How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce for Meatballs

Name: How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce for Meatballs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Cooked meatballs (follow this recipe to make yours from scratch easily); 2 cans (6 oz) tomato paste; 2-3 cups chicken or beef broth (I used my homemade chicken broth); 2 big bell peppers; red/orange bell pepper; 4 big Roma tomatoes or 6 medium size ones; 1 bulb of onions; 1 Habanero (or more if you desire a more spicy sauce); ¼ cup of light olive oil; 2 teaspoons salt; 2 teaspoons – 1 TBS Knorr chicken Bouillon seasoning powder (add more if needed); 1 teaspoon dry thyme; 1 teaspoon powdered curry; 3 bay leaves; 5 cloves of garlic; 1 teaspoon of ginger (grated); 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (for garnishing); add as much as needed

Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce for Meatballs

This easy-to-make homemade tomato sauce for meatballs is flavorful, juicy, tasty, thick, vibrant, versatile, and perfect for any kind of pasta, especially spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni. This homemade spaghetti sauce recipe will make an excellent lasagna sauce and is ideal for baked ziti. Throw away your store-bought marinara sauce because making a homemade sauce is easy, healthier, tastier, and saves money! A Versatile DIY tomato sauce you can use equally to serve rice, macaroni, quinoa, or boiled yam.

This easy homemade tomato sauce for meatballs starts (obviously) with meatballs, not just any meatballs. I use my juicy, super delicious gluten-free meatballs that I typically make from scratch using my air fryer. You will also need fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, olive oil, garlic, ginger, herbs, and spices to make this exceptional meatball sauce.

DIY Homemade Sauce for Meatballs

Homemade tomato sauce for meatballs is one of those recipes I get excited to make because my kids love it! If you are a family with children. I assume having meatball sauce, aka spaghetti sauce every time you need it, is essential. Well, this is currently the story of my life, lol.

And the best part about making this homemade meatball sauce recipe is that I make it in bulk, add my homemade air fryer meatballs to it (well, obviously), then pack them in small 12-ounce containers and store them in the freezer for later. This way, whenever we want a quick 10-minute dinner for the kids, this homemade tomato sauce with meatballs will save the day alongside pasta of choice (most likely spaghetti).

Y’all, nothing better than spaghetti and meatballs for weeknight dinner, and it all starts with this award-winning DIY tomato sauce recipe.

Do Meatballs Have to be Cooked Before Adding to Sauce?

No, meatballs do not have to be cooked before adding to the sauce; you can add raw meatballs. However, ensure to simmer the sauce until the meatballs thoroughly cook through. Use a meat thermometer to check that meatballs fully cook, and then you can continue making the sauce. I recommend cooking meatballs before adding them to the sauce. This way, the meatballs are browned and can hold up well inside the sauce. Unfortunately, sometimes, raw meatballs can fall apart in the sauce.

What if you do not want to make meatballs from scratch yet still want to make this recipe? I suggest you grab your favorite store-bought frozen meatballs, air-fry them and use them.

Why You Will Love This Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce for Meatballs:

This homemade tomato sauce taste better than store-bought marinara sauce! They are not comparable. Homemade is always the best!
This recipe uses fresh ingredients; fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, etc.
Homemade tomato sauce is Versatile; you can skip adding meatballs and add chicken for it to become a chicken stew automatically.
Perfect spaghetti sauce (also great with penne, rigatoni, or ziti)
Use can use this sauce to make lasagna.
Season according to your preference.
Kid-friendly sauce.
This is a gluten-free sauce.
No added sugars.
Homemade tomato sauce for meatballs is tasty, juicy, vibrant, and the best pasta sauce!

Ingredients for Homemade Tomato Sauce for Meatballs

Cooked meatballs (well, hello, isn’t this why we are here? )
Tomato paste
Chicken or beef broth (I used my homemade chicken broth)
Tomatoes
Bell peppers; (preferably red/orange bell peppers)
Onions
Habanero
Olive oil
Salt
Knorr chicken Bouillon seasoning powder
Dry thyme
Curry powder
Bay leaves
Garlic
Ginger (grated)
Ground black pepper
Chili pepper
Chopped parsley (for garnishing)

How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce for Meatballs (Step-by-Step):

Making this easy tomato sauce for meatballs is easy peasy lemon squeezy. If you are ready, let’s do it! The best about this meatball sauce recipe is eating it.

