Best Store-Bought Pizza Sauce

Don’t have the time to make your own pizza sauce? Convenient, tasty, and a definite cupboard essential, store-bought pizza sauces are a great alternative. 

Check out our list of the top five options below. 

Our top five store-bought pizza sauces

So you’ve hit the pizza sauce aisle and found yourself overwhelmed with choices. Here, we narrow it down to the tastiest, best-quality options. 

Even better, you can find most of these sauces at Amazon, so you don’t have to travel to a specialist store. 

1. Classico Traditional Pizza Sauce

For an authentic taste of Italy, it’s hard to beat this Traditional Pizza Sauce by Classico. One of the best tasting pizza sauces from a jar, it contains only all-natural ingredients that are also 100% gluten-free. 

With its simple yet delicious blend of tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic, this version is enhanced with a touch of oregano and fennel that adds depth and character. The texture is thick and smooth, making this pizza sauce also great for use as a dipping sauce. Importantly, it is not too acidic and is sure to win around the whole family. 

Sold in 14oz jars, this traditional pizza sauce is good value for money and definitely worth having to hand for your pizzas, sandwiches, or as a dip. 

If you are looking for the best traditional-style store-bought pizza sauce then the Classico Pizza Sauce should be at the top of your grocery list. 

2. Chef Boyardee Pizza Sauce with Cheese

Chef Boyardee Pizza Sauce with Cheese has been a staple of households around the country for decades. 

As it’s so popular, you may find it often out of stock in your local grocery store, so it’s always a good idea to buy in bulk whenever you come across a good offer. 

For many people, the taste of Chef Boyardee is synonymous with childhood memories and family pizza nights over the years. Not only is this sauce free from artificial color, flavors, or preservatives, it also makes a great low-calorie pizza sauce, ideal for the whole family. Tomato purée and cheese are the main ingredients, along with soybean oil.

Plus, since it has such a smooth, thick texture, it also makes a great dip. Thanks to its rounded taste and low calories, it’s our best store-bought pizza sauce for kids, as well as big kids looking for an authentic, homely taste. 

3. Pizza Sauce Ragu Homemade Style

This Homemade Style Pizza Sauce by Ragu is another great option. 

Ideal if you like a plain pizza sauce, this version contains no onion or garlic and just a hint of spices, making it a popular choice with both fussy eaters and allergy sufferers. 

Perfect with any pizza or for any topping, this store-bought pizza sauce has a light texture. The main ingredients are tomato purée, soybean oil, and spices, plus some natural flavorings.

It is also low in calories and a great store cupboard fallback that can be used for other recipes too, given its neutral composition. It has a nice texture that is thick enough for your pizza but also spreads well. 

Available in a convenient three-pack, as the saying goes, the simpler the better. If you are looking for a tasty homemade-style pizza sauce, this version by Ragu is sure to be a real crowd-pleaser that won’t over compete with your pizza toppings. 

If you’re fussy about your food, you could always go for this basic pizza sauce and then add in a few personal favorite herbs and spices. 

4. Contadina Pizza Sauce

Contadina pride themselves on their flavorsome, vine-ripened Roma tomatoes used in this traditional pizza sauce. Passionate about their Italian heritage, this pizza sauce is made with high-quality ingredients and is also GMO and BPA-free. 

A winning combination of tomatoes, onion, spices, and garlic, make this authentic pizza sauce pretty hard to resist and a great choice for general use as an accompaniment or dipping sauce. Its convenient squeeze bottle can be easily stored in your fridge and makes it so much easier to use compared to standard jars.

Given its great full-flavor taste and ease of use, this pizza sauce is by far the most versatile and you’re sure to find yourself adding it to just about any dish. 

It’s also popular with both adults and children making it a great family choice that can save you time and effort on any night of the week. 

5. Pastorelli Italian Chef Pizza Sauce

If you want a pizza sauce that’s bursting with flavor then look no further. 

The Italian Chef Pizza Sauce by Pastorelli is one of the most flavorsome pizza sauces on the market thanks to its combination of tomatoes, olive oil and pecorino romano cheese, plus spices and garlic. 

