The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
The rich, delicious flavor of this homemade spaghetti sauce is nothing short of amazing! Tried-and-true, this spaghetti sauce recipe really is the best.
This has been my go-to spaghetti sauce for years. I make a batch, freeze half, and we have several meals to look forward to!
The flavor in this spaghetti sauce is out of this world delicious.
How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This sauce begins by building levels of flavor.
First: throw a chopped onion and red pepper in a blender and process until mostly smooth.
Doing this gives the sauce loads of flavor with minimal texture (making it especially kid-friendly!).
Second: brown ground beef (or a combination of ground beef, ground pork, or ground sausage) with lots of garlic and add the following.
- tomato paste
- blended onion and red pepper
- dried basil, oregano and thyme
- salt and pepper
Cook that mixture until sizzling and fragrant.
Third: add the “saucy” ingredients and a few more ingredients for flavor.
- diced tomatoes
- crushed tomatoes
- beef broth or stock
- brown sugar
- bay leaves
A Boost of Flavor
Cook the sauce at a low simmer for about an hour. It will reduce and thicken as it cooks.
Also: your house is going to smell amazing!
When it’s done cooking, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Why? This balances out the sauce while adding a rich depth of flavor.
Slow Cooker Variation
This sauce can easily be made in a slow cooker for even easier prep!
Slow Cooker Instructions: cook the meat and garlic in a skillet on the stove. Drain the grease. Then add the cooked meat and everything else (minus the olive oil and balsamic vinegar) to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 or low for 7-9 hours. Stir in the balsamic vinegar about 15 minutes before serving.
A Family Favorite
This sauce has been our go-to homemade spaghetti sauce for over ten years. It’s perfect for spaghetti. But it can also be used for baked ziti, manicotti, and many other pasta dishes!
So many of you have become lifelong fans of this recipe as well.
Elizabeth says: This sauce is so good. I made everything exactly to a T. AMAZING!
Jorene says: I have been making this sauce for a couple years now. It truly is the best recipe. Everybody that eats it loves it. My sister asked for the recipe. That says a lot. I keep it in my freezer all the time.
Christy says: Omg! I haven’t made homemade sauce in over 20 years and I’m here to tell you that this is by far the best sauce I’ve ever tasted or made. Love it and wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you.
FAQ for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Yes, it’s delicious meatless, too (you can also use it for spaghetti and meatballs – add cooked meatballs toward the end after the sauce has simmered and let the meatballs heat through in the sauce).
I haven’t canned this recipe, but here’s another option!
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/homemade-spaghetti-marinara-sauce-for-canning-or-freezing/
The flavor is a bit different than this homemade spaghetti sauce (in order for the sauce to be safe for canning), but it’s super tasty.
I simmer partially covered.
Yes I do that all the time!
What to Serve With This:
Hot, cooked spaghetti noodles
Divine breadsticks
Simple green salad (or something more fancy like this Gourmet Green Salad)
The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups onion, chopped and divided
- 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored and coarsely chopped
- 1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 cans (14-ounces each) Italian-style diced tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes
- 2 cans (28-ounces each) crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces button or baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 1 ½ cups beef stock or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup of the chopped onions, and sauté until translucent and slightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly for a minute or so.
- Add beef, and cook, breaking into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, 6-7 minutes. Drain excess grease.
- In a blender or food processor, blend remaining 1 cup onion and the red pepper until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pot with the beef and onions.
- Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and thyme, and cook for 1 minute, stirring until combined.
- Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, mushrooms (if using), beef broth, and sugar. Stir until combined before adding the bay leaves.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and let the sauce rest for 10-15 minutes (for the flavor to absorb) before serving.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally published September 2016; updated September 2022 with additional photos, notes, etc (did not change the recipe).
This was delish! And it made so much… Can’t wait for leftover night! Thanks for all of your yummy recipes, they never disappoint!
My family LOVED this! I have two small boys and they gobbled it up. I will definitely be making this again and again. I have tried a few of your recipes and I have loved every one of them! Thanks!
