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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!
This was a game changer for our homemade pizza! Definitely tastes restaurant style. thank you for the recipe!
Excellent! My go-to pizza sauce.
This is an excellent pizza suace recipe. I’ve made it many times and along the way have made only minor adjustments. I use a 28oz can of crushed Italian tomatoes, I prefer CENTO. I also use brown sugar over the white, 2-3 Tablespoons as I like a sweet sauce and also add a teaspoon of Worchstershire sauce. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and add any additonal spices as needed to taste.
Thank you for sharing.
This really is the best pizza sauce, and so easy to make. Thank you.
Loved this
Delicious! I used a half tablespoon of butter instead of olive oil and the technique of sauteing the herbs really makes this sauce special,thanks for sharing
Hello there, I made this today from tomatoes I had frozen from my last years garden and I made it exactly as your recipe says and it is the best pizza sauce I have ever made and its not hard to do and I had all the ingredients. I did put the immersion blender in to puree it. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I am going to try more of your recipes.This one is a winner. We had the best pizza tonight for our supper and it was all homemade.
This is a delicious sauce! I used San marzano tomatoes, simmered for 40 minutes, and added a splash of balsamic vinegar near the end for some extra flavor.
Grating the onion gave a great texture, but it was painful, lol! Glad this made enough sauce for 4 pizzas 🙂
Thank you – nicely done. So simple & delucious. I sauteed some Mussi tomato paste with the aromatics.
I just made this delicious pizza sauce recipe. I didn’t have whole tomatoes so I used a can of crushed tomatoes. It turned out great and is a definite winner. I won’t be purchasing store anymore.
I have made this recipe twice. Love the flavor but I felt it did not thicken up as much as I would like on the first attempt so on the second time I cooked it longer. Still a bit watery for my taste. I am wondering if I should have drained my canned SanMarzano tomatoes. Should I have drained them??? Thanks!
This is much better than store bought and SO easy. Will definitely make this again!
I live overseas and the “pizza sauce” is horrible and tastes like barbecue sauce (gross). I am excited to try this recipe, but have a newbie question. I can only find diced tomatoes locally. Should I strain out the liquid or not? Thank you!!
I wouldn’t strain out the liquid. Just use them the same as whole tomatoes. If it turns out to be a little bit thinner (I doubt that it would.) than you like, it isn’t going to be a big deal.
This pizza sauce turned out great. I saw where a nutritionist had complained about the salt and sugar. As a retired nurse who worked CCU, I stopped using salt 48 years ago in my recipes. I use salt substitute. As for sugar it is really not that much.
I definitely will be using this recipe again.
I do have one question: I have a friend who is allergic to onions & garlic – do you have any substitution suggestions?
I liked your recipe and will use it again. I have tried other recipes in the past, and yours was the best. Thank you for it.
I did use half the amount of sugar knowing I could add more if needed. It was sweet enough for me with only half. I used my own garden tomatoes, so the sauce was runny and I had to cook it down. I also used another reviewer’s idea to add 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and that tamed the acidity.
After baking the pizza, your sauce was a winner!
Perfect sauce.
This sauce is so simple and easy but absolutely delicious! A true case of the sun being greater than the parts! Made this for pizzas and then used the leftovers as pasta sauce with a little pasta water and a dollop of ricotta – perfection!
Mmmm yum
This really is the best pizza sauce and so easy to make. It’s been a huge hit with family and friends. Definitely 5 stars. I use the Rao’s whole tomato and basil in a can variety, and put it a food processor.
Thank you for this brilliant recipe,it is so good!it could be used on pasta also