Taste of Home
Sure, everyone loves a good delivery pizza here and there, but making your own pizza at home is just way more satisfying—plus you can get the toppings just right.
To make your pizza nights really exceptional, you need quality ingredients (and tools!)—including mozzarella cheese, crust and sauce. Sauce from scratch is delicious, but you don’t always have the time to stir up a batch of homemade (though if you do, we recommend this five-star pizza sauce recipe). That’s when you reach for a jar or can of store-bought pizza sauce!
But do you know which sauce will really make your homemade pizzas good enough to rival your favorite pizza joint?
P.S. Check out the Ooni Pizza Oven along with these pizza cutters that’ll give you the perfect slice every time.
Looking for the Best Store-Bought Pizza Sauce
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There are so many pizza sauce brands out there, so our Test Kitchen had to do some research to find the best. We looked at popular brands and then put them head-to-head in a blind tasting.
For this test, each sauce was sampled atop a pizza crust with just a sprinkle of cheese; think of it as a pared-down version of the pizzas you’d make at home. Our testers really wanted to appreciate the nuances of each sauce and see how they’d hold up to basic pizza components. Our team also kept these criteria in mind.
- Flavor: Does the sauce taste of fresh tomatoes? Is it properly salted? What other herbs and spices have been added, and how do they taste? Is the sauce something you’d enjoy on pizza?
- Texture: What is the texture of the sauce like? Is it smooth or a bit more rustic? Is it thick enough for spreading across pizza dough or is it a bit thinner like a marinara?
- Appearance: We know that all these sauces will be covered with cheese and plenty of toppings, but our Test Kitchen still wanted a sauce that looked delicious. So, is the sauce tempting? Bright red? Are there any flecks of herbs or seasonings?
Our Test Kitchen-Preferred Pizza Sauces
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After eating 10 pieces of pizza, our Test Kitchen decided on the four brands that would have them going back for another slice.
Best Pizza Sauce Overall: Rao’s Homemade Pizza Sauce
Taste of Home
Want a sauce that reminds you of your favorite fancy pizzeria? That store-bought sauce is Rao’s.
Rao’s tasted the freshest and most homemade of any of the nine other options in this test. Is there any higher praise than that? When it comes to any store-bought item, we’re all craving scratch-made taste.
What made Rao’s really stand out was the fresh tomato flavor as well as oregano and garlic. All these ingredients were visible in the sauce—even a few tomato seeds which made this brand feel like the real deal. Our Test Kitchen team also noticed some hints of olive oil as well which gave the sauce a great taste and good texture.
This sauce stands out and won’t get lost—even with a great homemade crust and fresh mozzarella.
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Best for Basil Fanatics: Classico Traditional Pizza Sauce
Taste of Home
Is Margherita pizza your go-to? Well, basil-lover, you’ll want Classico Traditional Pizza Sauce for your next pizza night.
Classico’s take on pizza sauce had a thick, rich texture and a deep red color that our Test Kitchen staff really appreciated. What was most notable, however, was the herb-forwardness of this sauce. Basil was the most prominent taste (outside of the jammy tomato flavor). Our crew also detected a great balance of oregano and black pepper. No tweaks needed to this sauce! Just grab a good pizza crust—try these healthy cauliflower picks—and get cooking.
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Best Organic Option: Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce
Taste of Home
If you prefer to eat organic, try Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce. This sauce was packed with robust tomato flavor—almost as if the sauce was reduced a bit to really amp up the taste of the produce. But tomato isn’t the only flavor you’ll find inside this can. Testers noticed a great balance of garlic as well.
Muir Glen’s pizza sauce was thicker than most we tried, but this is in no way a drawback. Our Test Kitchen thought the thicker texture of this sauce made it ideal for spreading across a homemade crust.
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Best Plain Pizza Sauce: Pomi Pizza Sauce
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We get it: Even when you buy premade ingredients, you still want to personalize them. If you’re looking for a pizza sauce to serve as a great foundation for your favorite herb and spice blends, get Pomi Pizza Sauce.
This pizza sauce had a great, tangy tomato flavor that alone was exceptionally pleasing. It had testers thinking of fresh Roma tomatoes from the garden. The herbs in this sauce, though, were a bit milder. This works great if you plan to layer on a lot of additional flavors in your pizza or prefer to add fresh herbs from your garden to the sauce. Simply put: Pomi is the perfect canvas.
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How to Use Store-Bought Pizza Sauce
When it comes to jarred pizza sauce, the recipes we think of first are all for homemade pizza—and that’s great! There are so many delicious homemade pizza recipes that you can make right now with this shortcut.
But don’t feel like you’ve got to limit yourself to just pizza with this sauce. Use one of our Test Kitchen-Preferred brands to make a tasty casserole, stromboli or sloppy joes.
Turkey Sausage PizzaIf pizza night is a must in your house, double this recipe and freeze one for later. —Melissa Jelinek, Apple Valley, Minnesota
Pizza RollsOur family just loves my husband's version of store-bought pizza rolls. They take some time to make, but they freeze well so we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor for a long time! —Julie Gaines, Normal, Illinois
Cheesy Pizza FondueWhile I was growing up, I would sit for hours reading cookbooks from cover to cover. I've carried that love of cooking with me through the years. I found this recipe when we lived in Wisconsin. - Julie Barwick, Mansfield, Ohio.
