The Best Sauce Recipes | POPSUGAR Food (2024)

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By Anna Monette Roberts

Updated on 4/28/2020 at 10:55 AM

The Best Sauce Recipes | POPSUGAR Food (1)

All the best dishes are coated in sauces, if you really think about it. Eggs Benedict is so good all thanks to the rich hollandaise sauce. The reason you can't have just one buffalo chicken wing on game day is due to the tangy BBQ sauce that's coated on top of them. As for Thanksgiving dinner? Dousing turkey and mashed potatoes in gravy is what really gives you something to be thankful about. If you're in search of how to make the best homemade sauces from scratch, these recipes are all you need. From breakfast to dinner, drench your favorite foods in these sauces to achieve restaurant-quality results now. Read ahead to see the best recipes, and get lost in the sauce like never before.

Additional reporting by Lauren Harano

01

Ginger Sauce

Tangy, savory, and sweet all in one, this restaurant copycat recipe pairs well with veggies, meats, and seafood. Prepare to drench everything you eat in it.

Get the recipe: copycat Benihana ginger sauce

02

Shack Sauce

Every burger chain has its famous sauce, and this Shake Shack recipe is so close to the original, you won't even believe it. Add it to homemade burgers, hot dogs, wings, and anything else you can think of because it's that good.

Get the recipe: Shake sauce

03

Keto Marinara Sauce

Made with oregano, basil, and parsley, the key to this recipe is the fresh herbs. While store-bought marinara sauce can be packed with refined sugars, this recipe forgoes that, which means you can stay on the keto diet while still enjoying your favorite foods.

Get the recipe: keto marinara sauce

04

Hollandaise Sauce

Master the art of making breakfast when you whip up this hollandaise recipe. With just a handful of ingredients, you'll be able to make it in 10 minutes. Pair it with everything from eggs Benedict to breakfast sandwiches!

Get the recipe: hollandaise sauce

05

Strawberry-Jalapeño Buffalo Sauce

Spicy, sweet, and seriously good, this buffalo sauce combines the tasty flavors of strawberries with the zesty flavor of jalapeños. Drench everything from wings to vegetables in it.

Get the recipe: strawberry-jalapeño buffalo sauce

06

Vodka Sauce

If you're craving vodka sauce, this easy recipe will keep those hankerings at bay. It goes hand in hand with baked gnocchi, fresh pasta, bread, and more.

Get the recipe: vodka sauce

07

Jalapeño Peach BBQ Sauce

The tangy jalapeños mixed with the sweet peaches makes this BBQ sauce the perfect harmony of flavors. Be brave and try it on everything from sandwiches to burgers.

Get the recipe: jalapeño peach BBQ sauce

08

Clam Sauce

You don't have to be on the coast to enjoy the flavors of the sea. This clam sauce recipe includes linguine, so your meal will be complete in no time.

Get the recipe: clam sauce

09

Bolognese

Hearty in protein, this bolognese recipe will have meat-eaters begging for more. The best part about it is that it can be made in a slow cooker, so all the juices marinate together in no time.

Get the recipe: bolognese

10

Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce

With a garlicky kick and tomato base, this sauce is practically asking to be poured on your pasta. Pro tip: it tastes just as good with bread, so be sure to get a dish to make dunking easier.

Get the recipe: roasted garlic tomato sauce

11

Cacio e Pepe Sauce

All you need is olive oil, guanciale, grated pecorino Romano, and salt and pepper to make this delicious sauce. Drench your favorite noodles in it, and prepare to go back for seconds.

Get the recipe: cacio e pepe sauce

12

Ancho Chili Enchilada Sauce

Spicy and delicious, this chili enchilada sauce can be whipped up in a slow cooker whenever you like. All the ingredients are superfresh, meaning your dinner will practically burst with flavor.

Get the recipe: ancho chili enchilada sauce

13

Homemade Mac and Cheese Sauce

Make a mouthwatering mac and cheese when you add this caprese sauce to your noodles. With goat cheese, mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes, this sauce gives food the rich Italian flavors you've been looking for.

Get the recipe: caprese macaroni and cheese

14

Barbecue Sauce

When beer and sriracha are involved, you know it's about to be good. This barbecue sauce is made with a stout beer, brown sugar, soy sauce, and more, meaning you can get all the best flavors in one.

Get the recipe: sriracha-beer barbecue sauce

15

Sriracha

Jalapeños, peppers and brown sugar work together to make this spicy sriracha sauce bring food to life. Whether you're looking for a sandwich with a kick or dinner with a bite, load on the sriracha to make it complete.

Get the recipe: sriracha

16

Sesame Chicken Sauce

Craving Chinese takeout? This sesame chicken sauce brings the flavors you want into your kitchen in no time. This sweet glaze pairs well with all kinds of protein, so don't be afraid to shake it up.

Get the recipe: sesame chicken

17

Turkey Gravy

Dress your meal in a rich turkey gravy after you follow this easy recipe. Whether it's Thanksgiving or not, you'll be dreaming about this creamy sauce all year long.

Get the recipe: turkey gravy

18

Pesto

Having pasta? Not without pesto! Made with walnuts instead of the traditional pine nuts, this recipe adds a whole new flavor that everyone will love. Pair it with pasta, crackers, cheese, and more.

