This homemade Marinara Sauce is made with slowly caramelized onions, garlic, tomatoes and Italian seasoning. These simple ingredients are cooked low and slow for the most rich and flavorful sauce to use with all of your Italian favorites.
Jump to:
The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce
This authentic, homemade Marinara Sauce is based on the family recipe of a friend with an Italian Mama! It’s the absolute best sauce to use for spaghetti, but it also tastes great served with Spicy Meatballs, Baked Chicken Parmesan, Homemade Lasagna, Tortellini, Crockpot Lasagna, Cheese Stuffed Shells or as a dipping sauce for your favorite appetizers or Cheesy Breadsticks.
Just glancing at the ingredients you might not expect for this recipe to be all that different from other marinara recipes but trust us - it is all about the process. Keep reading for a little lesson on caramelizing onions which is the very basis of this truly fabulous sauce.
Marinara Sauce From Scratch Video Tutorial
How to Caramelize Onions
Any onion will caramelize, but for this recipe, you are going to want to use white or yellow onions. They have a higher sugar content and tend to caramelize to a deep, golden color.
Why Do Onions Caramelize?
If you want to nerd out on this process, caramelization results from larger sugars breaking down into single sugar molecules. By slowly cooking onions, we draw out their natural sweetness while their sugars caramelize.
The result is sweet, tender, dark brown onions that will enhance the taste of just about anything from soups to meats to sauces like this.
Instructions and Tips
Start by peeling and chopping the onions. If you were to use the caramelized onions on a pizza or sandwich you would probably want to slice them very thin. For this sauce, we like them a bit more thick and chunky so we diced them instead.
Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add your olive oil, or mix half butter and half olive oil. Stir in the onions and a pinch of baking soda then cook over medium-low heat, occasionally stirring so that they don’t stick or burn on the bottom of the pan.
In order to get the deep, rich, golden hue, the process should take about 20-30 minutes.
- If your heat is too high, the onions will burn. Make sure and keep an eye on them.
- Baking soda helps the onions caramelize much faster by raising their pH level. All you need is a pinch for this trick to work.
- Olive oil tastes best for caramelizing onions in Marinara Sauce.
Ingredients in Marinara Sauce
- Onions - you can use white or yellow onions - they both have a high sugar content and caramelize nicely.
- Garlic - fresh tastes best but if you’re in a pinch, feel free to use the jarred minced garlic.
- Olive Oil - this helps to give your sauce a deep and rich flavor.
- Crushed Tomatoes - we strongly recommend using San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them. They have an excellent flavor.
- Diced Tomatoes - we add these for consistency. If you don’t like as many chunks in your sauce, feel free to use all crushed.
- Italian Seasoning - if you have an Italian blend of spices, use that. Otherwise, use equal parts of parsley, oregano and basil.
- Sugar - this helps to cut some of the acidity from all of the tomatoes.
- Garlic Salt - this adds great flavor.
- Garlic Powder - it may seem like garlic overload, but we promise it is not!
- Onion Powder - this adds a great sweet onion flavor.
- Salt and Pepper
- Baking Soda - this helps to slightly lower the acidity, as well as helps the onions caramelize.
How to Make Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Caramelize the onions. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering, then add the onions and baking soda. Stir so they are all coated in the oil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn a deep, rich, golden hue - about 20 minutes.
- Add the garlic. Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic. Saute until the garlic is golden, or about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Use or store. After the marinara sauce has cooked, taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly before using immediately. Or, cool completely and store in jars or an airtight container. Enjoy!
Tips for Making the Most Amazing Homemade Marinara Sauce
- The secret to amazing marinara sauce is to make sure and take the time to caramelize the onions slowly before adding the rest of the ingredients. They should reach a golden brown, transparent and very soft consistency.
- The longer you cook the Marinara Sauce, the better the flavor will be. Cooking longer removes that raw, tinny flavor from the canned tomatoes and helps to develop all of the deep layers of flavor.
- In a pinch, frozen diced onions will work.
- San Marzano tomatoes are strongly recommended but not necessary. They just have such an amazing, rich flavor when cooked over a long period of time.
Storing
- Refrigerator: Marinara Sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- Canning: if you want a long-term solution, the best is to can your sauce in canning jars. You can find canning jars at more grocery stores or department stores. If you can them properly, they can sit out at room temperature for months!
- Freezing: transfer the cooled Marinara Sauce to freezer bags and freeze flat. It can be stored frozen for up to 6 months. Once you are ready to use, thaw out in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for a few hours, then reheat in a saucepot.
Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 Large Onions white or yellow, diced
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 28-oz Cans Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 14.5-oz Can Diced Tomatoes
- ¼ Cup Italian Seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- ½ Tablespoon Salt
- ½ Tablespoon Pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering, then add the onions and baking soda.