Crazy Crust PizzaThe crust adds its own savory flavor to this crazy crust pizza. Don't expect any leftovers—it's that good! —Cynthia Mason, Wamego, Kansas
Mini Pizza CupsServed hot or cold, these little pizzas are wonderful. Their small size makes them ideal for an after-school snack or a kid-friendly party. Plus, they’re so easy to make that little ones can help you in the kitchen! —Jane Jones, Cedar, Minnesota
Pizza Mountain PiesBecause we liked this pudgy pie recipe so much, I started making them for my daughter on our stove at home. —Pam Weik, West Lawn, Pennsylvania
Meatball PizzaI always keep meatballs and pizza crusts in the freezer to make this specialty on the spur of the moment. Add a tossed salad and you have a delicious dinner. —Mary Humeniuk-Smith, Perry Hall, Maryland
Pepperoni Pizza LoafThis savory stromboli starts with frozen bread dough, so it comes together in practically no time. The golden loaf is stuffed with cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers and olives. I often add a few slices of ham too. It's tasty served with warm pizza sauce for dipping. —Jenny Brown, West Lafayette, Indiana
Bacon and Spinach PizzaOur go-to pizza is a snap to make using packaged pizza crust and ready-to-serve bacon. The kids don't even mind the spinach on top! —Annette Riva, Naperville, Illinois
Pepperoni and Sausage Deep-Dish Pizza QuicheTry this savory quiche for a hearty change-of-pace breakfast. Needless to say, it's wonderful for lunch and dinner too. — Donna Chesney, Naples, Florida
Waffle-Iron PizzasThese little pizza pockets put together using the waffle maker are a fun mashup. Try your favorite toppings or even breakfast fillings like ham and eggs. —Amy Lents, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Cheesy Skillet Pizza DipThis creamy dip is oozing with cheesy goodness thanks to the combination of cream cheese and mozzarella. We topped ours with pepperoni slices, but you can easily customize it with your favorite pizza toppings. This is just one more delicious way to use your cast-iron pan. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Pepper Sausage PizzaFresh spinach gives this recipe a tasty twist. That leafy green plus yellow peppers, snow-white mushrooms and tomato sauce make this a colorful addition to your pizza buffet table. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Pizza Noodle BakeHere’s a family-pleasing casserole that comes together in a snap, making it perfect for a weeknight meal. Double the recipe and freeze one for later! —Bernice Knutson, Soldier, Iowa
Calzone RollsBig pizza flavor comes through in these rolls. My recipe makes two pans because you'll need 'em! It’s so easy to make the dough in my bread machine. —Barb Downie, Peterborough, Ontario
Mini Zucchini PizzasThis simple snack is the perfect, low-carb way to satisfy your pizza cravings. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Stromboli SandwichI've made this Stromboli sandwich many times for parties, and it gets great reviews. You can add ingredients and spices to suit your taste. The recipe is so good I just had to share it with you! —Leigh Lauer, Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
Grilled Veggie PizzaI came up with this recipe one summer as a way to use up vegetables from our garden. Grilling the veggies first brings out their sizzling flavors. Try it with a sprinkling of olives or pine nuts before adding the cheese. —Susan Marshall, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Pizza RingMom made a ring with chicken and broccoli one night. I said I’d rather have pizza. That’s how this recipe was born! —Tricia Richardson, Springdale, Arkansas
Presto Pizza PattiesCraving both beef and pizza? These patties feature both in an open-faced sandwich. And they're lighter than you'd think! —Barbara Schindler, Napoleon, Ohio
Deluxe Pizza CasseroleThis is the family favorite dish for special occasions, and we always make it for my granddaughter's birthday. Mushrooms are a wonderful addition if you like them. —Vickie Oldham, Dubuque, Iowa
Pizza PancakesI clipped this recipe from our local paper a few years ago. It's a tasty lunch treat for hearty appetites. Plan on doubling the recipe for hungry grandkids. —Maxine Smith, Owanka, South Dakota
Pepperoni Pizza Baked PotatoesThese tasty taters were a spur-of-the-moment recipe I created from leftovers! It's a true mash-up meal that combines two dinnertime favorites into one super-fun meal. —Dawn E. Lowenstein, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Garlic Toast PizzasBetween working full-time, going to school and raising three children, finding time-saving recipes that my family likes is one of my biggest challenges. These quick pizzas pack a huge amount of flavor. —Amy Grim, Chillicothe, Ohio
Spinach-Stuffed PizzaI had my first stuffed pizza when I attended college near Chicago. I was amazed to see pizza well over an inch thick, with topping on the inside! When I served this version to my family, there are no leftovers.
—Nancy Gilmour of Sumner, Iowa
Party Pesto PinwheelsI took a couple of my favorite recipes and combined them into these delicious
hors d'oeuvres. The colorful and impressive snacks come together easily with refrigerated crescent roll dough, prepared pesto sauce and a jar of roasted red peppers. —Kathleen Farrell, Rochester, New York
Pizza Quinoa CasseroleIf you like pizza night, give this healthy quinoa casserole a try! It's a fun way to sneak in a healthy meal packed with protein and veggies. —Julie Peterson, Crofton, Maryland