As this is such a full-bodied pizza sauce, you can use it as a dip, a topping, or even with pasta – so it’s a great option to have in your cupboard for those busy weeknights. Smooth in texture, and slightly thick with a nice tang to it, this store-bought pizza sauce is a great all-rounder that is also gluten-free and corn syrup-free.

This pizza sauce has a great balance, not too acidic, nor too sweet. Thanks to its great flavor it enhances simple margaritas, yet can also stand up to other toppings that pack more of a flavorsome punch such as pepperoni or chilies. 

Available in a 12 pack of handy-sized eight-ounce cans, this versatile pizza sauce makes an excellent choice.

What to look for in a supermarket pizza sauce

It can be difficult to know which supermarket pizza sauce is best to go for, even more so if you normally make your own at home. Here’s what you need to keep an eye out for when choosing a store-bought option.

Consistency

The ideal pizza sauce is thick, almost paste-like, and certainly not runny. 

While just how thick you like pizza sauce to be is a matter of personal preference, you can always add a little water to thicker versions. For use as a dipping sauce or topping an English muffin, thick sauces also work best. 

While thickness can be debated slightly, the texture should most definitely be smooth. If you are looking for a pizza sauce to use as a dip or accompaniment then chunky versions will be just fine. 

However, if you use a chunky pizza sauce on a pizza, it can result in an undercooked, soggy dough as the chunks retain water and will prevent your pizza base from cooking evenly. 

There are many different types of pizza to try, but we always recommend choosing a smooth, thick pizza sauce for best results. 

Ingredients

All pizza sauces are made from tomatoes, but not all tomatoes are equal. 

Prime, San Marzano tomatoes (essential to an authentic Margherita pizza), are the best choice. But if your pizza sauce mentions the type of tomatoes used, then it shows that it’s the result of a careful selection, the hallmark of a higher quality product. 

Aside from tomatoes, spices and herbs are found in most versions. The majority will also have garlic, while onion is also prevalent. 

Italian herbs are the most popular, with oregano proving a popular addition. However, you can always quickly and easily add a couple of your favorite herbs or spices to your store-bought pizza sauce to get it tasting just how you like it. 

Cheese is another popular addition. Although not necessary, it does round off the sauce, giving it a richer, warmer flavor. However, as you’ll likely be adding cheese to your pizza anyhow, pizza sauces with cheese may well make better dips and accompaniments than their cheese-free alternatives. 

For an authentic Italian flavor, look out for recipes containing pecorino romano cheese – a traditional Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk.

If you like a very plain pizza sauce that won’t over compete with your toppings then stick to a simple tomato version. For a more versatile pizza sauce for use also as a dip or accompaniment, look for pizza sauces containing more ingredients, spices and possibly cheese. 

We also have a guide to the best cheeses for pizza you can check out.

Often the simplest pizza sauces with high-quality ingredients work out the best and are easy to adapt by simply adding a few herbs or spices for a customized flavor to suit your preferences.  

Oil content

If you are looking for an authentic style pizza sauce, then you should consider opting for a version with olive oil. 

With its clean taste, mono-saturated fats and anti-inflammatory properties, olive oil is arguably the best choice to go for. It is also the traditional oil of choice for any pizza sauce.

Other pizza sauces contain vegetable oil, with soybean found in numerous recipes. Soybean oil contains mostly polyunsaturated fats that are considered heart-healthy. It has a mild, neutral taste that won’t detract from your toppings or stand out when used as a dip.

Corn oil is the cheapest of the three and while it contains some healthy components and has a mild taste, it is the least healthy compared to soybean and olive oil. 

Corn oil is highly refined and high in Omega-6 fats, if you or your family already have a high Omega-6 intake, then you should consider purchasing another pizza sauce with a different oil base. 

Wrapping it up

Making your own pizza sauce can be time-consuming and involves planning, prepping, and cleaning up. 

If you want to put in some more effort, check out our full guide to making your own wood fired Italian style pizza.

If you want a delicious pizza at home without the hassle, or just like to be prepared, stock up on some store-bought pizza sauces and make any night pizza night. There are plenty of great options to choose from to suit all tastes and to accompany a wide range of meals and snacks, as well as your homemade pizza.

Which sauce is your favorite? Are there any we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!