Try this with tomato juice instead of sauce. let it simmer all day and then add the tomoatoe paste to thcken to your liking. Its magnifique!
I love this sauce! My husband and I make a huge batch of sauce every couple months and freeze it for any night we don’t feel like cooking. This is definitely the best one we’ve made! The second batch is simmering now. We have done some of our own tweaking though. I add pound of italian sausage in addition to the beef. We like our sauce meaty! We also add way way way way more garlic (almost a whole bulb) because we are both complete garlic lovers! Thank you for such an awesome recipe!!
If I am going to freeze some sauce do I add the balsamic vinegar to the whole batch or just what I am using for the meal? Thanks
Geoff – I always add the balsamic to the whole batch and then freeze. I’ve never noticed any adverse effects/taste from doing so.
Mallory – do you have a food processor? If not, just cook them until they are really soft and tender. Your sauce may be a bit chunkier but the flavor will still be there. Mashing might be a good idea, too.
I don’t have a blender. Do you have any suggestions as to how I should add the pepper and extra onion? Should I steam and mash them?
I don’t normally comment… But I have to say, since discovering this recipe and your site about a month ago- I’ve made this sauce at least 5 times now. We always have a stash of containers stacked in the freezer for weekday lunches and dinners. I’ve even turned half the batch into chili by omitting the balsamic and adding beans and additional spices. It’s a fantastic recipe to help people understand how simple and delicious a homemade sauce can be… A wonderful way to help understand what each step brings to the dish. It’s made me a little more creative in the kitchen and I wanted to say ‘Thanks!’…
So, thanks!
-Lauren
it came out perfect! defenetly worth the time and effort, its delicious 🙂 i omited the ddried basil and crushed tomatoes, because i dont like it too tomatoe like. it is a wonderful meal 🙂
Katie – I don’t have that one anymore. Sorry! I haven’t used it in years and have been using this one instead.
Please, please, please! Where is the first sauce recipe you posted, with the red cooking wine and both chicken and beef bouillon? My family loves that one! I was just recently cleaning out my recipe drawer and my printed version is no longer with us. I can’t find it!! Can I have it again? Pretty please?
Tiff, I don’t know…I’ve never canned this sauce.
Is it safe to can this with a waterbath?
Awesome sauce!!! Best ‘from scratch’ I’ve ever made! Thanks!!
Oh how we love this sauce! Yum!
just about to make this for tomorrow night. definately lookin forward to it
I am sitting here in my kitchen while the sauce is simmering. This is my first time making it, and I am using beefsteak tomatoes from my garden. I keep tasting it because it is so yummy. My dad’s birthday is in a couple of days, so being the spaghetti lover that he is, he is going to get a batch of it.
I ask for home made but it is always with can tomatoes I want fresh tomatoes
We LOVE this sauce. Good flavor, and not too spicy for the kids. I just looked it up again, as I have oodles of garden tomatoes to use. Last year, I made LOTS with my tomatoes, and froze it in 2-3 cup containers, minus the vinegar. I would then thaw it in the fridge, simmer for an hour and add the vinegar at the end as the recipe directs. It did not lose any quality or flavor even after frozen for a long time.
Just stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and gave it a try tonight. It was so delicious! I got rave reviews from my husband and the 2 college kids loved it. We ate it with penne pasta and there was plenty left over which I immediately froze for another meal. I’m thinking lasagna is in my near future!
I would make it meatless. Thanks for the info
Dottie – sure, you could purée this. I’m not sure how I feel about puréed meat but if you are ok with it or are going to make it meatless, it should work fine.
I have been looking at your spaghetti recipe & it looks wonderful. I like my sauce smooth. Should I put it in a blender in batches to smooth it like the Marinara sauce? Is that the best way to do it?
