This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.
This homemade Marinara Dipping Sauce pairs perfectly with all your favorite appetizers. It’s fast and easy, made with just 5 pantry ingredients and ready in minutes. Perfect for mozzarella sticks, pizza bread, zucchini fries, crispy artichokes, breadsticks, and more!
For a long time now, I have sought the perfect dipping sauce for things like mozzarella sticks, Pull-Apart Pizza Bread, and even Garlic Bread. Marinara sauce is usually geared towards pasta, and such recipes often start off with sautéing diced onions and garlic, adding diced tomatoes and fresh herbs, and simmering until thickened.
While suitable on pasta, it’s all wrong for dipping appetizers. I’ve been seeking something with a smooth texture and bold (but not overpowering flavors).
The punchline? My perfect homemade Marinara Sauce takes almost no time at all and is only five ingredients!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Garlic: For the smoothest sauce, try this low FODMAP trick which infuses olive oil with garlic flavor: Heat peeled, smashed cloves of garlic in olive oil until browned, then remove from the pan and discard. Be careful not to scorch the garlic.
- Spices: Blooming spices in olive oil (or any fat) releases fat-soluble flavor compounds and allows for the best distribution of flavor (through the fat). For the best possible flavor, cook the spices in olive oil for about 30 seconds before adding the tomato sauce.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic cloves and sauté until browned, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove garlic and discard. Stir in basil and oregano until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Reduce heat to medium, stir in tomato sauce and salt to taste (I like ¼ teaspoon), and simmer until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.
- Keep warm over low-heat until serving time, or cool completely and store covered in the refrigerator. Serve with all your favorite appetizers or even pasta.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Marinara Dipping Sauce recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce, enough for 8 servings, ¼ cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Package the sauce into freezer-safe containers (I like Mason jars; leave 1/2-inch headspace). Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
To deep-fry foods, any pot will do. Worried about splatters? Choose a taller pot. Want to use less oil? Choose a smaller pot. Just be sure to keep your oil at a consistent temperature whenever possible.
Add spices to oil (or another fat) and let them cook for about 30 seconds before adding any water-based liquids. Blooming spices in fat releases fat-soluble flavor compounds and allows for the best distribution of flavor (through the fat).
Favorite apps for marinara sauce
Appetizer Recipes
The Best Jalapeño Poppers
Italian Recipes
Pesto Cheese Bread
Appetizer Recipes
Pull-Apart Pizza Bread
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Turkey Meatballs
Join Us
Marinara Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and smashed (see note 1)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (see note 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- Salt
Instructions
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic cloves and sauté until browned, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove garlic and discard.
- Stir in basil and oregano until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, stir in tomato sauce and salt to taste (I like ¼ teaspoon), and simmer until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Keep warm over low-heat until serving time, or cool completely and store covered in the refrigerator.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Garlic: For the smoothest sauce, try this low FODMAP trick which infuses olive oil with garlic flavor: Heat peeled, smashed cloves of garlic in olive oil until browned, then remove from the pan and discard. Be careful not to scorch the garlic.
- Spices: Blooming spices in olive oil (or any fat) releases fat-soluble flavor compounds and allows for the best distribution of flavor (through the fat). For the best possible flavor, cook the spices in olive oil for about 30 seconds before adding the tomato sauce.
- Yield: This Marinara Dipping Sauce recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce, enough for 8 servings, ¼ cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Package the sauce into freezer-safe containers (I like Mason jars; leave 1/2-inch headspace). Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I was looking for a Marinara that I could make from my home-canned tomato sauce, and found your recipe. All I can say is YUM! I did add 1/4 tsp red chili flakes with the basil and oregano, because hubby likes his sauce Arrabiata style. Canโt wait to try this dipping sauce with my Arancini at the Super Bowl party!!
I’m so glad you both loved it! This sauce would be perfect with arancini. I hope you enjoy the game!- Meggan
Hello, I just came upon your recipe and I was wondering can I substitute minced garlic for the crushed garlic?
Hi Annie, you could but the sauce will not be smooth and the garlic is likely to burn. You’ll need to watch the temperature and time to make sure it doesn’t scorch. I hope you love it! – Meggan
Thanks for this. I just wanted a simple marinara recipe for dipping mozzarella sticks and I thought I probably could do it with tomato sauce in a smaller amount instead of using San Marzano tomatoes. Your recipe helps me avoid trying to experiment. My mozzarella sticks thank you as well.
You’re so welcome, Dave! – Meggan
Love it Meggan. It’s easy, too. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Carl! – Meggan
What tomato sauce brand do you use ?
Hi Bernadette, Muir Glen makes a really great product if you want to pay a little more, but other than that, I think they all pretty much taste the same. If you have one on hand, I would start with that. Itโs probably going to come down to personal preference, but I really think the store-brand ones taste pretty much the same as the expensive ones. I hope you love the sauce if you try it. Take care! – Meggan
This worked really well! But unfortunately, I did almost cause a fire, and there was a flame, buttttttโฆ I am okay now, just a few burns. This all worked out in the end, I will now have a bit of trauma looking back at this day, and seeing a flame shoot out of my oven, but overall, this was an amazing and delicious recipe๐
Isabella! This made me gasp and laugh all at the same time. I hope all is well now and the trauma isn’t long lasting. Please be careful next time!!! Thank you for trying the recipe and enjoying it ๐ – Meggan
Wow! I made this to dip garlic bread in, so delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it, Nisha! – Meggan