This Go-To Homemade Pizza Sauce is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your pizza night rotation. It comes together fast with no cooking required, uses dried herbs and spices you can keep on hand, and delivers a big pizza shop-style flavor without any extra work. If you want bold flavor for very little effort, this is the one to keep in your back pocket.
I tested and developed this recipe to get the biggest pizza shop-style flavor possible from simple pantry staples. Instead of relying on fresh garlic, onion, or herbs, I built this sauce around dried seasonings that keep prep easy without sacrificing flavor. I also tested multiple tomato sauce-to-paste ratios to find the sweet spot: rich, spreadable, and flavorful, without adding too much moisture to the pizza.
While this sauce is loosely inspired by the Chicago-style pizza places I grew up eating at, it is versatile enough for everything from thin-crust pies to pan pizza and everything in between.
Pair this sauce with my Cold Ferment Pizza Dough for a chewier, more flavorful homemade crust, or use it on my Ultimate Homemade Pan Pizza for a thick, golden crust with crispy edges and plenty of cheesy, pizza-shop-style comfort.
Quick Recipe Insights
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups (1 quart) - Enough for about 6 to 8 14-inch thin-crust pizzas.
- Flavor Profile: Bold, bright, herby, and packed with pizza shop flavor.
- Difficulty: Super easy - no cooking, no chopping, just mix and go.
Go-To Homemade Pizza Sauce Ingredients
This pizza sauce keeps things simple with a short list of pantry staples. Tomato sauce gives it an easy, spreadable base, tomato paste adds depth and body, and dried herbs and seasonings build in that classic pizza shop flavor without any fresh prep.
- Dried herbs and seasonings: This sauce uses a blend of dried oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and a bit of sugar for classic pizza shop flavor.
Refer to the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Go-To Homemade Pizza Sauce
This sauce keeps things easy - just add everything to a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Mix / Whisk to Combine: Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried herbs and seasonings, salt, and pepper to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until the tomato paste is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth, evenly seasoned, and well combined. Taste and adjust for sugar and salt if needed.
Top Tips for Pizza Sauce Perfection
- Taste and adjust for salt and sugar. Once everything has been thoroughly mixed together, be sure to taste it and see if it needs more salt or sugar. If it feels flat, add a bit of salt until it's just right. If it's too sharp or "pronounced", add a pinch of sugar to round things out.
- Let it rest. This sauce can 100% be used right away; however, it does taste a bit more "put together" after it sits for about 20 or 30 minutes (or even overnight). This gives enough time for the spices and seasonings to properly hydrate and combine.
How to Store Leftover Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Short-term: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. The flavor actually improves a bit as it rests. If any water collects on top, simply pour it off and give it a quick mix before using.
- Long-term: This sauce makes a lot, and is a great candidate for freezing for future batches. I portion enough for two 14-inch pizzas (about 260 to 300 grams or 1 to 1 ½ cups) in quart freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge or in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes before using.
Homemade Pizza Sauce FAQ
If you've made the sauce ahead of time, you may be wondering if you should let it come to room temperature before using it or not. I have not found any difference in using warm or cold sauce, so I typically don't bother warming it up.
No. This is a no-cook pizza sauce, so you can mix it and use it right away. The sauce cooks on the pizza as it bakes, which keeps the process fast and easy.
That depends on the size and style of your pizza and how saucy you like it, but a good starting point is about ½ to ⅔ cup for a 14-inch, thin-crust pizza. Start lighter if you want to keep the crust from getting overloaded.
Yes. This pizza sauce is great for making ahead since the flavors have a little time to blend as it sits. Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days until you are ready to use it. Pour off any water that collects on top and give it a quick stir before using if it settles a bit.
Yes. This sauce freezes very well. I like to portion enough for about 2 pizzas and store it in quart freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, or in a bowl of warm water for 20 to 30 minutes before using.
More Pizza Night Favorites
If this go-to homemade pizza sauce is your kind of recipe, here are a few more pizza night favorites, and a couple pizza-ish ones, to make next.
Did you make this Go-To Homemade Pizza Sauce?
Let me know how it turned out in the comments below, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Go-To Homemade Pizza Sauce
Equipment
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 30 oz Tomato Sauce (Two 15 oz Cans)
- 6 oz Tomato Paste (One 6 oz Can)
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Dried Basil
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Dried Thyme
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Dried Marjoram
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼-½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (Plus more to taste)
- ½ Teaspoon Sugar (Plus more to taste)
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt (Plus more to taste)
- ¾ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, dried marjoram, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth and fully combined. Taste and adjust the salt and sugar as needed.
Notes
- Taste and adjust before using. Once the sauce is fully mixed, taste it and add a little more salt if it feels flat, or a pinch more sugar if it tastes too sharp.
- Let it rest if you have time. This sauce can be used right away, but it tastes even better after sitting for 20 to 30 minutes, so the dried herbs and seasonings can hydrate and blend.
- Store or freeze for later. Refrigerate leftover sauce in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze portions for future pizza nights.
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