I’m sure you’re quite familiar with rushed recipes! I’ve come again and again to your site but only recently took a moment to thoroughly read your About page (I thought I previously had, but no); when I discovered all the little ones you have running around your apron strings, my already good opinion of you grew! (That, and I felt silly for having taken up a moment of your time with my trivial question.) Now more than before, because I now have a better understanding of the sacrifice it means for you, I appreciate your taking the time not only to share your wonderful recipes and accompanying photos (the photos draw us in!), but also to respond to inquiries. You are kind. 🙂
I was able to neutralize the bitterness with additional sugar and pinches of baking soda. Here’s to a more successful sauce next time, thanks to you. 🙂
Hi Hannah…yes I think the bitterness was probably due to the balsamic coming in too soon. I hope it works out better if you try it again. I know how those rushed recipes go!
MMMmmmm! Wonderful recipe. We made it tonight with tomatoes from our garden and couldn’t be happier with the results! Another keeper. 🙂
Rushed during my trial run of this tantalizing meat sauce (and admittedly distracted by both a toddler, a husband leaving for work, and leftover red pepper slices I immediately decided should be breakfast), I accidentally added the balsamic right along with the rest of the ingredients. *pause for dramatic gasps* Following a 2 hr. simmer, the resulting sauce had a slightly bitter undertone, thus I added the brown sugar I had originally omitted in favor of the natural sweetness of carrot and extra red pepper. My question: Do you suspect this bitterness was a product of bringing the balsamic to the party prematurely? Thank you! And thank you! 🙂
I made this sauce a few weeks ago and it was a hit with my husband, whom, after 22 years of marriage as never liked my homemade spaghetti sauce! The only change I did was run the beef in the food processor after I cooked it, and it gave the sauce a nice consistency! Thank you for a winner of a recipe … I am making more tomorrow!
I have made several sauces by scratch and would always go back to jarred because I didn’t like the acidic and very tomatoey taste it had, that overpowered the whole sauce. But I have finally found a keeper, I like the blending of the few veggies because I even snuck in some spinach and kids knew no better 🙂 next time I think I will add some more hidden vegetables to that blend! Also I don’t eat pasta but felt the need to scoop myself a scoop for dinner, it was just that yummy, not to pass up! Thank you 🙂
I just finished making this, and unfortunately, I didn’t have any diced tomatoes on hand. So, I used a fresh tomato and instead of blanching it and peeling the skin, I coarsely chopped it and ran it through the food processor after the onions and peppers. It turned out really well! I also added some hot peppers to it, because we like our sauce on the spicy side!
Thanks for a great recipe.
I wish you people would STOP saying how great it LOOKS… Reviews are suppose to be AFTER you actually make and try a recipe, so it helps those of us wondering before cooking. I can’t stand it when people do that, it’s so dumb!!!!
I can’t say enough about this spaghetti sauce. I tried it for the first time tonight and loved it. I am glad it makes a lot!
This recipe rocks! I hv made this twice now. The first time i omitted the red pepper and let it simmer in the slow cooker for 4 hrs. The 2nd time i roasted the red pepper on the stove then blended it into the sauce, and i simmered the sauce on the stove top. I think it was better the 2nd time around. The roasted red pepper gave it a sweet smoky flavor and letting it simmer on the stove top reduced the sauce to a nice thick consistency (it was too watery in the slow cooker). I think the next time, I’ll blend some dried chiles to give it some heat!
I have never made homemade spaghetti sauce before.. always thought it would be too hard. I made this on Sunday and not only was it pretty easy to follow the directions it was better than any spaghetti sauce I have ever had!! My husband and 14 month old son loved it too!! We have enough in the freezer for probably 3 more meals for our little family. Thank you SO much for your recipes I have tried a number of them and they have ALL been big hits and will be on the menu rotation forever!!
Karisa – yep, beef broth will do just fine! That’s usually what I use. Beef stock has a bit more concentrated flavor but it won’t make a huge difference in this recipe.
I’m about to make this delish recipe for the first time (super excited!) but have a question: I have no idea what beef stock is (there, I said it) I bought beef broth, will that work?
Thank you so much for sharing!
Atothemazing recipe!
I halved this recipe and had enough for spaghetti and a lasagna.
