Easy Marinara Sauce Recipe -Chunky
This is such a great marinara sauce for so many reasons. Shall I list?
- It’s so quick to make.
- It’s so easy.
- The ingredients are super simple.
- Once you make it, it’s ready to serve and full of flavor.
- Everybody loves it and can’t tell (or cares) that it’s made with canned tomatoes.

I keep telling myself that I’m going to make a few jars of this stuff but I never do it. Just like I never stock my freezer anymore with homemade pizzas and skillets meals even though I swear I’m gonna get all organized. Ugggh my procrastination is awful!
Anyway, I’ll get back to that later, now back to this amazing, easy marina sauce recipe. It’s good. Make it. And make lots of things to go with it like breadsticks, toasted ravioli, and I recently discovered that buffalo wings taste pretty darn good with it too. Whodathunkit! Something about that slight sweetness of the sauce and the spiciness from the wings totally works!
Don’t like your marinara sauce chunky? Just run it through the blender until you reach your desired consistency.
Watch me make this easy marinara sauce recipe from start to finish!

Get the Recipe: Easy Marinara Sauce Recipe -Chunky
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2-1 cup diced white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth, divided
- 1 14.5 oz can Italian chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves, diced
- Salt & pepper to taste.
- Brown sugar, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large skillet.
- Saute' onion, garlic and red pepper flakes until onions are tender.
- Add tomato paste and 1/2 cup chicken broth.
- Stir to combine.
- Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, parsley, oregano, basil and the remaining chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add a little brown sugar to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes if needed.
Notes
This marinara sauce does not need to sit overnight to be flavorful, but the flavor does get stronger once it's sat in the fridge overnight.
Use fresh tomatoes if you prefer.
Add white or red wine if desired.
I remember an old world Italian family that used to live next door to us growing up. They made chunky Marinara served over those big macaroni pastas, that have points on the ends. They always had green peppers chunks in it also. Was decadent!
I made this Marinara sauce last week. WOW! It is awesome!! We loved it so much that I’m going to make it again with my Mozzerella Marinara recipe. This is by far the best marinara sauce I’ve had. And, in my Italian family, we have made marinara all the time! Be sure to make this. You’re gonna love it!
That makes me happy! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
I love this recipe!!! i have made marinara sauce following this recipe like a hundred times and it never fails. Thank you so much!!!! (as a matter of fact, i replace the Italian tomatoes with fresh tomatoes and it’s still so good)
This marinara sauce goes well with the toasted ravioli. I made it tonight and my mom said she loved the sauce. I told her that there’s this website (which is this one) has so much good recipes. She said you are a prize-winner! ( cuz she is very hard to please)
If I want to add meat to this at what time in the cooking should I add it?
I made, well actually doubled this easy marinara sauce…we all loved it…love the red pepper flakes (was a bit heavy handed) they give it the something special that most marinara’s just don’t have…it’s a winner!
I also made the Toasted Ravioli’s….fantastic …and the Stuffed Meatballs which are also winners! I love the new Philadelphia Cooking Creams they are a great addition to so many dishes!
to top the day off I made your Banana Pudding Cupcakes and they are to die for….
So I guess I need to thank you for all your good recipes and you could say this day was dedicated to you!