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Pizza Sauce Recipe

This homemade pizza sauce recipe is full of zingy, garlicky flavor and gets rave reviews! It uses only 5 ingredients…

This homemade pizza sauce recipe is full of zingy, garlicky flavor and gets rave reviews! It uses only 5 ingredients and takes only 5 minutes: there’s no cooking required.

Making a pizza? Here’s the go-to recipe you need: this homemade pizza sauce recipe! All you need are 5 ingredients and 5 minutes. Dip your spoon in, and you’ll be amazed at the flavor: it’s garlicky, rich, tangy and bright.

Why we love this recipe: This pizza sauce is one of our most-used on this website: we’ve made it more times than we can count. The garlicky, tangy flavor can’t be beat, and it’s beyond simple to make. Once you try it, you’ll never go back. Come, experience the magic!

Featured reader comment

“Absolutely delicious and totally easy. I’ve been making it for years now, so it’s time to show my love with a 5 star rating. Had a pizza party with friends and they loved the sauce so much we put it on the table to drizzle on our slices!” -Leila

Ingredients in this pizza sauce recipe

There are just 5 ingredients in this pizza sauce recipe. Even better: it requires no cooking at all! The flavor depends on the quality of your ingredients, so choose wisely. Here are a few things to know about the ingredients:

Canned fire roasted tomatoes: Try to find this type of canned tomato if at all possible! Roasting tomatoes over an open flame adds a mellow, sweet flavor. Several brands carry this special type of tomato. If you can’t find them, use the highest quality crushed tomatoes you can find: San Marzano tomatoes are a good substitute. Double check that the can says crushed before purchasing.
Small garlic clove: Garlic cloves widely vary in size. This recipe calls for a small clove. If you don’t have one, use half a medium or a quarter of a large clove. This is important so that the sauce doesn’t end up too garlicky.
Dried oregano: Make sure to use dried oregano that’s fairly new so that the flavor is strong enough. If it’s been in your cabinet over 1 year, it’s time for a refresh!
Olive oil and salt: Use extra virgin olive oil, and no recipe is complete without a pop of kosher salt.

Pro tip

Keep one thing in mind about this pizza sauce: it has a loose texture that’s similar to what’s use in a traditional Neapolitan pizza. Don’t expect it to be like canned American pizza sauce, which can have extra ingredients like sugar and thickeners like cornstarch. Use a very thin layer of it on top of the pizza dough.

Margherita pizza with pizza sauce and pizza cutter.

How to make homemade pizza sauce

How to make homemade pizza sauce? Many methods simmer the sauce on the stovetop. But after loads of testing, we found that fire roasted tomatoes make it possible to mix right up without cooking. Every time we make it, when I dip my spoon into that beautiful red sauce, it’s beyond my wildest dreams. We used to make it in a blender, but it works simply mixed by hand too! Here are the steps:

Step 1: Peel and finely mince the garlic. Or if you’re using the blender method, peel the garlic clove and slice it into a few rough pieces.

Homemade easy pizza sauce recipe | Italian pizza sauce recipe

Step 2: Mix the garlic with crushed fire roasted tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, and salt until the olive oil incorporates. Or, throw them in a blender and then blend until fully combined.

Step 3: Spread a very thin layer of the pizza sauce onto your favorite pizza dough recipe.

It’s as simple as that. Take a taste, and you’ll be amazed by the flavor! We’ve had countless people tell us that it’s the best pizza sauce they’ve ever had.

Top pizza dough recipes

We’ve made this pizza sauce recipe so many times, we’ve lost count! To make your own homemade pizza, try one of these pizza dough recipes for the crust:

Try this pizza dough recipe, our tried and true favorite that works every time!
Experiment with thin crust pizza dough for a slightly simpler method.
Go for KitchenAid pizza dough if you have a stand mixer.

Ways to use this pizza sauce

Use this easy pizza sauce recipe on any of your favorite pizza recipes! You can also use it as a dipping sauce for grilled cheese or breadsticks, in baked pasta, or for a pizza quesadilla. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it:

Pizza like classic Margherita pizza, goat cheese pizza, homemade cheese pizza, or any of these popular pizza toppings.
Sheet-style pizza like sheet pan pizza that makes two pizzas at once, or fluffy focaccia pizza.
Deep dish pizza like cast iron pizza or pan pizza.
Dipping sauce for this easy calzone recipe or grilled cheese dippers.
Quick pizzas like tortilla pizza, pita pizza, naan pizza, or French bread pizza.
Alternative pizzas like portobello mushroom pizza or eggplant pizzas.

Homemade Margherita Pizza

Quick Tortilla Pizza

Best-Ever Sheet Pan Pizza

Perfect Pan Pizza

Dietary notes

This pizza sauce recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, plant based, dairy-free, and refined sugar free.

Frequently asked questions

Why make no-cook pizza sauce?

There are several advantages! It’s quicker and easier than cooked sauces, requires minimal ingredients, and allows the fresh flavors of the tomatoes to shine through. Additionally, cooking pizza sauce can make it lose its vibrant color and acidity.

Isn’t no-cook sauce too watery for pizza?

