Delicious Homemade Sauces & Condiments
Sauces are a great component to any dish and, at times, can even be the star of a dish! Sauces add flavor and nutrients into a meal. We put together this list of sauces to add to your cooking arsenal because they can easily add flavor to a dish and some excitement to your weekday staples. The recipes in this list can be added to your favorite protein or bowl of pasta or used as a dip for vegetables, spreads for sandwiches, and dressings for salad. Many of these sauces can be made ahead of time (hello, Sunday meal prep!) and stored in the fridge or freezer to conveniently have on hand for an easy weeknight meal.
A note on freezing sauces: We note below that many of these sauces can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer for an extended period of time. When freezing sauces (or anything), you want to think about how much you will eat at one time. If you made 3 cups of sauce but know that you are likely to only use 1/2 cup at a time, freeze the sauce in 1/2 cup portions. You can use food storage containers or freezer zip bags. If you want some flexibility or know you will only use a little at a time (such as only wanting 2 tablespoons of pesto to top a meal), fill an ice cube tray with the sauce and freeze. You can use one ice cube if you just need a little or defrost a handful of cubes to use more sauce.
Classic Tomato Sauce by NYT Cooking
Courtesy of NYT Cooking
1 hour cook time
Makes enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for up to 6 months
Can be used on a bowl of pasta, for chicken (or eggplant, shrimp, etc.) parmesan, or as sauce for homemade pizza
Barbeque Sauce by NYT Cooking
Courtesy of NYT Cooking
5 min prep time | 5 min cook time | 10 min total
Makes 1 1/2 cups of sauce
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months
Can be used for classic BBQ recipes like pulled pork and ribs, basted on grilled proteins and vegetables, on a sandwich, or as a dipping sauce
Salsa Verde by Simply Recipes
Courtesy of Simply Recipes
10 min prep time | 15 min cook time | 25 min total
Makes 3 cups of salsa
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months
Can be served as a dip, as an accompaniment to classic Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, or fajitas, on top of eggs, or used as a marinade for meats and vegetables
Teriyaki Sauce by The Daring Gourmet
Courtesy of The Daring Gourmet
5 min prep time | 5 min cook time | 10 min total
Makes 1 1/4 cups sauce
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months
Can be used as a sauce for stir fry or other classic Asian dishes or as a marinade for protein of choice (make sure to omit cornstarch in this case)
Courtesy of Fox and Briar
5 min prep time | 5 min total
Makes 1 cup sauce
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week (if using out of the refrigerator, make sure to let sit on the counter for 30 minutes before using or serving) or in the freezer for up to 6 months
Can be used as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or vegetables, as a salad dressing, or in recipes like peanut noodles and chicken satay
Chimichurri Sauce by Little Spice Jar
Courtesy of Little Spice Jar
5 min prep time | 5 min total
Makes 1/2 cup sauce
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months
Can be used on things like eggs, grilled proteins, roasted vegetables, or as a burger condiment
Chipotle Mayo by Feasting at Home
Courtesy of Feasting at Home
5 min prep time | 5 min total
Makes 1/2 cup sauce
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
Can be used as a sandwich spread, on a burger, with classic Mexican dishes, or on breakfast sandwiches
Can be made vegan, see recipe notes at link
Pesto Sauce by NYT Cooking
10 min prep time | 10 min total
Makes 2 cups sauce
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months
Can be used in pasta dishes, as a dipping sauce for bread, and on pizza, chicken cutlets and other meats, fish such as salmon, vegetables, and eggs
Balsamic Vinaigrette by Barefeet in the Kitchen
Courtesy of Barefeet in the Kitchen
5 min prep time | 5 min total
Makes 1 1/4 cups dressing
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 months
Can be used on various salads, to dress wraps, as a dip for vegetables, or to drizzle on roasted vegetables
Courtesy of Cookie and Kate
10 min prep time | 10 min total
Makes 1 cup dressing
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
Can be used on various salads, as a dip for vegetables, as a condiment on sandwiches and burgers, as a marinade for meat, or in other recipes that may call for ranch dressing
Can be made spicy by adding sriracha or jalapeno