- Stir so they are all coated in the oil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn a deep, rich, golden hue - about 20 minutes.
- Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic. Saute until the garlic is golden, or about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- After the marinara sauce has cooked, taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly before using immediately. Or, cool completely and store in jars or an airtight container. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Here are some of our favorite Italian recipes:
- Italian Mini Kabob Appetizers
- Roasted Parmesan Zucchini
- Toasted Ravioli
- Lasagna Soup
- Meat Sauce
- Crockpot Tuscan Chicken
- Viral Feta Pasta
- Chicken Spaghetti
- More Slow Cooker Recipes
- More Holiday Recipes
- More Pasta Sauces
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
This authentic, homemade Marinara Sauce is based on the family recipe of a friend with an Italian Mama! It's perfect to use for spaghetti, meatballs, ravioli or any of your other favorite Italian dishes.
Emma
I tried this recipe out today and served it with penne and chicken parm. It was the best sauce I have ever had. Thank you!
Tom
Wondering how this will hold up to freezing?
Jill Baird
I freeze it regularly and it thaws great!
Margie Dercher
This is the best Marinara sauce!! Have made it into baked Ziti, spaghetti & meatballs or an amazing stand alone sauce. Sooooo good. Flavorful without all of the sugar.
Jill Baird
I'm so glad you love it! Thanks for your comment! You totally made my day!
Sharon
I used fresh tomatoes from our great crop this year! Made the sauce twice. Huge hit with my family!! Thank you!!!!
Leigh
My family didn’t care for this recipe. Maybe it was too much Italian seasoning for us. I may use less Italian seasoning and add some fresh basil next time. It’s a personal taste I guess.
Nellie Tracy
Fantastic recipe! Homemade marinara sauce just can't be beat. Thank you!
Liz
We eat pasta on a regular basis and I love being able to make sauce at home! This marinara sauce is perfect!
JP
Can you clarify if you added the diced tomatoes? I don’t see this in your video.
The Carefree Kitchen
In this one I didn't. I just use the roasted fresh tomatoes.
Chris
This is the best homemade marinara I’ve ever made! My husband love it, too! Thanks for the delicious recipe!!!
Patricia
The recipe was easy but am wondering what size can of diced tomatoes (14 or 28oz)?
sarahK@thecarefreekitchen
Hi Patricia - we've updated the recipe to answer your question. We use 14.5-oz cans of diced tomatoes.
Nicole Busse
This will officially be my go-to marinara recipe! Thank you!
Kari
Soooooo goooooood. I used a bit less sugar. That was about it.
sarahK@thecarefreekitchen
So glad you enjoyed!
Kieran Baker
First of all, you should know that I never take the time to write reviews. I spend all that time cooking and trying new recipes lol
I want you to know I am forever grateful for this recipe! I've made it countless times and it's always the family favorite. I even have friends who ask me to make it for them. I have found that the freshness of your seasonings matter. And home grown onions, garlic, and herbs from our garden is a game changer. Regardless, this is an incredible recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Michelle
Hi can you can this sauce and how long would it last in jars
Nancy Filfalt
I just watched the video and noticed that while the recipe lists a can of diced tomatoes you didn’t put any in the sauce you were making. My husband does not like any kind of chunky tomatoes in his sauce (but I’m very hesitant to omit anything in a recipe) so is it okay to leave them out without making any adjustments to recipe? I’m trying to learn how to cook better so I have a tendency to strictly follow recipes.
Nancy Filfalt
I just watched the video and noticed that while the recipe lists a can of diced tomatoes you didn’t put any in the sauce you were making. My husband does not like any kind of chunky tomatoes in his sauce (but I’m very hesitant to omit anything in a recipe) so is it okay to leave them out without making any adjustments to recipe? I’m trying to learn how to cook better so I have a tendency to strictly follow recipes.
Ellen
Just a thought. Maybe take the diced tomatoes and purée in the blender. All the flavor none of the lumps. ????
Shurdell Williams
Thank you for this recipe. I made this today. OMG My family love it. This will be the family favorite. I don’t think I will be buying jar sauce anymore. It is so delicious.
Robin
I just made this and it is amazing!! This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you for posting it!
anthony
Sugar is never used in tomato sauce.
The acid is still in the pot.
Just cut gashes in carrot. Put carrot in sauce while cooking.
Then throw the carrot in the trash because it's full of tomato acid.
Acid is not in the sauce.
Natalie
Anthony, sorry, but you are incorrect. Every professional chef I have watched, will put a small amount of sugar in all tomato based sauces..just saying...
Linda
What size can of diced tomatoes ?