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!
Recipe: 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.
This is one delicoius sauce! I love the big chunks of vegetables in it. It feels so much more hearty and rustic.
Use 8 garden fresh roma tomatoes instead of the canned it’s wonderful
Family favorite!
How would you suggest replacing red lentils for the ground beef? Cook the lentils with the sauce or pre cook separately then add to sauce during the last 30 min.
Red lentils cooks quickly and I don’t want it mushy.
I want to use in a lasagna; since this is delicious. Made previously with plant based crumbles.
Hi Lisa, I have never tried making this with lentils before so I am not sure how it turn out. I would probably cook them separately, though, and add in at the end. If you try it, please let us know how it goes!
Hi! I haven’t had a chance to try this yet but it sounds so delicious with so many great reviews! I’m not a huge fan of chunky sauce so was just curious if you’ve tried it by using an immersion blender to smooth it out ?
You can definitely use the immersion blender!
No more store spaghetti sauce for me. This recipe is so easy to make and it is delicious. So much more satisfying.
Oh wow you were not kidding when you called this the best. I have been making sauces for years in various ways (recipes or just winging it). I have tried this a few times and can say this will be the only recipe I use in the future. I was at first skeptical of the amount of liquid but it was perfect. I am looking forward to summer when I can use fresh herbs and fresh tomatoes and do my best to try to use the equivalent amounts stated here as i think the proportions worked well. Another thing I love about this recipe it is easy to add other things I like in my sauce like mushrooms, olives ect. This just makes a great starter base or perfect the way it is if you follow the directions. I do use half red wine and half beef broth if I have it.
So sorry! I didn’t see the measurements! Just saw them. Sorry!!
I really want to try this sauce, but the recipe doesn’t say how much of each ingredient to use!! Anyone know?!!
Ingredients
½1x2x
▢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
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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.
This has been my go to sauce for years now. Everyone always raves about it and asks for the recipe!
so delicious! I have never made homemade sauce before.
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!!!