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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This recipe is so easy & so delicious.
It literally take minutes to throw together. I make it first and let it jell while I make my pizza dough, chop the veggies & shred the cheese.
I was just trying to leave a comment about my recipe and I used sun-dried tomatoes that I made the rest was used from the recipe. But the sun dried tomatoes that I made were the key and I didn’t have to use tomato paste
That is an excellent suggestion! Pureed sun dried tomatoes instead of tomato paste would taste amazing!
Just making sure I am reading this correctly, no cooking required? Just mix and spread?
Edit/update to my comment about no cooking – I scrolled up and (unsurprisingly) you had already said no cooking required. I am a habitutial “jump to recipe” person so I didn’t catch it the first time.
I did just throw this sauce together and wow – very impressed. Definitely going to be a staple sauce recipe, thank you!
That is correct!
Yes. It cooks when the pizza does
Fantastic! As others have stated, no more store bought sauce ever again. I did omit the sugar as my big complaint about commercial sauce is it’s sweetness. YUK! I also added a tiny squeeze of anchovy paste to up the “savory” factor
5 stars! Thank you for sharing this simple and exquisite recipe
Best homemade ever. We all loved it.Made several batches to keep on hand.
Excellent sauce. Used on homemade wood fired pizza. I am done searching for perfect sauce.
Thank you, Pat!
Easy &fast to prepare with common spices kept in my spice cabinet. I omitted onion powder & substituted it with 2 fresh cloves of minced garlic to add a fresh taste component. Great base recipe to personalize to your families palette.
I WILL NEVER BUY STORE BOUGHT PIZZA SAUCE AGAIN
Amen!
I added little bit of pineapple juice and my god it was wonderful
That’s so interesting, Jerry!
Me either! This is so flavorful and easy to make.
Did exactly as recipe called for. Nice consistency tasted wonderful. Very easy no fancy ingredients.
Thank you, Russell!
Hello! This recipe looks delicious! I am wondering if the oregano should be ground or flakes. I am planning on making the sauce this weekend!
I made the recipe, it was really good. I only use part of it for the pizza we had for lunch today. I froze the rest into smaller serving sized containers for future use. I will make this recipe again. Thank you
I appreciate the jump to recipe button because I don’t care about your life at all
I’m so glad you find the “Jump to Recipe” button helpful. I understand that many people are just here for the recipes, so I’m glad I can provide that experience for you.
Wow this woman is such a sweet woman and such a great chef with tasty recipes! What a nasty message… so sad… we have enough of this in the world.. spread kindness and peace.
Excellent…never made homemade anything before & will never order or purchase another premade pizza! Thanks for sharing both the recipe & family insight. Nasty comes from Nasty & is always more emboldened when hiding behind the written word. Apologies to you & prayers for Nasty!
I’m so glad you loved this recipe Sam!
What a sad little Matt. I’m sure there is somewhere on the Internet that you would get more satisfaction from your vitriol than on a helpful cooking blog. Guess I shouldn’t be, but I’m always so shocked to see people behave this way.
Buy a cookbook.