Get the recipe: walnut pesto

19

Tomato Sauce

Never reach for a can of tomato sauce again when you have this three-ingredient recipe. It brings rich and authentic flavors to the table, and leaves food tasting fresh, bold, and brilliant.

Get the recipe: Marcella Hazan's three-ingredient tomato sauce

20

Red Vegetable Curry

Indulge in curry like never before when you try this red vegetable version. Made with fresh veggies and chickpeas, this sauce packs a whole lot of flavor in every bite.

Get the recipe: red vegetable curry

21

Butterscotch

Warm, creamy, and oh-so-sweet, butterscotch is the perfect addition to apple slices, ice cream sundaes, popcorn, and more. Serve this sauce hot, and watch as everyone's mouths water when you drizzle it on their desserts.

Get the recipe: butterscotch

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The Best Sauce Recipes | POPSUGAR Food (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 tips for making a good sauce? ›

For those who need a little boost of kitchen confidence, here are a few tricks from behind the hot line to stir up some culinary creativity.
  1. Reduce sauces to increase flavor. ...
  2. Deglaze your pan to capture the richest flavors. ...
  3. Spike up the flavor. ...
  4. Adjust salt just before serving. ...
  5. Use fresh ingredients.

What is the most loved sauce? ›

Tomato ketchup

Tomato ketchup doesnt need much of an introduction seeing as it is considered the most popular dipping sauce around the world.

What is the secret to good sauce? ›

Starting with good quality tomatoes and crushing them by hand offers great flavor and texture later on. The combination of butter and oil releases fat-soluble aromatics and gives the sauce a creamy texture. Slowly cooking the sauce in the oven creates rich caramelization without burning.

What are the 5 grand sauces? ›

Here are the basic formulas of the five grand or mother sauces:
  • Béchamel: Roux + dairy.
  • Velouté: Roux + white stock.
  • Espagnole: Roux + brown stock.
  • Hollandaise: Egg yolks + clarified butter + acid (like lemon juice or white wine)
  • Tomato: Roux + tomatoes.

What are the 4 master sauces? ›

In this cookbook, Carême defined a sauce classification and listed four grandes sauces:
  • Espagnole.
  • Velouté
  • Allemande.
  • Béchamel.

What's the most popular sauce in America? ›

Ketchup, the all-American favorite condiment, reigns supreme as the most popular sauce in the United States, followed closely by barbecue sauce and hot sauce.

What are the 5 modern sauces? ›

Five basic types of sauces appear over and over again on menus and in cookbooks that feature the kind of vegetable-heavy, flavor-dense food that cooks and eaters favor today: yogurt sauce, pepper sauce, herb sauce, tahini sauce and pesto.

What is the secret to good tomato sauce? ›

5 Tips for a Better Tasting Tomato Sauce
  • Use wine. Both red and white wine work extremely well for adding flavor to tomato sauce. ...
  • Roast the tomatoes first. ...
  • Add a Parmesan or Romano rind. ...
  • Stir in a little butter. ...
  • Try anchovies.

What is the secret to the best spaghetti? ›

For best flavor, use certified San Marzano tomatoes. Add Parmesan cheese into the sauce while cooking. Use no salt added tomatoes. Use ground beef to cut down on sodium content.

Why do you put baking soda in spaghetti sauce? ›

Great tomato flavor is all about balancing acidity and sweetness. Too much of either can leave you with asauce that tastes one-dimensional. Many sources recommend adding a pinch of baking soda to a sauce that's overly tart, which raises the pH and makes it less acidic.

What is the king of sauces? ›

Bechamel – a milk based sauce that is thickened with a roux (clarified butter and flour). This sauce is named after its creator Louis XIV's steward, Louis de Béchamel. Considered the king of all sauces, and often called a cream sauce because of its consistency, this sauce is most often used in all types of dishes.

What is the least liked sauce? ›

According to the results of a survey conducted in June 2021, the most hated condiment by consumers in the United States is hot sauce, with approximately 24 percent of respondents indicating that they hate hot sauce.

What is the oldest sauce in the world? ›

The first sauces date back to around 200 BC in the midst of Roman antiquity. The sauce then used is garum, a typical Roman sauce made from fermented fish (anchovies, sardines, etc.) and seasoned with spices such as cumin, cardamom, coriander, honey and fragrant flowers.

What are the 3 main parts of a good sauce? ›

Sauces typically contain a liquid, thickener and various flavorings and seasonings. French mother sauces use milk (béchamel sauce), white stock (veloute), brown stock (Espagnole), clarified butter (Hollandaise), and tomato (tomato sauce) as the liquid base for each type of sauce.

What are the 3 basic elements of finishing a sauce? ›

Remember that the three basic elements of a finished sauce are a liquid, a thickening agent, and additional seasoning and flavoring ingredients.

What are the 3 important ingredients used in most sauces? ›

There are three basic kinds of ingredients in most sauces: a liquid, a thickening agent, and other flavoring and seasonings. The quality of the liquid base determines the quality of the sauce.

What are the three characteristics of a quality sauce? ›

According to Larousse (Larousse, 1993), the most important sensory qualities of sauces are “color, luster, aroma, taste, texture and viscosity”, thus underlining the importance of the sauce in a dish.

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