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    Home » Recipes » Savory Sauces

    Meatball Sauce Recipe

    Published: Dec 16, 2022 Modified: Jan 23, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    My easy sauce for meatballs is an easy Italian meat sauce perfect for serving with your favorite meatball recipe and pasta! It uses a combination of sausage and pork loin for a flavorful and fragrant sauce for meatballs you will want to enjoy again and again.

    Prep takes just 5 minutes, then you set it and forget it to enjoy later!

    Meatball on a fork over bowl of meatballs with sauce
    Jump to:
    • Sauce for Meatballs
    • Meatball Sauce Ingredients
    • How to Make Meatball Sauce
    • Easy Sauce for Meatballs Tips
    • Meatball Sauce Recipes FAQs
    • Best Meatball Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Sauce for Meatballs

    When I tell you I make meatballs a lot, you better believe I mean a lot! Meatballs are one of my favorite dishes to serve my family, whether I'm serving them over pasta or in a classic meatball sandwich. This is my favorite go-to meat sauce for a quick and easy dinner idea for entertaining or as a comfort food treat for my family.

    The best part about my easy sauce for meatballs is that it uses staple ingredients. You may only have to buy the sausage and pork loin to make it - you probably have the rest in your pantry already!

    Budget-friendly and easy to make, my Italian meat sauce recipe is a must-try for meatball lovers. I have had numerous people try this recipe and tell me it is the best sauce for meatballs they have ever had. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

    holding a meatball over a bowl of meatballs with sauce and pasta

    Meatball Sauce Ingredients

    • sausage
    • pork loin cubed
    • olive oil
    • Italian seasoning
    • minced garlic
    • tomato sauce
    • onion 
    • sugar
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • cooked meatballs

    How to Make Meatball Sauce

    1. Place a large deep pan or Dutch Oven over high heat and add olive oil. Add onion and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
    2. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are golden.
    3. Add sausage and pork loin to the pan. Cook until meat is golden brown, stirring occasionally.
    4. Gradually pour in tomato sauce. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and Italian seasoning.
    5. Stir and add in cooked meatballs. Cover and simmer for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
    6. Serve over pasta, and enjoy!

    Easy Sauce for Meatballs Tips

    • Make a double batch of sauce and freeze half for later! That way you always have more of this delicious meatball sauce recipe on hand.
    • Prepare your meatballs before making the sauce. By the time both cook together for a few hours, the flavor is incredible! There is nothing better than cooking meatballs in the sauce and enjoying it for dinner later with some pasta at the end of the day. It makes the best spaghetti sauce!

    Meatball Sauce Recipes FAQs

    Can I use frozen meatballs?

    Frozen meatballs may be used to make meatball sauce. Prepare frozen meatballs according to package directions, then add to the sauce and follow our instructions.

    Can I make meatball sauce ahead of time?

    The flavor of meatball sauce intensifies over time and becomes even more flavorful, so it is recommended you make meatball sauce ahead of time for the best flavor. Make it the day beforehand as instructed and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. When you reheat it, the flavor will be even better developed than fresh.

    Can I freeze meatball sauce?

    To freeze meatball sauce, first, allow it to cool. Then, add it to a freezer-safe bag and label it with the date. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost on the counter and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.

    Meatball sauce with meatballs in a bowl next to bread

    Best Meatball Recipes

    • Air Fryer Meatballs
    • Instant Pot Meatballs
    • Oven-baked Meatballs
    • Baked Meatball Sub

    Check out my all-time favorite sauce recipes here: Easy Sauce Recipes

    📖 Recipe

    Meatball sauce with meatballs in a bowl next to bread

    Meatball Sauce

    Isabel Laessig
    My meatball sauce recipe is an Italian meat sauce filled with so much flavor! Fragrant and delicious, pair it with meatballs and pasta.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 4 hrs 11 mins
    Total Time 4 hrs 16 mins
    Course Sauce
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 8
    Calories 396 kcal

    Equipment

    • Dutch oven or large pot
    • Wooden spoon or spatula

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound sausage
    • 1 pound pork loin cubed
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
    • 4 28 oz. tomato sauce cans
    • 1 small onion or half 1 large onion, chopped
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • cooked meatballs

    Instructions
     

    • Place a large deep pan or Dutch Oven over high heat and add olive oil. Add onion and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
      ¼ cup olive oil, 1 small onion
      Cooking onions in a pot
    • Stir in minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are golden.
      1 Tablespoon minced garlic
      Cooking garlic with onions in a pot
    • Add sausage and pork loin to the pan. Cook until meat is golden brown, stirring occasionally.
      1 pound pork loin, 1 pound sausage
      Cooking sausage and pork loin in a pot
    • Gradually pour in tomato sauce. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and Italian seasoning.
      1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, 4 28 oz. tomato sauce cans, ½ teaspoon sugar, salt & pepper
      Adding tomato sauce to meat sauce in pot
    • Stir and add in cooked meatballs. Cover and simmer 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
      cooked meatballs
      Meatballs in sauce in a pot
    • Serve over pasta, and enjoy!
      Mixing meatball sauce in a pot

    Video

    Notes

    • Make a double batch of sauce and freeze half for later! That way you always have more of this delicious meatball sauce recipe on hand.
    • Prepare your meatballs before making the sauce. By the time both cook together for a few hours, the flavor is incredible! There is nothing better than cooking meatballs in the sauce and enjoying it for dinner later with some pasta at the end of the day. It makes the best spaghetti sauce!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 396kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 26gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 2171mgPotassium: 1499mgFiber: 6gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1525IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword easy sauce for meatballs, meatball sauce, meatball sauce recipe, sauce for meatballs
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Crema Sauce
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    About Isabel Laessig

    Isabel Laessig, better known as Family Foodie and the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is passionate about food and family! She is the author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook, and hosts Family Foodie Friday on WTSP's Great Day Tampa Bay along with other television appearances to spread her mission of bringing Sunday Supper back around the family table in every home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Re La says

      February 14, 2022 at 1:52 pm

      This looks delish! What kind of sausage did you use? Just regular, Jimmy Dean kind or Italian sausage?

      Reply
      • Isabel Laessig says

        February 17, 2022 at 6:57 pm

        Hi there! We used Italian sausage for this dish. Thank you for your question!

        Reply
    2. Brian Gouge says

      September 16, 2022 at 3:18 am

      5 stars
      I can't believe this only has 1 rating so far. This sauce recipe is easy and fast, and tastes amazing! Note I used frozen meatballs so I only made the sauce. It was the perfect amount for 3 large 8 meatball servings. I started some kale in the instant pot, then started this sauce recipe. I whisked the Sauce while heating the meatballs in the microwave until just defrosted, then added to sauce, stirred to coat, then covered while setting the table and draining the kale. I wanted to add some pineapple but my wife wasn't sure so I put some on top of mine and my wife ended up liking it with pineapple as well so I will add it in next time. If you like a kick you could add your favorite spice such as a shake of sriracha, but this is perfect as is.

      Reply
      • em says

        September 16, 2022 at 5:51 pm

        Thank you so much for your amazing comment, Brian! We're so glad you and your wife both enjoyed the recipe! We love the idea of adding kale.

        Reply
        • Mercy Biza says

          November 19, 2022 at 7:50 am

          Tried this recipe. It was really awesome

          Reply
          • em says

            November 21, 2022 at 7:33 pm

            Thanks so much, Mercy! We're glad you enjoyed it!

            Reply

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