This sauce was amazing. I let it simmer for four hours and it seemed to get better overnight.
Thank you!
This sounds wonderful! I do have a question. Has anyone tried this minus the meat? Our family enjoys a good marinara and have found that we just don’t like meat in our Italian food…ever…except of course for something like chicken parm! I have a homemade spaghetti sauce recipe I do love that also freezes wonderfully, but like you, I’m always looking to tweak and improve! Thanks!
Mel,
I’ve made this twice now – I just finished a batch tonight. I forgot to add the balsamic vinegar last time but hopefully remember this time to see if I like the taste.
I used it in lasagna the last time and got a thumbs up from my husband. I also used red & yellow bell pepper and added about double the brown sugar. I also used lower sodium beef stock, so not sure if that affects the taste. I like the vegetable ideas the other ladies have shared.
As for the amount it makes it’s about 18 1/2 cup servings. I’ve not really calculated the cost per serving, though. Would be interesting to see how it compared to store bought.
Hi! I’m planning on making this in my crockpot. Will be using lean ground turkey instead of beef. Sorry if this is a silly question, but could I use chicken broth instead? And, would I add the balsamic vinegar near the end of cooking time or could I just add it in the beginning and let it simmer on low for the whole day?
Thanks!
Anna – I think chicken broth should work ok although the sauce might have a slightly less deep flavor profile since beef stock/broth has a bit deeper flavor. I would still stir in the balsamic vinegar at the end. Let me know how it turns out!
Oh my goodness. I made this weeks menu plan using your website. This was delicious! Thank you so much for a new family favorite. I just need to learn how to can now so I can be stocked up without spending a lot of time on it. It was worth every minute though. Yum.
Made this last night using a trick I found on Cooks Country. Instead of simmering it on the stove, I put on the lid and put it in the oven at 300 degrees and let it cook for about 6 hours. I checked it about every 2 hours, afraid it would cook down too fast, but no! It reduced perfectly, and though I would’ve eaten it after 2 hours, it was even MORE perfect after all day in the oven. The meat (I use turkey) was also beautifully tender. Another thing I do that you may want to try, process two to four raw carrots and add that instead of sugar. Sweetens it naturally as well as adds vitamins and fiber.
Totally going to try this, but something you could add that is delish (my moms sauce is really yummy and has this in it) is zucchini, and I’m sure squash would be good in it too. I love hiding veggies in everything.
Another hit from your site, Mel. I love your recipes! I did omit the mushrooms and red pepper and used 1 lb. of italian sausage, but the results were fabulous! I was able to freeze two 48-oz. containers for future dinners. Thank you Thank you for such delicious recipes!
The sauce was very good. I omitted the food processor and just added the red pepper and onion. I also put it all in the crockpot after browning the beef and vegetable mixture for about 4 hours on low.
I have commented on this recipe already but I have just made it again, omitting the meat and the pepper and adding zucchini and celery. It was delicious also. I now can use the same recipe marinara sauce and meat sauce! Life just keeps getting better!
Thanks again!
Wow. Sooo delicious. I have been trying out a few of your recipes, and they are soooo tasty!
Thanks, Jessie!
Hi Mel,
This sauce sounds incredible! What changes would I need to make if I just want to make a plain sauce (no meat in the sauce) My five-year old wants spaghetti and meatballs for his birthday dinner. Will the sauce still thicken up okay without the meat, and should I decrease the onion or the spices or something else…?
Hi Katie – if you are looking for a basic red sauce for spaghetti and meatballs, I’d use this marinara recipe. It is delicious! If you are sure you want to make this spaghetti sauce recipe, I wouldn’t alter any ingredients except to take out the meat. You’ll probably need to simmer it slightly longer to let it thicken up.
I made this for the first time tonight and I couldn’t be more pleased. After years and years of searching I have finally found the spaghetti sauce recipe that is “the one”. My search is over. I could cry and dance, I am so happy!! Thank you thank you thank you!
Carla – thank you so much for your review on this recipe! I’m happy you’ve found “the one!”