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How to make a homemade pizza sauce recipe that’s sure to make pizzas taste so much better! This sauce is quick and easy to make, freezes well, and has zero mystery ingredients!
Say hello to a nice and thick homemade pizza sauce.
It’s warm, hearty, and is the perfect sauce to use on homemade pizzas.
Making homemade pizza sauce isn’t difficult and it doesn’t have to be time-consuming either.
My recipe makes a large batch that you could use on 3-4 pizza crusts depending on your sauce preference. Keep in mind though that it all depends on how long you simmer the sauce. The longer you simmer the tomato sauce, the more concentrated it’ll be.
It also uses mostly pantry staples so you can make it in no time!
Marzia, as a chef for 15 years, I have to tell you, this is the sauce I’m gonna use moving forward. Nicely done dear!
This Homemade pizza sauce recipe is…
- Vegan-friendly
- Gluten-free
- the best pizza sauce
- Ready in around 30 minutes
What you need to make this easy pizza sauce recipe:
- Canned whole tomatoes: I’ve made this recipe enough times now to have tested it with whole tomatoes, diced canned tomatoes, and pureed tomatoes. Though all three work, I still find the whole tomatoes to be the best choice for making pizza sauce at home. Start by crushing San Marzano tomatoes and making my own ‘crushed tomatoes.’
- Olive oil: a generous splash not only helps flavor the sauce but also helps cook and bloom all of our aromatics and spices.
- Grated onions: You can grate the onions on a grater box, roughly chop and throw it into a food processor, or you can finely mince the onions for a heartier sauce. I use the food processor for minimum tears!
- Pressed garlic: I use a garlic press to help with this step. It takes seconds and the garlic really works into the sauce that way.
- Dried seasonings: My seasonings of choice are dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Sometimes I’ll cut back on the dried oregano a bit, especially if I’m topping the pizza with tons of toppings. However, this is your call. You can also add a tiny pinch of dried marjoram if you’d like!
- Sugar and salt: The salt and sugar help flavor the sauce. I find canned tomatoes to be on the acidic side, so the sugar helps tame it a bit. You could omit the sugar completely if this isn’t something that bothers you.
How to make pizza sauce from scratch:
- Break down the tomatoes: Using your hands squish the tomatoes in a bowl, or use kitchen shears to break down the tomatoes into smaller pieces. You could also just use an immersion blender and just pulse it so the tomatoes are smaller.
- Cook the aromatics: In a saucepan over medium heat, add the grated onions, and the dried seasonings. Allow the oil to cook the onions for around 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently so nothing sticks or burns. Then, add the garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
- Simmer the sauce: Add the tomatoes along with the sugar and salt and allow the sauce to come to a simmer, then lower the heat and allow for it to cook for 30 minutes. You can taste the sauce and adjust with additional seasoning or salt as desired. You could also simmer the sauce for longer should you find it needs to be a little more concentrated for your taste.
FAQs about this recipe
Yes. You can keep the sauce in the refrigerator for about a week, and it lasts for 3 months in the freezer.
Yes. I like to use fresh Roma tomatoes for this recipe. You’ll need about 1½ – 1¾ pounds of tomatoes. To prep, the tomatoes, score an “x” on the bottom of each tomato using a sharp paring knife. Add the tomato to a pot of boiling water and allow them to boil for 1-2 minutes. Then peel the skin and crush.
Ways to use homemade pizza sauce:
- On freshly made lazy no knead pizza dough
- On my traditional homemade pizza dough
- As a sauce for my cheesy garlic pull-apart bread
- On my Detroit-style pizza (a family fave!)
- As a sauce for my pull-apart garlic roll wreath
Other homemade sauces to make and try:
- Homemade pesto
- All-purpose meat sauce
- Arrabbiata sauce
- 2-minute Caesar salad dressing
- Homemade Nutella
The Best Homemade Pizza Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup grated onions or finely minced
- ½ – ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes depending on heat preference
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- TOMATOES: Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and using your hands, kitchen shears, or an immersion blender, break the tomatoes down so that they’re chunky but not completely liquid.
- AROMATICS: In a medium saucepan placed over medium heat, heat the olive oil, grated onions, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently so nothing sticks or burns. Add garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.
- SIMMER: Add the prepared tomatoes along with the sugar and salt. Let the sauce reach a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust with additional seasonings as desired. If you like a more concentrated tomato flavor you can continue to simmer the sauce for up to 15 more minutes. Ue the sauce for pizzas immediately or allow to come to room temperature before storing in containers.
Notes
- Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
Hi. Looks like a winner recipe, especially after reading all the glowing comments! Just wondering, before I make it fir myself, did you use fresh or dried oregano? The basil called for dried, so I wondered if the oregano was supposed to be fresh, and I couldn’t tell from careful scrutiny of the picture. Big difference in measurements for fresh vs dried so I wanted to check. Thanks so much! Brenley
Hi Brenley!I used dried oregano, but fresh oregano would work as well, you’d just have to double the quantity.
The tomatoes I used may already be on the sweeter side, so I thought the sauce was a touch too sweet. Next time I’ll maybe half the sugar and adjust after, but even still, this is one of the best sauces I’ve had and I’m only using it going forward. It’s even great on pasta (I blend the tomatoes because I prefer less chunky). Thank you for the recipe! No more jarred sauce for me.
