10 Easy Ways to Upgrade Store-Bought Pizza Sauce
Using jarred tomato sauce as the base. A quick way to build an easy homemade pizza… but we can make it taste better!
I’m sort of on a pizza kick right now... I’ve shared my cold ferment pizza dough and arrabbiata-style pizza sauce recipes with you, and I’ve posted my list of must-have tools for pizza night.
Now let’s talk about store bought pizza sauce.
Let’s be real - jarred pizza sauce is convenient, but half the time it tastes… fine. Not bad, not great.
Just a little “meh”.
If you’re already putting in the effort to make homemade pizza, then your sauce should taste better than “meh”.
But I’ve been there. I’ve used the jarred stuff and have learned to doctor up my sauces. I’d like to share a couple of tips with you.
Here are the simplest, fastest upgrades you can use to make that store bought sauce taste good… even great.
1. Add Fresh Garlic
Sautéing fresh garlic in olive oil is the quickest way to level up any jarred sauce. It adds depth, sweetness, and that homemade flavor with almost no effort.
This is probably the easiest step you can take towards elevating your store bought sauce.
Most jarred sauces use garlic powder. Garlic powder is good, but it doesn’t beat out fresh garlic. Even using just one fresh clove makes the whole thing pop.
Sauté your garlic in a little bit of olive oil until fragrant, then pour the sauce in.
Super easy upgrade, and you will definitely taste the difference!
2. Stir in a Spoonful of Tomato Paste
If the sauce tastes watery or thin, tomato paste instantly gives it depth and body.
You don’t need to add much. Even half a tablespoon can transform the whole jar!
3. Add a Tiny Pinch of Sugar
The goal isn’t to make it sweet. You’re just trying to balance the acidity that a lot of jarred sauces have.
A little of sugar goes a long way. Make sure you taste your sauce first though, some sauces are on the sweeter side - you don’t want to add sugar if that’s the case!
4. Bloom Dried Herbs in Oil
A pinch of dried herbs goes a long way. Even a small sprinkle of Italian seasoning can wake up the flavor of any jarred sauce. But if you really want to kick it up a notch - bloom your herbs!
I used to just grab all of the Italian seasonings out of my spice rack and dump them into my sauce. Then I learned about blooming your dried herbs.
If you want your oregano or basil to actually taste like something, the trick is to bloom them!
Heat up a little bit of olive oil and toss the herbs in. Let them sizzle for a few seconds, then stir them into your sauce.
It tastes so much more intentional!
5. Add Crushed Red Pepper for Heat
My absolute favorite. I always toss red pepper flakes on top of my pizza, and if you’ve learned anything about me at this point, it’s that I love my spicy sauces.
Adding crushed red pepper is the simplest way to make a “spicy” version. Throw in a teaspoon or two (or more, if you like it hot), stir, and let the sauce sit for 5–10 minutes so the heat spreads evenly.
Big yum!
6. Drizzle in Good Olive Oil
A drizzle of good olive oil adds richness and rounds out the flavor of any jarred sauce. It’s another easy upgrade you can make.
A splash of quality olive oil makes the sauce richer, smoother, and more balanced. The oil rounds out harsh edges in cheaper sauces.
“Quality” is the key word here - remember, quality in, quality out. Try not to put cheap olive oil in your cheap pizza sauce.
It’ll help, but not quite as much as a really good oil would.
7. Grate in Fresh Parmesan
It melts right in and adds depth, saltiness, and that classic “pizzeria” vibe.
Fresh Parmesan is key here. Skip the shaker can. That stuff is good to throw on pizza, but you want the real good stuff for your sauce.
Remember, we are trying to elevate!
8. Add a Splash of Red Wine Vinegar
If the sauce tastes dull or “muddy”, a tiny splash of vinegar brightens everything up.
It brings the flavor to life without tasting vinegary.
9. Melt in a Pat of Butter
A small pat of butter melts right into jarred sauce and gives it that silky, restaurant-style finish. Is there anything butter can’t do?
This is a trick that I use for my pasta sauces and adopted for pizza sauce. I mean, they’re almost the same thing right?
Butter gives your sauce a velvety finish and smooths out any bitterness. This tip is especially effective for thicker pan pizzas.
10. Add Calabrian Chili Paste
Blue Apron (the mail in subscription service) has a lot of recipes that use Calabrian chili paste.
That inspired me to try it out in different applications - including jarred pizza sauce. It totally works!
Calabrian chili paste is spicy, a little smoky, and adds instant complexity without effort. A small spoonful turns a basic jarred sauce into something bold and restaurant-level, especially if you like heat!
Try These Flavor Combinations
Spicy
Red pepper flakes
Calabrian chili paste
Fresh garlic
Herby + Bright
Bloomed oregano
Basil
Olive oil
Richer, More “Pizzeria”
Tomato paste
Parmesan
Butter
Balanced + Smooth
Sugar
Olive oil
Splash of vinegar
Want Something With Even More Flavor?
If you’re craving a sauce with a real kick, try my Spicy Arrabiata Pizza Sauce. Not to toot my own horn, but that stuff is delicious!
It also pairs perfectly with my One-Day Cold Ferment Pizza Dough if you’re doing homemade pizza night.
Jarred works in a pinch, but nothing beats the flavor of a homemade sauce!
That’s The Sauce…
I hope these tips help you spice up your pizza sauce jars - pun kind of intended.
Let me know which of these you end up trying, I’m curious to know what you folks come up with!