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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To start, this recipe is AWESOME, and you need to make the pizza crust recipe suggested in it as well – both went together GREAT!
The only adjustments I did to this was to try and lessen the powders. I used:
2 Tbsp Oregano
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 ½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
1 tsp Sugar
I made this by mincing up about ¼ of a large yellow onion and sautéing until almost transparent, then added in 4 minced up garlic cloves and cooked for just a minute more. After that, I added in the tomato paste and mixed it in well, slowly adding in the tomato sauce. Once incorporated, I added in the oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, sugar, and pepper. I let this cook down for a couple minutes to get it a little on the thicker side. Once done, perfect!
This sauce is so good that you can just dip your pieces of mozzarella right into it and enjoy. 😊
Thanks for this recipe!
Excellent
I wanted to make a pizza for my wife before she got home from work. I made fresh dough, cooked up some onions and sausage and graded some cheese. It was after I rolled out the dough that I realized I didn’t have any pizza sauce. Oh crap! My wife is the one who Always makes the pizza sauce, so I had no idea how to prepare it. I went on-line to look for a recipe, and luckily I found yours. I prepared the sauce and made the pizza, and my wife loved it. Thank you for sharing the recipe , it truly deserves the 5 star rating it has.
Made this last night.. First time making my own sauce_didn’t have any on hand. Excellent flavor and texture. I used a jar of marinara, added a can of paste and the seasoning. I did add a bit more sugar, because I like a sweeter sauce. We had great pizzas_ and a fun dinner where everyone made their own, and we put on the BBQ grill 🍕 . Thanks much 🧡
It is just my husband and I so I water bath can it up in small jelly jars and that makes it shelf stable. Love this recipe.
Firstly, thank you for the Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce recipe. I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity and flavour, although on my 2nd go I did sauté the tomato sauce with a little onion and garlic as I had no tomato paste. The reduction made it stickier. I did enjoy the sauce uncooked previously with only the powdered spices. Without the tomato paste, it’s a bit thin. My other sauce, for white pizza is a Béchamel Sauce. It’s splendid with smoked salmon onion and and capers. 2ndly, I enjoyed reading your story Laura. It was just yesterday I was thinking about the chemistry of cooking. My son enjoys cooking. He has finished high school and I believe he’s going into skilled trades as an electrician, but just the idea of him cooking always makes me smile. Congratulations on your successes, including a lovely looking family, and this fun and helpful kitchen blog.
This pizza sauce sounds great. Can it be pressure canned for longer term storage ?
Had 1 can of pizza sauce and got everything ready, chopped veggies, shredded cheese and made the homemade crust. Tasted the canned pizza sauce and it didn’t taste right. Found this recipe and made it. Came out great! Probably won’t have to buy pizza sauce anymore.
I made it exactly as stated but had to use fresh garlic as I had no garlic powder or garlic salt. I used one clove of crushed garlic and added 1/4 tsp salt. It turned out super yummy!
This was the first time I’ve ever made homemade pizza sauce. It was wonderful, best of all all the ingredients that it called for , I had on hand. The sauce is thick, and tasty, and the pizza tastes like it came from a pizzeria. I have since made pizza with this recipe for 3 weeks in a row. It is definitely a family favorite!