Pizza night just got easier! This easy homemade pizza sauce recipe is made in 5 minutes with pantry staples. It doesn’t require any cooking, which means it’s easy to make on pizza night!
I know everyone has their own opinion on what makes the best pizza sauce, but for us, this easy pizza sauce recipe is the best! This no-cook red sauce is made in just a few minutes from simple ingredients, it’s packed full of flavor, and it rivals the sauce from my favorite pizzeria. What’s not to love?
You can easily use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks, garlic bread, or focaccia, but most of the time, we’re using this pizza sauce recipe to make homemade pizza. Paired with our homemade pizza dough and your favorite toppings, it’s tough to beat!
Here’s what you need to make our gluten-free pizza sauce…
Simple Ingredients To Start
Classic red pizza sauce is remarkably easy to make! Our go-to pizza sauce recipe centers around simple staple pantry ingredients, with a fresh touch or two. Let’s take a look:
- Whole Peeled Tomatoes. We make our pizza sauce with canned whole tomatoes. Whole tomatoes are easiest to work with, and are often higher quality! (See the next section for more.)
- Olive Oil. Adding a touch of extra virgin olive oil adds richness and prevents the sauce from drying out in the oven.
- Fresh Garlic. A garlic clove (or two!) adds vibrant, delicious flavor. Don’t have fresh garlic cloves? Use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder per clove of fresh garlic.
- Salt & Pepper. It’s amazing just how much flavor you get from simple seasonings like kosher salt and black pepper. In my opinion, they can make or break a good pizza sauce recipe!
- Oregano. Dried oregano adds a classic flavor and pairs nicely with classic pizza toppings.
- Onion Powder. Some onion powder adds depth and is easy to keep on hand!
- Fresh Basil, If You Have It. When I can, I LOVE adding some fresh basil leaves to this delicious sauce. It adds vibrant, delicious flavor, plus a pretty pop of color. Don’t have any fresh herbs? Don’t worry about it.
- Maybe Some Sugar. Some canned tomatoes are more acidic than others. If you find your pizza sauce is on the acidic side, a little sugar can be a great way to balance the flavors and neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes.
Why Use Whole Tomatoes?
- It’s Easy and Affordable. You can always have a can of tomatoes on hand, plus it’s easy to get consistent results no matter what season we’re in.
- It’s Pizzeria Style! Rather than just doctoring up a can of plain tomato sauce, using whole tomatoes gives us a more rustic, authentic texture and better tomato flavor.
- Whole Tomatoes Tend To Be Higher Quality. The best sauce starts with the best tomatoes! Only the best tomatoes can be canned whole, so you’re often getting the highest quality tomatoes when you buy whole tomatoes.
- It Keeps This Pizza Sauce Recipe No-Cook. Since we’re blending JUST the whole tomatoes (not the additional liquid or sauce), our pizza sauce is thick enough that we don’t have to cook it down to reduce it. Uncooked sauce has a bright, fresh flavor, even with canned tomatoes!
Use the best tomatoes that work for your budget, since they’re the base of this no-cook sauce. For us, the BEST Whole Tomatoes are San Marzano tomatoes. Bonus points if they’re DOP certified! Brands like SMT (San Merican Tomato), Rega, and Strianese are DOP certified, but lots of other great options are out there at the grocery store!
How To Make Homemade Pizza Sauce, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Remove The Tomatoes From The Can. To start, remove JUST the whole tomatoes from the can. Try not to add extra liquid from the can, since this will thin out our sauce. (You can save the liquid for another use or discard it.)
- Combine. Add whole tomatoes to a food processor or blender along with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, and oregano. Puree the sauce until fairly smooth, with no large chunks remaining.
- Add Basil. If using basil, add the fresh basil and pulse a few times to break the basil up a bit. Add sugar, if needed.
- Taste & Adjust. Then taste the sauce and add sugar, salt, or more seasonings, to taste.
- Serve or Store. Enjoy this pizza sauce right away, or store leftover sauce in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge up to 1 week. Or, you can freeze it up to 2 months!
Try It On Your Next Pizza Night! Use this classic pizza sauce for pepperoni pizza, Hawaiian pizza, supreme pizza, veggie pizza, and so many other delicious combinations!
Variations To Try
We almost always make this easy recipe as-is, but if you’re looking to mix things up, here are a few of our favorite twists to try:
- Add Red Pepper Flakes. If you want spicy pizza sauce, or just want a bit of warmth, consider adding a pinch (or two!) of red pepper flakes.
