kiddos. I sauté them first and then carry on with the recipe as written. Carrots, mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper work nicely.
No flavor.. bland. You’ll need to add some seasoning.
I make essentially the same sauce, except with a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, instead of crushed, and fresh herbs if I have them. I do not cook it at all. Just whirl the ingredients in a food processor and it’s done. It has a nice fresh tomato flavor.