Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe (5- Minutes)
Posted Sep 23, 2018, Updated Apr 14, 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 and BBQ chicken 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 oz tomato paste
- 15 oz 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 pizza crust and sauce is super easy and amazing! My husband was amazed and how good it was and my kids loved it too. We pre-baked in the oven as suggested and then grilled on our gas grill for about 12 min. So good! I tried subbing in some whole wheat flour, and while it was certainly edible, it didn’t taste anywhere near as good as the all purpose. I did find a good un-bleached version so I felt better about that. Great recipes! We will never go back to store bought again.
I’m just a 16 year-old but I love finding simple recipes that I could take to college and this is one of them. Very easy to follow but also quite flavorful! I just made a pizza with the sauce and I didn’t have much hope until I took a bite and my mouth instantly watered. You can just smell the herbs once you take the pizza out of the oven but the taste is on a whole other plane. I will certainly make more pizza for my family! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
This was absolutely simple and delicious!! This one will be going into the recipe book so I never lose it. Not sure how I came across you and your blog, but so glad I did. You have a precious family, a sweet spirit of the Lord Jesus, and great recipes. Blessings to you.
So easy and fresh! My students made it for their “clamping” trip!
I am wondering if I could can this. When I go through the work to make something, I like to make enough to put aside for future use.
I don’t know if I would can this without adding extra acid, but I bet it would freeze like a dream!
I’ve frozen this sauce many times! I have never tried canning it!
Used this Recipe and made a triple size load. Its fabulous! We had five kids stay the night last weekend and they all made their own mini pizzas for dinner! Lots of fun! I’ve made homemade pizza sauce before, and the recipe called for Olive Oil! Yours doesn’t. Didnt even notice it was missing to tell you the truth.
This recipe is so amazing! As a mom I love how simple this recipe is. It is also sooo delicious. My son loved it! I’ve been wanting to make a home made pizza sauce for awhile now. When I looked up a recipe this was the first I saw, with amazing reviews. I love this recipe! I will be making this sauce again. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi Alison,
I agree with Stephanie. Loved this. Simple to make and sooooo flavorful. Of course I added a tablespoon of red pepper flakes, because we like everything with a little kick to it, but ‘awesome sauce’. Literally and figuratively. From the breadbasket of CA, a huge thank you.
So I’m A mother of three and eight year cancer survivor I also don’t always have the time in the kitchen but what I do know is this recipe answered every question I had from the substitutes to everything I really really really appreciated this recipe I will be making it tonight and I am excited to look at more from laura
Am I the only one who thought this tasted like Lunchables “pizza sauce?” Not my favorite, personally, but others might like it, I suppose.
LOL Alison I’ve never heard that critique before! We make this every week and love it, but it is heavy on the spices and might not be for everyone (obviously)! My husband does love lunchables (taste palette of an 8-year-old boy haha)! I can’t say I’ve ever had a pizza lunchable though!
Laura, you are spot on with this recipe! Born & raised in Waukegan and lived in Roger’s Park for years, I know what good Chicago pizza sauce tastes like. Not to be confused with deep dish whole tomato sauce that many folks believe that is the only pizza us folks from “The Windy” eat, I love thin crust and this is perfect! I was going to ask you how long it would last in the fridge but I found out the answer. Not very long! It seemed that over just a few days it seemed to have disappeared!