- Use Garlic Powder Instead. Don’t have fresh garlic? Use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder per clove of fresh garlic.
- Add Tomato Sauce. For even thicker sauce, try adding 1-2 Tablespoons tomato paste along with the canned tomatoes.
- Try Balsamic Vinegar. For some extra tang, try a small splash of balsamic vinegar. (Some people prefer a little splash of red wine)
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Pizza Sauce
How To Make Pizza Sauce Thicker. If you want even thicker pizza sauce, you can add 1-2 Tablespoons of tomato paste along with the whole tomatoes. Or, you can cook the sauce over medium-low heat to evaporate some of the liquid.
Can You Freeze Pizza Sauce? YES! Pizza sauce freezes beautifully! For best results, I like to freeze pizza sauce in 1 cup increments in freezer bags. Press out any extra air from the bags, then freeze them flat so they thaw quickly later. Alternatively, you can use freezer-safe jars. If using jars, make sure to leave 1 inch of room at the top to allow room for expansion in the freezer.
Can I Use Diced Tomatoes or Crushed Tomatoes Instead? Yes, though you may need to cook the pizza sauce over low heat to thicken it. Diced and crushed tomatoes have more liquid, which you’ll need to cook off if you want to avoid soggy pizza crust.
Recipe Card
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Leave a star rating below when you try our Homemade Pizza Sauce recipe! We can’t wait to hear what you think!
Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups sauce 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The BEST homemade pizza sauce recipe for homemade pizza! This no-cook pizza sauce is done in just 5 minutes & tastes delicious with all your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes* (San Marzano, if possible)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil (optional)
- 1/2–1 teaspoon sugar (if needed)
Instructions
- Remove The Tomatoes From The Can. To start, remove JUST the whole tomatoes from the can. Try not to add extra liquid from the can, since this will thin out our sauce. (You can save the liquid for another use or discard it.)
- Combine. Add whole tomatoes to a food processor or blender, along with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, and oregano. Puree the sauce until fairly smooth, with no large chunks remaining.
- Add Basil. If using basil, add the fresh basil and pulse a few times to break the basil up a bit. Add sugar, if needed.
- Taste & Adjust. Then taste the sauce and add sugar, salt, or more seasonings, to taste.
- Serve or Store. Enjoy this pizza sauce right away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week. Or, you can freeze it up to 2 months!
Notes
- Tomatoes. We recommend whole peeled tomatoes since it’s easier to separate the tomatoes from the liquid, whole tomatoes tend to be higher quality. Buy the best tomatoes that fit your budget–we especially love San Marzano tomatoes. If you only have diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes, you can still make this sauce. You may need to cook the pizza sauce over low heat for a few minutes to thicken it. Diced and crushed tomatoes have more liquid, which you’ll need to cook off if you want to avoid soggy pizza crust.
- Don’t have fresh garlic? Use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder per clove of fresh garlic.
- Red Pepper Flakes. If you want spicy pizza sauce, or just want a bit of warmth, consider adding a pinch (or two!) of red pepper flakes.
- How To Make Pizza Sauce Thicker. If you want even thicker pizza sauce, you can add 1-2 Tablespoons of tomato paste along with the whole tomatoes. Or, you can cook the sauce over medium-low heat to evaporate some of the liquid.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Originally shared August 2021. Fully updated July 2024.
I love that I know everything going into this sauce. It feels as reliable as it is delicious. I also love that it comes together so quickly.
We have been making your pizza crust recipes every Friday night for over a year and somehow I never noticed the sauce recipe. I can’t wait to try it next week! It sounds great- cheaper and with less weird stuff than store bought.
I made this pizza sauce last night and was completely blown away, not only by how easy it was, but also by how delicious it was!! THANK YOU!!! I will never need another pizza sauce recipe after this.
I’m a complete cooking newbie and I was wondering if someone could answer my question. Once you have cooked this sauce with the method provided, do you then add it to your uncooked pizza?
Sean, you can do one of two things. 1) pre-bake your pizza crust for 8-10 minutes so it’s set up a little bit (but hasn’t browned at all) and spread the sauce over the pre-baked crust or 2) you can spread it on the raw crust, top with your favorite pizza toppings and then bake it. I usually pre-bake my crust a bit because I like a crisp, browned crust. If you prefer a softer or lighter-colored crust, go ahead and spread it right onto the uncooked pizza dough. Hope that helps!
Looks good! I’ve tried making my own pizza sauce a few times and I haven’t been satisfied. I will have to give this a try! Thanks!