Okay, I’m not sure if I should thank you or not because my family is obsessed with this sauce and I’ve made 6 batches since New Years haha! It’s really easy to make and the taste is phenomenal. I tried cutting back on the sugar and ended up missing it, so the recipe is perfect as is. Thank you, again!
I made this sauce and really enjoyed it, but my daughter wasn’t crazy about the oregano. I have since been using this exact receipt minus the oregano and sugar (I figured the sugar was used to offset the bitterness of the oregano and the basil seems to add enough sweetness) and my family loves it. I must confess that I didn’t try just reducing the amount of oregano. Thanks!
I’ve just tried this recipe on my pizza and it was amazing. Thank you very much!
Marzia, as a chef for 15 years, I have to tell you, this is the sauce I’m gonna use moving forward. Nicely done dear!
Whoa! That’s awesome — Thanks Mike!
You’re so incredibly welcome. ? If you ever need anything, from on chef to another, contact me via email.
This pizza sauce sounds delicious!! I love, love, love making pizza from scratch but I usually cheat the sauce and use a jar. Now, I am definitely going to try this recipe out and make my sauce! Thanks for the recipe!
much love,
Heather
Awesome, great work Marzia! This sauce looks great. I’ve been looking for a great pizza sauce recipe to use for a party guide that I’m putting together and I think this fits the bill perfectly.
Can’t wait to try it out for myself this weekend!
Do you add the leftover juice from the can of whole tomatoes or just the tomatoes?
My whole tomatoes came packed in more of a thicker sauce than a juice so I added it all in. But it’s to preference, if you prefer a thinner pizza sauce, add in the juice (½ or all!), if you prefer it thicker, i’d probably leave the juice out. 🙂
This was by far the best sauce recipe, thank you for sharing. .
This was the best pizza sauce ever! I didn’t use the sugar and my 12 year old niece loved it! Thanks!!
Have you ever canned your sauce, or have you only frozen it. I would love to make this in large quantities and then can it.
I’ve only frozen it. To be honest, i’m a little intimidated by the thought of canning. After doing some research, I think this recipe should be fine if canned.
Marcia you are so sweet for replying to every single comment. Question? If I use fresh tomatoes, do you recommend Roma Tomatoes?
Yup! Roma tomatoes are perfect for this recipe 🙂
This was a delicious pizza sauce. I used Muir Glen Organic diced tomatoes and had great results. Used the immersion blender to smooth it out. So happy to have sauce leftover to freeze!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it Marcia!
Used fresh from the garden tomatoes, herbs and garlic. Beauty!
HoW many fresh tomatoes would you use instead of the canned
This really depends on the size of the tomatoes, you need a total of 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 pounds.
Awesome… Just made it
Never using a store bought
What kind of container do you recommend freezing the sauce in? Love this and can’t wait to try it!
Hi Caren,
I store it in a plastic container. A ziplock bag that’s safe for liquids will work too. Just make sure to cool the sauce completely before putting it in the bag.
I love the is recipe. Thank you for sharing. I make my own spaghetti sauce and would love to see what you put in yours. thank you!
Thanks Heidi. It’s on my list of recipes to share, hopefully soon 🙂
as a nutritionist, I am surprised to see sugar and salt. yes, the recipe will taste better because we have acquired a taste for those products but they will kill you in the end.
Hi Giada,
As a nutritionist myself (as a profession), I can understand your concern. But using/not using salt and/or sugar are a personal preference. I am simply providing a healthier alternative than purchasing store bought sauce. Feel free to leave out the salt and sugar to your preference!
I think the sugar and salt in this recipe is such a small amount that even health concious people won’t be too concerned. A store bought or even restaurant sauce probably had much more. The good news about making your own is at least you know what’s in it and you can adjust the amount of any ingredient. Personally I think it looks perfect and I’m trying it tonight. Even picked up the San Marzano tomatoes tonight. Thank you for this!! You’re a doll!
I agree with you on the sugar/salt issue, Tammy! Exactly. Isn’t it awesome knowing exactly what goes into your food? Hope you enjoyed the sauce! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Can u put out one that use tomato from scratch thank you
Lol the internet is so great. Comes to a PIZZA SAUCE recipe and complains about how unhealthy it is. Giada probably goes through the McDonald’s drive-thru just to yell about how many calories a Big Mac has.
I can only imagine how exciting your diet is…
Yum- this would be perfect to use with the tomatoes I canned over the summer! Do you think I could also can this recipe up and store for later? It seems like it could work well 🙂
Hi Kelsey,
That sounds like a great idea! I’m unsure about canning, unfortunately i’m not very familiar with it. Please do let me know if you try it (and it works well). I’m sure others may be wondering as well. Thanks!
Hello! I am SO excited to try this! Just a quick question…in your ingredients it says:¼-1/2 red pepper flakes (depending on heat preference)
What is the measurement used? Teaspoon? Tablespoon?
Thank you!
Janet
Hi Janet,
Thanks for catching that, i’ve gone ahead and fixed the recipe card. The recipe is suppose to read ‘teaspoon’. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