Fire-roasted tomatoes have a thicker consistency and more concentrated flavor than regular canned tomatoes. They offer the perfect base for a no-cook sauce that won’t leave your pizza soggy.

What kind of fire-roasted tomatoes should I use?

Crushed fire-roasted tomatoes work well. Don’t substitute diced unless you run the sauce through a blender first.

I don’t have fire-roasted tomatoes. Can I use regular canned tomatoes?

You can, but the flavor won’t be as rich and flavorful. Opt for high-quality canned tomatoes like San Marzano tomatoes, and consider adding a pinch of smoked paprika to mimic the fire-roasted flavor.

What herbs can I add to this sauce?

Finely minced fresh basil is a classic addition, but oregano, thyme, or a pinch of red pepper flakes are also delicious options.

How much garlic is too much garlic?

Garlic preference is subjective, but 1 small clove should be enough for a flavorful yet balanced sauce.

How long can I store leftover sauce?

Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Pizza Sauce Recipe (5 Minutes!)

★★★★★

5 from 18 reviews

Author: Sonja
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 ½ cups

Print Recipe

Description

This homemade pizza sauce recipe gets rave reviews! It uses only 5 ingredients and takes only 5 minutes: no cooking required.

Ingredients

15 ounces crushed fire roasted tomatoes*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic (1/2 medium clove)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Scant ½ teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions

Finely mince the garlic (or if using the blender method, simply chop it into a few rough pieces).
Stir together all ingredients in a bowl until the oil incorporates. Or, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until fully combined (this makes a slightly runnier textured sauce).
To serve, spread a very thin layer of sauce on top of pizza dough, keeping in mind that this sauce has a loose texture that’s similar to what’s used in a traditional Neapolitan pizza or Margherita pizza. (Don’t expect it to be like canned American pizza sauce, which can have extra ingredients like sugar and thickeners like cornstarch.) Store refrigerated for 1 week or frozen up to 3 months.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Flour Water Salt Yeast

*Fire roasted tomatoes are key to the flavor! They’re available at many mainstream groceries these days and have a mellow, sweet flavor. If you absolutely cannot find them, use a high quality brand of crushed tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes are a good substitute. Do not use diced tomatoes, unless you use the blender method for the sauce.

Category: Sauce
Method: No Cook
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Pizza Sauce Recipe, Pizza Sauce, Homemade Pizza Sauce

spinach and artichoke pan pizza

Over the pandemic, I quietly broke up with every pizza dough recipe I’ve shared to date. I know I have some nerve only telling you this now. The family wanted pizza for dinner weekly, and I was overdue for a homemade pizza reckoning. Why? Because after years of trying to get my home oven even half as hot as the ones at pizzerias that crank out gloriously blistered and glistening pies, and too often ending up with disappointing textures, I finally realized I was chasing the wrong pizza dream. Instead of fighting an uphill battle, I replaced my usual pizza dough with a no-knead focaccia-ish dough that bakes up beautifully in a regular oven, perfectly every single time.

Vegan Mexican Pizza (Taco Bell Copycat)

NEW!

Bring Taco Bell comfort food home with this dairy-free, Vegan Mexican Pizza. It might not always be on their menu, yet it’s always on mine!

The post Vegan Mexican Pizza (Taco Bell Copycat) appeared first on Simple Green Smoothies.

NEW!

After Taco Bell took away my fav menu item, I knew I had to make my own version. This Vegan Mexican Pizza is similar to how I order it at the actual restaurant and yet it tastes even better! Make a homemade Mexican pizza right in your kitchen.

Tex-Mex is one of my fav food groups and works its flair into a lot of the recipes I share. You’ll often find my family dining on dairy-free options like Tacos de Papa or my Austinite Vegan Tacos.

I keep the chickpea mixture for these Chickpea Tacos in my freezer for whenever the mood strikes (it warms up so well in the toaster oven!). So naturally I had to make a version of my fav fast food order!

stack of vegan Mexican Pizza slices on a stone plate, topped with hot sauce and a lime wedge.

Table of Contents

Ingredients in a Vegan Mexican Pizza

labeled ingredients for vegan Mexican pizza including flour tortillas, tomatoes, vegan shredded cheddar cheese, refried beans, Taco Bell hot sauce, onion, taco seasoning, green onions, black olives and jalapeño.

This recipe is fun to make and so good; you’re family may start requesting it on a regular basis. They don’t need to know it’s vegan or plant-based… it’s just so good! Here’s what I’m putting in mine:

Yellow onion: This is the base of flavor in this recipe and easy to sauté for the exact right flavor.
Jalapeño: Remove the seeds when chopping for less spice, or keep them in for the full experience. If you can’t handle spicy peppers then swap for green or red bell peppers.
Taco seasoning: I make my seasoning and keep it in a jar in my spice cabinet. That way I can grab it whenever the mood strikes. You can also use premade seasoning and measure it out.
Refried beans: Double refried pinto beans is how I replace the meat in the real deal, so it’s going into my homemade version, too.
Flour tortillas: Taco Bell uses corn tortilla shells in their recipe yet I wanted a slightly bigger surface so swapped them for flour in my version.
Taco Bell Hot Sauce: To really achieve the authentic flavor, you gotta go with the authentic sauce. Yet feel free to use red enchilada sauce if that’s more your style.
Vegan shredded cheddar cheese: If you’ve never tried vegan cheese before, cheddar is a great place to start! It’s got a distinct flavor and most shredded varieties I’ve tried seem to melt which is what we want.
Tomatoes: Diced tomatoes are the only veggie topping on the original version, so I include them on mine… along with some other fabulous additions you’ll love.
Green onions: I ask for green onions when I order the Mexican Pizza so you better believe I’m adding them to this homemade recipe as well.
Black olives: My love for black olives has me putting them on a wide variety of dishes and they pair perfectly with this pizza as well!

