The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This Homemade Spaghetti Sauce is so easy and delicious, you will never buy the jarred kind again! Try it and you will see why I call it the Best Ever!
For more delicious Dinner Recipes, be sure to check out my Mississippi Pot Roast, Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos, and Air Fryer Meatloaf.
This homemade spaghetti sauce recipe comes from my mother-in-law, and it is one that I have kept and used ever since she first made it for us.
I love that it is so easy to make, has a delicious rich flavor, and uses real ingredients.
It’s better than any jarred sauce you can find at the store, and there is always plenty left over to freeze for another meal or two in the future.
Ingredients for The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- lean ground beef
- onion
- green bell pepper
- garlic
- canned diced tomatoes
- tomato paste
- brown sugar
- Dried spices: oregano, basil, thyme, salt, bay leaf
- water or beef broth
How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Step 1: Cook meat and vegetables
In a dutch oven cook meat, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat.
Step 2: Add tomatoes and spices
Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, oregano, salt, basil, thyme, and bay leaf.
Step 3: Simmer
Stir in the water or beef broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until sauce is of desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti.
Tips and Notes for Making The Best Spaghetti Sauce
- Try to use good quality tomatoes if you have access to them. My favorite brand of tomatoes is Tuttorosso tomatoes, Muir Glen, or Pomi tomatoes. I like the Pomi tomatoes because they come in a box rather than a can, which is nice if you’re looking to avoid BPA.
- Don’t skip the brown sugar. Adding a bit of sugar to your homemade spaghetti sauce helps to cut the natural acidity of the tomatoes and helps to balance the sauce.
- For an extra kick, add a sprinkling of red pepper flakes to your sauce. Only add this if you like some spice, though!
- Meat substitutions: you can replace the lean ground beef with ground turkey or pork sausage. You can also leave it out completely for a meatless, vegetarian spaghetti sauce.
- Let it simmer. I like to let my sauce simmer for at least an hour and a half, but longer is better (up to 2-3 hours.) The more time you allow your sauce to simmer, the richer the flavor will be. You can also transfer the sauce to a crockpot after preparing it on the stove and allow it to cook over low heat for a few hours. If your sauce is too thick after cooking, add a little more water to thin it out.
What to do with leftover spaghetti sauce
If you have leftover spaghetti sauce, here are a few ideas to help you put it to good use:
- Make baked meatballs and serve with leftover homemade spaghetti sauce, or turn them into meatball sandwiches.
- Use it for lasagna! We love zucchini lasagna and easy skillet lasagna for busy nights.
- Bake up some garlic bread and use the leftover spaghetti sauce as a dip.
- Stuff it into bell peppers and bake in the oven, or top cooked spaghetti squash with leftover sauce.
FAQs
Freshly made homemade spaghetti sauce will last for about 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Tomato paste acts as a flavor enhancer and also a thickener in the sauce. Also, your sauce will thicken as it simmers on the stove. If you’ve given your sauce plenty of time to simmer but would still prefer a thicker sauce, you can add a cornstarch slurry (1 part cornstarch to 1 part water whisked together; I’d start with 2 Tablespoons of each). Make sure to mix the slurry into your sauce very well to prevent any lumps.
Yes, and this homemade spaghetti sauce recipe makes enough to freeze leftovers for another meal. To freeze, allow the sauce to cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe container with a lid, or to freezer safe ziplock bags. If using ziplock bags, make sure to remove as much air as possible before sealing. Freeze for up to 6 months. Allow your frozen spaghetti sauce to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove.
Not exactly. While both sauces are tomato based and slow-simmered to develop flavor, marinara sauce is meatless and includes fresh herbs and garlic. Spaghetti sauce usually contains a ground meat like beef, and also includes vegetables like onions, green pepper, mushrooms, etc.
More delicious Pasta Recipes You Should Try!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef or pork sausage
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large green pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups water, or beef broth
Instructions
- In a dutch oven cook meat, onion, green pepper, and garlic until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat.
- Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, oregano, salt, basil, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Stir in the water or beef broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until sauce is of desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti.
Notes
- Try to use good quality tomatoes if you have access to them. My favorite brand of tomatoes is Tuttorosso tomatoes, Muir Glen, or Pomi tomatoes. I like the Pomi tomatoes because they come in a box rather than a can, which is nice if you’re looking to avoid BPA.
- Don’t skip the brown sugar. Adding a bit of sugar to your homemade spaghetti sauce helps to cut the natural acidity of the tomatoes and helps to balance the sauce.
- For an extra kick, add a sprinkling of red pepper flakes to your sauce. Only add this if you like some spice, though!
- Meat substitutions: you can replace the lean ground beef with ground turkey or pork sausage. You can also leave it out completely for a meatless, vegetarian spaghetti sauce.
- Let it simmer. I like to let my sauce simmer for at least an hour and a half, but longer is better (up to 2-3 hours.) The more time you allow your sauce to simmer, the richer the flavor will be. You can also transfer the sauce to a crockpot after preparing it on the stove and allow it to cook over low heat for a few hours. If your sauce is too thick after cooking, add a little more water to thin it out.
I am going to try this with San Marzano tomatoes. It sounds so good.
So spaghetti, cheesy garlic bread (sub mayo instead of butter)
Antipasto
Wine.
Good for a Saturday birthday dinner, ya’all?
Most definitely!
My family absolutely loves this spaghetti sauce! It’s simple and quick to put together. It also makes a great sauce for meatball subs.
Oh my gosh!! This is the best sauce I have ever made. So full of flavors. We just loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Excellent recipe. I always end up using a full carton of broth for my sauce as I simmer it a long time, and I like to add mushrooms as well. I’ve always used a dash of white sugar in my sauce but I feel the brown is even better.
Tastes good. Cooking the spaghetti without knowing if 16 oz is too much!!!
This recipe is so good! The bell pepper adds so much flavor. It also works amazing in lasagna! I always have some to go in the freezer for easy meal nights
Rae.
How do you freeze this sauce?
Is it packed into a quart sized freezer bag, air squeezed out, and laid flat in the freezer?
Thank you!
Yes, that will work fine.
I just finished preparing, and now to simmer for a few hours! I forgot to get a green pepper, so I used a red pepper. Do you think that’ll affect the flavor too much? I know red peps are sweeter. Looking forward to trying it tonight for dinner!
It should be fine! Hope you enjoyed it.
This is the BEST recipe! You’re right about the brown sugar. Have a wonderful day!
This is my go-to sauce. I love this recipe. Thank you for sharing it!
Here’s a tip for you, next time you feel compelled to post a recipe, put the amount of each ingredient so it’s not a guessing game.
Hi John, all ingredients, measurements, directions, etc. are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Here’s a tip for you, next time you feel compelled to comment, take the time to read the page so you you don’t sound like an idiot.
Here’s a tip for you… learn to read a recipe. The rest of us are good so no need to be insulting.
What a boomer thing to say
Nobody else had a problem finding the amounts. I think you are rude and maybe on the wrong page. This is an awesome recipe and I just made it for the first time. I followed it to a T and then added a splash of dark wine.. just a splash. It is delish. Good job <3
So glad I tried this! The flavor profile is so homey and comforting. The brown sugar cut through the acidity and the 2 hour simmering was key, It’ll be our family’s Sunday sauce moving forward. And I’m giddy to have leftovers for lunch the next few days! Thank you for sharing this!!
made this for the family.
they loved it!
it’s now my go to homemade sauce. thank you!
8 january 2023
Very 😋 and easy. Thank You
This is how I do my spaghetti sauce. The brown sugar and the beef broth are the bomb! I read somewhere years ago to cook the paste. I smear it around in my pan after I seat the onions. Does make a difference. Cooking some right now! I couldn’t remember what spices is how I found you. Thank you!
I need to know the measurements of each ingredient
Hi, they are listed in the recipe card towards the bottom of the post.