Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe (5- Minutes)
Posted Sep 23, 2018, Updated Sep 30, 2024
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This easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe is made in 5 minutes with 8 ingredients. This no-cook sauce is truly the best pizza sauce recipe ever – developed from my experience working in a Chicago pizzeria!
We love making pizza at home because it’s easy (my kids have been making it every week since they were 5), fun and less expensive than delivery.
This is our go-to easy homemade pizza sauce recipe. It takes five minutes to make and results in the best pizza you’ve ever had.
I’m from Chicago (born and raised), so we’ve enjoyed some of the best pizza in the world. I remember, one evening after dining at a famous pizza restaurant my husband was less than impressed. I thought he had gone crazy!
His problem was with the sauce. “There was only a thin layer and it tasted just like tomatoes” was his personal opinion. He likes his pizza saucy, bold and flavorful and that particular pie just didn’t cut it. Moral of the story: there’s no weak sauce allowed in our household. And this Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe ensures that!
Pizza Sauce Recipe: Substitutions
Here are a few possible substitutions that can be made in this recipe.
- Tomato Sauce. Sometimes I run out of cans of tomato sauce, and in a pinch I have used a can of diced tomatoes that I tossed in the blender. You can also use fresh blended tomatoes as well.
- Tomato Paste. Please don’t leave out the tomato paste. It makes the pizza sauce thick which is key in making non-soggy pizza.
- Oregano/Italian seasoning. I always make this with dried spices, but you can use fresh. Also, if you like a sauce with a less bold flavor, you might want to start will less and add more to your preferences.
- Garlic salt. If you don’t keep garlic salt on hand, substitute an extra ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt.
- Granulated sugar. This can be omitted, or you can substitute honey. However the sugar enhances the flavor of the tomatoes and cuts the “bite” of the sauce.
Note: this pizza sauce recipe is vegan as written, so you can even make some great dairy-free pizzas with this recipe.
How to Make Pizza Sauce
This homemade pizza sauce recipe is easy to make in 5 minutes. You can also prepare it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it to make pizza.
Begin by mixing the tomato paste and sauce together in a medium size bowl until well combined. Using a whisk is a great choice.
Then, add the rest of the ingredients (oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and sugar) and mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the sauce.
Then, use it in your favorite pizza recipes. The flavor and essence of a pizza lies in the pizza sauce. So be sure to spread a nice, thick even layer on top of your pizza dough.
Pizza Recipes:
This Easy Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe is our go-to. It requires no rising, and makes a delicious pizza in under 30 minutes! Or try this whole wheat pizza dough. And check out our extensive post on how to make pizza!
Also, try our favorite pizza recipes like cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, BBQ chicken pizza and french bread pizza – all of which use this sauce recipe!
How to Store Pizza Sauce
Store this pizza sauce in a glass jar with a lid for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
To use, let the sauce come to room temperature before spreading it on your pizza dough.
Pizza Sauce Recipe FAQs
This recipe makes enough sauce to make two large pizzas, or four medium-sized pizza.
This easy pizza sauce recipe is easily doubled or tripled.
This is a common question I get asked all the time! Here are some distinctions between the two:
Spaghetti sauce has a higher water content. This is why I don’t recommend using a jar of marinara when making homemade pizza, you could end up with a mushy watery mess!
Pizza sauce is thicker. this goes along with the point above, but pizza sauce contains tomato paste, which causes it to spread easier and more evenly!
Pizza sauce is more flavorful. This might be my own opinion, but we like a lot more spices in our pizza sauce than we do in our spaghetti sauce!
This recipe is for a no-cook pizza sauce so it does not need to be cooked.
I actually get this question a lot – please do not use ketchup as pizza sauce. Ketchup is not a substitute for any of the ingredients in this recipe.
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1-2 Tablespoons dried oregano to taste
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ Tablespoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar*
Instructions
- Mix tomato paste and sauce together in a medium size bowl until smooth.
- Add the rest of the ingredients – oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and sugar – and stir until evenly distributed throughout the sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Spread onto your favorite pizza dough recipe.
Video
Notes
- Tomato Sauce. Sometimes I run out of cans of tomato sauce, and in a pinch I have used a can of diced tomatoes that I tossed in the blender. You can also use fresh blended tomatoes as well.
- Tomato Paste. Please don’t leave out the tomato paste. It makes the pizza sauce thick which is key in making non-soggy pizza.
- Oregano/Italian seasoning. I always make this with dried spices, but you can use fresh. Also, if you like a sauce with a less bold flavor, you might want to start will less and add more to your preferences.
- Garlic salt. If you don’t keep garlic salt on hand, substitute an extra ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt.
- Granulated sugar. This can be omitted, or you can substitute honey. However the sugar enhances the flavor of the tomatoes and cuts the “bite” of the sauce.
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The sauce will thicken in the refrigerator, so be sure to let it come to room temperature or gently warm it in the microwave before using!
- Freeze. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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YUMMMMMMY! Well since what we want is not always on the shelf during this COVID-19 time I too did not have sauce. I did have a can of Crushed Tomatoes so I poured those into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and let them sit, then stirred a few times and they drained so well I had to add a little of the juice back in. Everything else was as listed, it’s great with just the 1 tsp. of oregano. Super thick and rich! I have always bought jarred sauce thinking it would be difficult to make from scratch and require hours of simmering! Thank you for a fantastic recipe! I don’t have a twitter account so can’t tag you there but I am saving to my Pinterest to use again and again and again!!!!!!!
Thank you Janet!!
If I don’t have tomato paste, could I only use tomato sauce?
This looks great and I want to try it out. If I don’t have tomato sauce, how many tomatoes can I substitute with?
I’m making this tonight as well. I would suggest just blend and add more tomatoes until you get about 15 oz of sauce.
I didn’t use tomato sauce… I used a can of diced tomatoes instead. I just put it in the food processor to blitz. It turned out great.
Best pizza sauce ever. I made this tonight. It was so easy, and so tasty. We will never buy pizza again. Thank you so much.
Thank you Phyllis!!! That means so much to me!
Five stars for both how great it tastes and how quick and easy it is to make. Used this sauce on our pizza for the 3rd time today. This is now my go-to pizza sauce recipe! Thank you!
Thank you Rachel! I’m so glad you enjoy it as much as we do!
I made this sauce a couple of weeks ago. It was delicious. Now my husband asks if I am making pizza again. I guess I will be making this next weekend again. Thank you for sharing.
My first pizza attempt and it was totally amazing. Very easy to follow the recipe, thank you. I also used your tomato sauce recipe which was perfect. I don’t think we’ll ordering pizza in for a looooong while…maybe never ;-).
Thank you so much Besa! Homemade is SO much better (and less expensive) than ordering pizza in! 🙂
I made your pizza sauce just the other day. I loved it. I loved the color and the thickness of the sauce. I added a little dried basil and omitted the garlic salt only because I did not have any. It tasted great. Next time I will try your pizza crust. I was not very impressed with the one I had tried. But this sauce is a keeper! Thank you for sharing! Will send pics next time.
Thank you so much Kim!
Wish I could leave a picture of my perfect pizza but It got eaten too quickly. This is now the only sauce my wife and I will use. Easy, great taste. Perfect in every way. I love the consistency of the sauce and the flavor.
Thank you so much Francis!
This is the perfect pizza sauce! Thank you for sharing. This is definitely going to be my go-to sauce from now on (no more store bought sauce here!). I think my favorite feature is that you don’t have to cook it. Brilliant.
Woo Hoo! Thank you Wendy!