I like to serve mine with either guacamole or vegan avocado crema and some cashew cream. All these options make for great dipping or drizzling over the pizzas.

Vegan Mexican Pizza Meat Substitutes

If you want the texture of meat or the flavor it adds to your pizza without the real thing then I’ve got some options for you to try.

Walnut Taco Meat

Honestly while the walnut might throw some people, my vegan walnut taco meat is a great sub in any recipe that uses ground beef. It magically has the texture and weight of beef without any animal products in it.

Toss it with your fav taco seasoning and you’ve got the perfect substitute.

Tofu Taco Crumbles

If you want a nut-free option then try the tofu taco crumbles from Make it Dairy Free. I’ve made this version, too and its great!

Layer either one of these options in on top of the refried beans when assembling your homemade Mexican pizzas, just like Taco Bell does.

How to Create a Vegan Mexican Pizza

This may sound like a lot of steps yet it’s really just making sure all the components are heated properly before assembling for the final bake. Not hard!

Step 1: You’ll use both the stovetop and the oven for this recipe so go ahead and preheat the oven to 400°F while you also heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add avocado oil to the skillet, just enough so the diced onions won’t stick.

stainless steel skillet and slotted spoon with sautéd vegetables.

Step 2: Sauté the onions and jalapeños for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and golden brown.

pouring taco seasoning from a small blue bowl into a stainless steel skillet of sautéd vegetables.

Step 3: Stir in the taco seasoning with a bit of water and the refried beans. Depending on how dried out your beans are, you may need to add a bit more water to get a creamy consistency. Remove this mixture from the heat.

Step 4: Brush avocado oil on both sides of all your tortilla shells then place each shell in the prepared baking trays. They should be split between the 2 trays evenly and arranged in a single layer so they can crisp equally.

2 crispy tortilla shells on parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 5: Bake the tortilla shells for 5 minutes then flip and bake for 3 more minutes, or until all the shells are toasted.

spreading refried beans with a black spatula onto crispy tortilla shells.

Step 6: Spread the refried bean mixture over the tops of half the toasted shells then cover the beans with the other toasted shells.

sprinkling vegan cheddar cheese on top of hot sauce on tortilla shells.

Step 7: Layer on the sauce, cheese, tomatoes, green onions and olives. Bake again in oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Since vegan cheese varies from brand to brand, your melting time will also vary.

finished vegan Mexican Pizzas on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 8: Remove the pizzas from the oven and cut each one into 4 slices. Enjoy!

Homemade Mexican Pizza FAQs

Can the Mexican Pizza be vegan?

If you are at Taco Bell and want vegan version of the Mexican Pizza then swap the meat for refried beans and omit the dairy. Yet if you want an even better version that is completely animal-free then give my Vegan Mexican Pizzas a try. They use refried beans and vegan cheddar cheese. You can even use cashew cream as a vegan sour cream dipping sauce.

What are the Taco Bell Mexican pizza shells made of?

The Taco Bell Mexican pizzas are made using corn tortilla shells. You can use these in your homemade version, or swap them with toasted flour tortilla shells, whatever your preference.

Is Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza vegan?

No, Taco Bell’s Mexican pizza isn’t vegan. If you omit the meat for refried beans then you still have the cheddar cheese on it. Omit the cheese if you’re at the restaurant, or consider making your own version using a vegan cheddar cheese.

homemade Mexican pizza slices on a parchment lined baking sheet.

More Vegan “Fast Food” Ideas

I enjoy eating plant-based meals yet that often means more prep time. While I love calling green smoothies the best fast food since most of them take 5 minutes or less to throw together, I also wanna get down with some comfort food from time to time.

That’s when I turn to my Vegetarian Ramen recipe, or this Chipotle Veggie Bowl. They’re both fast and delicious! I’ve also got a freezer stash of the filling for these Thai Lettuce Wraps so I can grab a serving whenever I want PF Changs to-go.

What other fav menu items do you have from Taco Bell, or want as a vegan version? After rating this recipe, drop a comment and let me know!

Vegan Mexican Pizza (Taco Bell Copycat)

If you love the idea of the Taco Bell Mexican Pizza yet want to make it vegan then try this fabulous version! It's got all the layers you want yet uses refried beans instead of meat and vegan shredded cheese. Top with tomatoes, green onions and olives and you'll feel just like you're eating fast food!

Course Entree

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired, Vegan

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 547kcal

Author Jen Hansard