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).
I used some that I had frozen (you’re right in saying this makes a lot!) to make Argentine Canelonis, which is basically a baked savory crepe. Delicious! I was SO glad to have saved so much time by having the sauce on hand. Thank you!
Made this recipe last night and loved it! The balsamic and red pepper are a delicious addition. It does make a ton, so there is plenty to spare for the freezer and leftovers.
This was good, but definitely needed much more salt, at least for my taste. Much too sweet with the brown sugar, maybe I’ll add only a teaspoon next time. I think that’s why I needed much more salt, to counteract the sweetness. But a good recipe. I’ll try it again, and tweak it to my taste. Everybody’s tastes are different, that’s what makes the world go ’round 🙂
Hi Mel! I am so happy I found your blog… I have been using your recipes and my picky family has been very pleased. I do have a question about the spaghetti sauce. My family does not like to have chunks of tomato in their sauce, can I replace the diced tomatoes with tomato sauce or is there some other tweak you would suggest? I am really hoping to get away from prepackaged sauces. 🙂
You might try subbing crushed tomatoes for the diced and see how that works. Good luck!
My family is super picky too – I just put the tomatoes in the blender. Nice smooth sauce.
Just curious , what does the balsamic Vin do to it ? I’m making this today and was just wondering what it added to it
Hi Brad – it helps balance out the flavors and adds a nice rich acidity. Some people have left it out, though, and liked the sauce just fine.
Made this today for my post-baby freezer stash and it’s lovely! Thanks for sharing, Mel!
For those curious, this made about 12 – 13 cups. I filled up 2 quart mason jars and 2 pint-and-a-half jars. I left a good amount of headspace, since I plan to freeze them.
Thanks, again!
Wow…it is perfect
I followed the recipe but somehow ended up with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Any idea how I got that and how to avoid it next time? Otherwise, I really liked the taste and the texture. Thanks!
Might be the brand of balsamic vinegar or even canned tomatoes you are using. They each differ quite widely by brand. You might try omitting or decreasing the balsamic vinegar to see how that goes next time.
Will do. Thanks! I really appreciate your blog.
Loved your spaghetti sauce!! I’ve always loved my own spaghetti sauce but love to experiment also. I made your sauce with a fee tweeks and loved the addition of the red pepper, balsamic and beef broth. I usually add cream sherry to my sauce it gives it some sweetness along with a hint of wine flavor.
My question is this. You said you have finally perfected this sauce, I’m sure during this process you experimented with putting some sort of wine in it, what made you decide to leave it out in this recipe??
I also made the spaghetti pie, WOW, that was a hit!! Love your website and recipes. You can really tell what a great talent and love you have for cooking.
Hi Doug – thanks for your comment; happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes! About your question, I actually didn’t add wine during any of the variations mostly because I am not an alcohol drinker and usually don’t use it in my cooking, either. I know it imparts great flavor but since I never drink it, I don’t really know what I’m missing. 🙂 Thanks for checking in!
Best spaghetti sauce EVER!! Thanks for sharing
why add balsamic vinegar?
Hi! Can you tell me if the brown sugar makes the sauce taste sweet at all? I prefer no sweet taste in my sauces 🙂 I can omit it if it does. Wasn’t sure if it had another purpose. Love all of your recipes! Your site is a go-to for anything I’m looking for!
Kendel – Yes, this sauce does have a hint of sweetness so you may want to leave it out or cut back. Hope you like it if you try it!
I made this last night when we had some visitors over. It was a huge hit! I almost forgot to add the balsamic, and am so glad I remembered, because it just put the flavor over the top. One of my guests even joked that they kind of just wanted to drink the sauce straight because it was so delicious. Thanks for another great recipe. I will definitely be making this again.
Love this recipe! I will make up batches of this yummy sauce and freeze for the future. I recently found your website and have enjoyed every recipe I’ve tried. You’ve got it down! Thank you!
I made this spaghetti sauce today for dinner tonight. It was absolutely delicious!!
My husband who is not a huge fan of italian even commented on how good the sauce was. I followed the recipe exactly but next time I will chop the italian stewed tomatoes into smaller pieces. I prefer smaller chunks of tomatoes in my sauce. I allowed it to simmer about 2 hours. The house smelled so good while it was simmering.
The recipe made a big 6 quart pot of sauce so after the sauce cooled I distributed it in 1 quart jars with seal and ring and froze the sauce. It will be the just right for recipes that call for a 28 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce. After eating this sauce I will never use jarred sauce again!!
Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!
I forgot to mention. I used 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. mild Italian sausage and it was great! I bought Italian stewed tomatoes accidentally instead of the Italian diced tomatoes so that is why I had chunky sauce. The sauce is GREAT!!