Gather the Ingredients
Assemble your ingredients, wash the tomatoes and bell peppers. Cut them to fit your blender. Cut the onions as well and peel the garlic.
Blend the Ingredients
Add the cut tomatoes and bell peppers to the blender as well as the onions, garlic, and habanero. Blend the ingredients until smooth.
Place a big Pot/Pan on the Stove
To start making the tomato sauce, place a clean pan on the stove, allow it to heat up, and then add the oil. When the oil heats up, add the seasoning (salt, dry thyme, curry, Knorr powder, and black pepper), and stir. Then add the tomato blend, bay leaves, stir again, cover, and simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes. (Note: Adding the seasonings first allows them to flavor the oil and tomato blend right from the start).
Add Tomato Paste and Broth
Add the tomato paste into the pot; combine it with the sauce and stir in the broth. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning; you may need to add some chili pepper for a spicy kick. Add more salt, Knorr if needed, then cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
Add the Meatballs
Gently open the pot (avoid hot splashes) and add the cooked/browned meatballs. Cover, simmer on low for another 10 – 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped parsley and remove pot from the stove to finish cooking.

How to Store Leftover Meatball Sauce

I suggest allowing your sauce to cool completely before storing it. This meatball sauce keeps very well in the freezer and lasts up to 3 months. Usually, I pack the sauce on 12-ounce plates. This way, it is easy to warm a container and use it as spaghetti/pasta sauce. At the same time, the rest of the sauce stays fresh until you need them.

Notes/Tips for Meatball Sauce

Use already cooked/browned meatballs; you can easily make meatballs from scratch using my air fryer meatballs recipe.
Do not cook your sauce on high heat, it could burn, and tomatoes can change color, taste and stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add salt and pepper to your preference.
If you are making less sauce, you will certainly use fewer ingredients. Then the cooking time may differ.
You easily turn this recipe into a chicken stew; simply skip the meatballs and add chicken or any other meat you choose.
Add more broth or water if the sauce looks too thick, make this sauce to your consistency.

DIY Meatball Sauce FAQs

How do you make meatball sauce less Tomatoey?

The best way to make meatball sauce less tomatoey is to simmer the sauce on low until the tomato taste disappears. Also, seasoning, herbs, and spices help reduce the sauce’s tomatoey taste.

Why is homemade tomato sauce better?

Homemade tomato sauce is better because it is tastier, saves money, and is easy to make. The homemade sauce uses ingredients you know, while you may not know exactly the ingredients used in store-bought marinara sauces.

How to make tomato sauce have flavor?

Using seasonings, herbs, and spices, you can add more flavor to tomato sauce. You can also sauté chopped onions and shallots to add more flavor to your tomato sauce.

Is it OK to put raw meatballs in sauce?

Yes, you can add raw meatballs to your sauce. However, ensure to simmer the sauce until the meatballs thoroughly cook through. Use a meat thermometer to check that the meatballs are fully cooked/well done, and then you can continue making the sauce. On the other hand, I recommend cooking meatballs before adding them to the sauce.

What is a basic tomato sauce made of?

This homemade tomato sauce comprises tomato paste, chicken or beef broth, fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, habanero, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, herbs, and spices.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

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WHAT TO SERVE WITH MEATBALL SAUCE:

Spaghetti is always perfect with this meatball sauce. This was a hearty weekday dinner. YUM!

A Versatile DIY sauce you can serve with spaghetti, rice, macaroni, quinoa, or boiled yam.

Green Beans would surprisingly become your favorite side (EVER) to eat with this meatball sauce!

A simple and easy recipe for air fryer green beans with garlic butter sauce requires only a few ingredients; fresh green beans, onions powder, salt, pepper, avocado oil as well a drizzle of garlicky, buttery sauce! Air fried garlic green beans are easy, quick, tender, crisp, deliciously delightful, and perfect with any main dish. P.s. I love it with salmon! This air fryer fried green beans recipe cooks in less than 10 minutes in the air fryer (well, obviously)! But we don't stop there; I take it a little further with my garlic butter sauce. #airfryergreenbeans #greenbeans #garlicsauce #airfryerrecipe

Rice remains an excellent side dish with this meatball sauce. You can serve it with white rice, Jollof rice or Coconut rice!

Cooked/boiled white rice ready for serving. The most important thing you need in other to cook white rice is rice. I used long grain rice for this recipe today. You can still use any different kind of rice, such as short or medium grain. #riceandstew #whiterice #steamedrice

Quinoa is another easy side dish that can go with meatball sauce.

Macaroni JOLLOF is perfect with this sauce. Obviously macaroni is pasta so it unsurprisingly goes well with this homemade meatball sauce!

stewed macaroni aka macaroni Jollof recipe

MORE SAUCES/STEWS/SOUPS TO TRY:

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