Marinara Dipping Sauce

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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 bites, zucchini fries, crispy artichokes, breadsticks, and more!

Somebody dipping a mozzarella stick into marinara sauce.


 

For a long time now, I have sought the perfect dipping sauce for things like mozzarella sticks, Pepperoni Pizza Bites, and even Garlic Bread. Marinara sauce is usually geared towards pasta, and such recipes often start off with sautéing diced onions and garlic and 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!

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for marinara dipping sauce.

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

  1. 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.
Browning smashed garlic in olive oil.
  1. Remove garlic and discard. Stir in basil and oregano until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Blooming spices in olive oil.
  1. 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.
A saucepan full of marinara sauce.
  1. 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.
A bowl of marinara in a red plastic basket of mozzarella sticks.

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.
Pepperoni pizza bites next to a bowl of marinara sauce.
Marinara Dipping Sauce with Pepperoni Pizza Bites.

Recipe FAQs

Do I need a deep fryer for fried appetizers?

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.

How do you bloom spices?

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

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Marinara dipping sauce with mozzarella sticks in a red basket.

Marinara Dipping Sauce

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 bites, zucchini fries, crispy artichokes, breadsticks, and more!
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings (¼ cup each)
Course Main Course, Pantry
Cuisine American, Italian
Calories 30
4.99 from 110 votes

Ingredients 

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Yield: This Marinara Dipping Sauce recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce, enough for 8 servings, ¼ cup each.
  4. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  5. Make ahead: The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator.
  6. 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

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 30kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 252mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 233IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
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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.

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