Sauces and Condiments Sauces Pasta Sauces Meat Sauce Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef 4.7 (1,498) 1,108 Reviews 248 Photos This recipe has been handed down from my mother. It is a family favorite and will not be replaced! (Definite husband pleaser!) Serve over any variety of hot cooked pasta. Submitted by Hank's Mom Updated on May 22, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 248 248 248 248 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Servings: 8 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe There's nothing like classic spaghetti and meat sauce to bring people together around the dinner table. This homemade spaghetti sauce with ground beef recipe will satisfy all your comfort food cravings. How to Make Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef Restaurant-worthy spaghetti sauce with ground beef is just a few steps away. You'll find the full recipe below, but here's a brief overview of what you can expect: Cook Beef and Veggies Cook ground beef in a saucepan over medium-high heat with garlic, onion, and green pepper. Stir until the meat is brown and crumbly. The vegetables should be tender. Add Tomato Products and Season Stir diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste into the beef mixture. Add oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer until thick and aromatic, then serve over cooked spaghetti noodles. Troubleshooting Spaghetti Sauce If your spaghetti sauce didn't turn out exactly how you wanted it to, don't worry! There's probably an easy fix. How to Thicken Spaghetti Sauce This recipe should result in a perfectly thick spaghetti sauce. But things happen! If you somehow end up with a runny consistency, there are a few ways to thicken it. You could simmer the sauce for a few more minutes — this will reduce some of the liquid and leave you with a thicker sauce. For a quicker fix, make a slurry with one part water and one part cornstarch. Stir the slurry slowly into the sauce until you've reached the desired thickness. What Herbs to Add to Spaghetti Sauce This top-rated recipe calls for garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. However, you can certainly adjust, eliminate, or add seasonings to suit your taste. To make this spaghetti sauce your own, you could add parsley or spice things up with crushed red pepper. Just remember to taste the sauce every time you add an ingredient so you don't accidentally add too much or too little. How Long to Simmer Spaghetti Sauce We love the texture and flavor of this spaghetti sauce when it simmers for about an hour. If you'd like your sauce a little thinner, reduce the time a bit. Meanwhile, if you like it a little thicker, let it simmer for a bit longer. 9 Mistakes You Might Be Making When Cooking Pasta Photo by Sherri. What Goes With Spaghetti? Looking for something delicious to pair with your spaghetti and meat sauce? Try one of these irresistible ideas: Toasted Garlic BreadPanzanella SaladCaesar Salad SupremeQuick and Easy Garlic Broccoli with ParmesanSauteed Zucchini How Long Does Spaghetti Last In the Fridge? Store your cooked noodles and your spaghetti sauce with ground beef separately. The spaghetti noodles will last for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The ground beef sauce, meanwhile, will last for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. What to Do With Leftover Spaghetti Can You Freeze Spaghetti Sauce? Yes! You can absolutely freeze spaghetti sauce. It's a great way to deal with leftovers and meal prep at the same time. To freeze spaghetti sauce, ladle it into zip-top freezer bags in serving-sized portions. Squeeze out the excess air, seal, label with the date, lay flat in the freezer, and freeze for up to six months. How to Reheat Frozen Spaghetti Sauce Refrigerated spaghetti sauce can be reheated in a couple different ways. Microwave in 10-second increments (stirring between increments) or reheat on the stove, stirring frequently. Thaw frozen spaghetti sauce in the fridge overnight. Reheat thawed sauce on the stove, stirring frequently. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise "Very good 'go-to' recipe for traditional spaghetti sauce," according to Polly G. "I had all the ingredients on hand and the flavor was great — even better the next day. It made a good batch so I was able to freeze some for a quick dinner. I'll definitely be making this again!" "What more can I say about this recipe that hasn't already been said," raves sheribdb. "I did toss in some fresh mushrooms, but otherwise it's perfect just the way it is. It's absolutely delicious!" "I've been looking for a simple yet robust sauce to try," says Stellar912. "This is perfect! And with all the ingredients on hand, this was easy. I added two onions and a huge green pepper because I like my sauce zesty." Editorial contributions by Corey Williams. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings 1 pound ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 small green bell pepper, diced 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste 2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons dried basil 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper Directions Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Combine ground beef, onion, garlic, and green pepper in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until meat is browned and crumbly and vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain grease. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Stir diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste into the pan. Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer spaghetti sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Serve hot and enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS I Made It Print 4,076 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 185 Calories 9g Fat 15g Carbs 12g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 185 % Daily Value * Total Fat 9g 12% Saturated Fat 4g 18% Cholesterol 35mg 12% Sodium 931mg 40% Total Carbohydrate 15g 5% Dietary Fiber 4g 13% Total Sugars 9g Protein 12g 25% Vitamin C 28mg 31% Calcium 72mg 6% Iron 4mg 20% Potassium 785mg 17% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.