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Easy homemade spaghetti sauce made with simple ingredients and ready in minutes. This classic spaghetti sauce recipe is a family dinner favorite.
Looking for more easy dinner ideas? I think you’ll love my Skillet Lasagna, Classic Chili, and Alfredo Sauce Recipe.
Spaghetti sauce is one of those classic recipes that everyone should have a recipe to turn to time and again. This is it for my family! I love how quick and easy it is to prepare while being a versatile recipe based on what I have available in the pantry and refrigerator. If you are looking for the same from a spaghetti sauce recipe for quick and easy weeknight dinners, I think you’ll love this one!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Delicious. Ready and on the table in about 30 minutes, yet makes a flavorful, delicious classic spaghetti sauce.
- Easy. Such a simple recipe for an easy weeknight meal staple or to make ahead for easy meal prep.
- Versatile. I’ve included variations and options that I frequently use to help you make this recipe your favorite!
- Meal Prep Favorite. While this is a quick and easy recipe, I also love to make ahead and store in the fridge for meal prep during the week. Make a double batch and freeze to use later!
How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients
For this easy spaghetti recipe, you’ll need ingredients you will likely already have in your pantry and refrigerator. If not, I’ve included easy variations and options for you.
- Ground beef – I think the recipe as written is the perfect balance between a meaty spaghetti sauce and not as meaty sauce. If you prefer a meatier sauce, double the amount of meat in the recipe (as shown in the recipe photographs and video). To make this recipe thinner and even more budget-friendly, reduce the total meat used based on your needs. You can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground venison in place of the ground beef.
- Sausage – The combination of ground beef and sausage adds so much flavor to the sauce. You can use all ground beef if you prefer.
- Onion – Add the diced onion it to the skillet to brown, along with the meat and seasonings. You can also omit the onion or replace it with ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Garlic – the recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic that have been minced. You can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or ½ teaspoon of granulated garlic in place of the fresh garlic. I also use my Stone House Seasoning in place of the fresh garlic in this recipe quite often to make it even easier.
- Seasonings – I like to use Italian seasoning in this recipe. You can use your favorite store-bought or my homemade Italian Seasoning recipe. You can also simply use salt, pepper, and oregano. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes for additional spice and flavor if desired.
- Tomatoes – I use both crushed and diced tomatoes in my recipe. If you do not have crushed or diced tomatoes, you can use tomato sauce and tomato paste instead. If using tomato paste, you will need to add 1 cup of water and allow the sauce to simmer.
- Worcestershire sauce – (Optional) Deepens the flavor of the sauce. I love to use Coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.
- Sweetener – (Optional) Sometimes, you may need to balance the tomatoes with a little sweetness. You can use a vegetable, such as bell pepper or carrots, that are finely diced and cooked along with the onion. You can also use a tablespoon of granulated sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Brown the meat and vegetables. Add the meat, onion, garlic, seasonings, and, if using, the bell pepper and/ or carrots to a large skillet or saucepan. Drain away any excess drippings and return the skillet to the stovetop. You can also cook the onion, garlic, seasonings and any other vegetables in a bit of olive oil prior to adding the meat to be browned. This is how the recipe video illustrates the recipe.
Stir in the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Add the tomatoes and stir until combined. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, if using. Taste and, if needed and desired, adjust the seasonings to your tastes and add any sweetener of choice if needed. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add up to a cup of water.
Cook the sauce and serve. Allow the sauce to reach a boil and just begin to bubble. Reduce the heat to simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.
I love to serve it with my favorite House Salad and garlic bread for a family favorite meal.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
To make ahead. Cook spaghetti sauce according to the recipe. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze. Cook according to the recipe and allow to cool. Store in freezer-safe, airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove until heated, or reheat the frozen sauce in a saucepan until reheated throughout.
Here’s my Spaghetti Sauce Recipe. Make it soon. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound sausage
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder or ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 (26 ounce can) crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce can) diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos (optional)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the meat and vegetables. Add the meat, onion, garlic, seasonings, and, if using, the bell pepper and/ or carrots to a large skillet or saucepan. Drain away any excess drippings and return the skillet to the stovetop.
- Stir in the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Add the tomatoes and stir until combined. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Taste and, if needed and desired, adjust the seasonings to your taste and add any sweetener of choice if needed. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add up to a cup of water.
- Cook the sauce and serve. Allow the sauce to reach a boil and just begin to bubble. Reduce the heat to simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Robyn,
I agree with you that spaghetti sauce in my home always means meat sauce. However, I have never used sausage. What kind do you recommend? I will probably try your version this weekend.
Thanks,
Lou
Hi Lou,
I usually just use whatever brand and kind of sausage we would eat as a breakfast sausage. My husband isn’t a huge fan of a lot of sage in his sausage, so I tend to steer clear of those. The sausage just adds a bit of depth to the whole sauce. We love it.
Have a great weekend!
Robyn xo
Nice recipe, Robyn. Thanks! Happy Friday and have a good weekend.
Thanks so much, Liz. Hope you have a great one, too!
Robin,
I want to Thank You for all your wonderful recipes. However, when it comes to Gravy or as many Americans call it Sauce I don’t agree with you on this one. I have first hand experience growing up with a lot of Italians. Yes they all have their own spin… My favorite is when your kids won’t eat vegetables, put it in the Gravy and use my immersion blender. My best friends Grandmother told me that’s what they did in the old country. When I can’t get fresh Tomatoes I use crushed, celery, carrots, onion, lots of Garlic, Basil and a few more things. Basically it all gets cooked down then blender or immersion blender. That’s when you cook your meatballs in the sauce. Unfortunately no one cooks like this but me (just my opinion) they open a jar. I freeze the remainder and it makes for a great go to meal.
However your rendition does require cooking so thumbs up on that but try carrots they add a special sweetness especially if you roast them.
Hi Ann,
That sounds delicious! A friend of our family also makes her spaghetti sauce (see, I can’t help it!) as you described. It is fabulous, but so not how my family makes it. I do love that yours includes additional vegetables and, I can tell, tons of love!
This would make any dish delicious! Now I’m really craving spaghetti and meatballs!
Hello Robyn:) You are definitely my kind of girl. I still say y’all, buggy, pocketbook and classic coke is my favorite soft drink to have when I do have one. I was reared to be courteous and polite; we call it “Southern Hospitality” here in the Atlanta. I like to have coke in the bottle. Have you ever tried a coca cola in the bottle with planters peanuts dropped down in the bottom of it? When I was a little girl or back in the day, I picked this one up from my folks. Some would say what’s the point? The point is it is good. Planters peanuts are also good with fanta grape or fanta orange in the bottle. So good and refreshing when you want to break from your regular routine and need a little something different. I like this recipe for spaghetti sauce and will be trying it out because my family loves it when I cook your recipes for them. I usually use a pound of ground beef with a bag of cocktail sausages that I cut up. I bake the cocktail sausages in the oven and add them to the browned ground beef and that is pretty good. Thanks again for the recipes:)
This is my first time on your site I love to look at new recipes and love to try some of them and all of your looks great the main ones I like is crockpot recipes and desserts for the holidays thank you for posting on facebook have a great day 🙂
Catching up on some things missed. Glad you re-posted this! Pinning it!!
Robyn,Thank you for your recipes.
You are most welcome, Linda. I hope you have found many recipes here that you loved. Thanks!
Fantastic . What else could be said?
Thank you, James. So glad you love this recipe.