Mel – After several attempts to make a home made sauce to my liking, I was thrilled with this recipe. Perfect consistency of the sauce, delicious flavor. I called an audible and used a combo of pork, veal and beef, but otherwise, followed it to a T. This recipe is now part of my arsenal! thanks
This is my second time making your sauce and my house smells awesome. The first time I did a meatless sauce, and this time I am adding the ground beef. My teenage daughter and I love to cook together. And we have made some great memories in the kitchen from many of your recipes. I can’t thank you enough for that. ♥
Tried it with and without the balsamic. The flavor definitely deepened after I added it. It is really good. I can’t wait until tomorrow to eat some more-spaghetti sauce, like greens, is a dish that definitely improves in flavor after being on the refrigerator overnight.
I also forgot to ask: I may have added a little too stock to the mixture-it’s hard to say because there’s a lot of sauce. Do I just simmer it a little linger to evaporate the excess liquid? And, do I let it simmer covered or uncovered?
Gus – Letting the sauce simmer uncovered will definitely help reduce excess liquid. I am glad you liked it!
I saw this and am making it for the first time. It’s a really easy recipe. I may have made a mistake, though. I always use red wine in my spaghetti sauce, and before I realized it, I poured a cup of red wine into the the sauce along with the beef stock. I am not sure whether I need to add the balsamic at the end. I will try it both ways (with and without the balsamic-there’s definitely more than enough sauce in the pot to experiment with some of it) and hope for the best. But it smells fantastic!!!!! My grandkids keep running into the kitchen asking when will dinner be ready?
I used ground turkey only and fresh tomatoes instead of canned sliced. Threw everything in the crockpot on lowvand turned out amazing
I made this tonight for a bunch of friends – it was a BIG hit w/ everyone. I followed the recipe almost exactly – I had ground pork, so did half ground beef, half pork. And I received various frozen peppers in my meat share, so used a variety of green/red/yellow peppers. Other than that, I did everything as prescribed – and it was fantastic!!!
Mel,
I’ve been cooking since I was six. I’m a grandmother with 13 grandchildren now and still love to cook for others. While I was checking on different recipes, I came across your sauce recipe. Since I canned tomatoes, I wanted to experiment with a new recipe. I chose your sauce to make tonight. Before I put in the vinegar both my husband and I tasted it, and we both liked it. However, we both thought the taste was richer after I added the vinegar. I used a quart of my tomatoes, a large can of seasoned tomatoes, and a large can of sauce, plus the tomato paste. It cooked on low for two hours and then set for another hour while I prepared the rest of the spaghetti pie. I still have enough sauce for two more pies! I love the red pepper in it! I added mushrooms as well. You get an A+ for this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Made this for dinner tonight. Absolutely fabulous, Dh declared prego would never be allowed in the house again LOL This was so easy to make and it tasted like you stood over the stove all day long. Not a big hit with 3 of the kids, but they prefer butter, garlic and parm. on their spaghetti so no surprise there.
Kind of glad they don’t like it because there was enough left to put a container in the fridge and 2 in the freezer for us to eat later. Thank you for such a yummy addition to our recipes 🙂
Today is my second time making this and I LOVE it. My entire family does. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I’m used to using Hunts sauce and tweaking it a little bit. I love this so much better!
This turned out great, just a tip for everyone make sure to use real San Marzano tomatos imported from Italy, makes a big difference 🙂
Another hit! My 2 year old daughter asked for seconds…and then thirds! Made with your divine breadsticks. So good!
Mel, your website has become my new recipe box! I love everything on your site, and it all turns out delicious!! I’ve always loved cooking, but I love it even more now that I have access to all your amazing recipes. I made this spaghetti sauce last night–TO DIE FOR!! So good! Like many of the others, I too have been searching for that perfect spaghetti sauce recipe. This is the one.
I thought I’d give this a try, was thinking to myself “this could be just another site with all great reviews only to discover the dish tastes ordinary” as I have been searching for the best bolognaise recipe for years and THIS IS IT, THIS IS THE ONE! This recipe is superb, even satisfied my hard to please husband. I have also tried your sweet and sour chicken – fantastic!!! This is my go-to site for all things FOOD. Mel you are amazing! Thankyou from Australia!
I have made this sauce multiple times yet every time I think it’s better than before. I’m looking in to making it without canned tomatoes/paste — any idea as to how many tomatoes would be needed for the amounts called for?
CAC – you’ll definitely have to experiment with this since I haven’t tried it with fresh tomatoes. Sorry!
Hi there, love the website and the fantastic recipes! I have wanted to make my own spaghetti sauce for so long, but none of them ever fit the bill. This tastes fabulous, but I just have one or two questions. Can you leave the meat out of it so you can use it for chicken (or veggie meals)? Also apart from going getting a canning machine, could you just keep it in a sterilised and airtight jar when there is no meat in it? Or should I just stick to freezing regardless? Much thanks and love from Ireland! 🙂
Jenny.
Hi Jenny – yes, you could definitely leave the meat out of this for a vegetarian option. It wouldn’t be shelf stable unless it was canned according to the official ‘canning rules’ – so if you want to make large batches, I’d encourage freezing or figuring out how it will can (I believe others have left comments above saying they’ve canned it). Hope that helps a bit!
Best sauce EVER ! My whole family and my best friend LOVED it !!!!! I had to promise I would always use this recipe. None of this sauce made it to the freezer….my son even had it the next day COLD from the frig for his breakfast.
This may be the best homemade spaghetti sauce I’ve ever had, and definitely the best that I’ve ever made. So, so good.
It definitely makes a lot … We had generous helpings for dinner and I still put a bunch in the freezer for another time!
My fiancée and I have been debating for a while now to make a homemade sauce instead of store bought. We have stared really looking at ingredients and it is unbelievable what our foods are actually made of! So she decided today that we need to make a homemade sauce…And I found you! Your sauce looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it on my pick fiancée and children! I definitely will be back to let you know how it went! Thanks!
I have this simmering on my stovetop now. I am curious though, why do we purée the onion and pepper?
Christina – I like to puree it for the flavor it adds and I like that it is smooth without the extra texture.
I tried this sauce for a casual spaghetti dinner with friends and it did not disappoint! Not that I thought it would….that’s why I pulled it from Mel’s site. She never does me wrong. It was so good! My go-to meat sauce from now on!
Mel, I love your recipes, and am truly excited that I am going to give this one a try. I have one question. Since it makes so much, and I will be freezing it, like recommended, do I still stir in the balsamic 15 minutes before I finish cooking it, or will that give the frozen remainder a bitter taste when I reheat it in a slow cooker another day? Thanks!!! 🙂
Hi Stephanie, I always stir in the balsamic even if I’m planning on freezing the spaghetti sauce or using it later. Should be fine!
This was delicious…the whole family loved it! A very unique sauce, I loved the balsamic vinegar in it. Thanks for yet another winner!!
Is this with packed b sugar or loose?
Is the b pepper seeded and stemmed?
How many ounces fresh slices mushrooms?
B sugar two tbsp packed or loose?
Thanks
Hi John – I use about 8 – 16 ounces fresh mushrooms. Yes, I seed and core and stem the pepper. And the brown sugar is lightly packed.
I am really enjoying your posts and recipes. I started with your Spaghetti Pie, now your Red Sauce. We are in the middle of the biggest heat waves in years and can not wait to get in the kitchen and start cooking!
Made it meatless! So yummy. Thanks 🙂
I made this and took it in to work. They loved it so much, they accused me of just buying a jar of spaghetti sauce. thanks! lol
I have two questions for you. Can you email me back with the answers? I would sure appreciate it.
1. What kind or brand of flour tortilla’s did/do you use with your honey lime enchilda’s? And why no recipe for enchilada sauce?
2. Does the ground beef you use in your spaghetti sauce also come out tasting like over-done hard pieces of beef? I don’t know why the ground beef I use always comes out tough, flavorless, hard, and over-done. It really irks me too, because my sauce is really fantastic and everyone loves it, but when I add ground beef it just ruins it, and I love having beef in my sauce. Does yours turn out the same way?
Please let me know.
Thanks,
Karen
Really, really great. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I just made this sauce and it was yummy. I didn’t have all the ingredients and tweaked it a little bit to use what I had at home. I used 3 cans of diced tomatoes, minced garlic (in the jar), 2 beef boullon cubes (didn’t have any broth in the can), brown sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and my husband added a little bit of regular sugar. I browned my meat and added some tony chachere’s. It was so good! I cooked some whole grain rotini and it was perfect!
It was absolutely delicious – like every other recipe I have tried from your blog!! Thank You!
Judith – it’s a red bell pepper.
Is the red pepper in your spaghetti sauce a hot pepper or mild?
Hi Mel – I just have to tell you how much I love your spaghetti sauce recipe! I have tried for years to make my own sauce and have always gone back to Prego because I could not make one that tasted any better until today. My whole family really liked it. I am not Italian but live in community with lots of wonderful Italian cooks who could not believe I didn’t make my own sauce. I am happy to say that now I can thanks to you. I also made your ham recipe in the crockpot for Christmas and it turned out wonderfully. I won’t bother to make it in the oven again. Thanks and I am so glad to have found your blog. I look forward to trying many more of your recipes!