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

Which sauce is best for cooking? ›

Read on for our essential sauces for the modern home cook, plus the key pieces of equipment you'll need to pull them off.
  1. Chimichurri. © Abby Hocking. ...
  2. Hollandaise. Hollandaise is the only classic mother sauce that's thickened using emulsification instead of a roux. ...
  3. Pomodoro Sauce. ...
  4. Béchamel. ...
  5. Romesco. ...
  6. Jeow Som.
Apr 16, 2019

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

Condimaniac's Top 5 tips for making sauce at home
  1. Overdo it. You're trying to make something that carries not only itself but also other food that goes with it. ...
  2. Chill it. ...
  3. Time changes flavour. ...
  4. Scaling up doesn't always work. ...
  5. Good quality ingredients make all the difference.
Sep 13, 2022

What is the king of all 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 are the 7 major sauces? ›

Sauces considered mother sauces. In order (left to right, top to bottom): béchamel, espagnole, tomato, velouté, hollandaise, and mayonnaise.

What are the 4 culinary sauces? ›

However, the mother sauces were not always as we know them today. In the 1800s, French chef Marie-Antoine Carême classified veloute, bechamel, allemande, and Espagnole as the foundational (mother) sauces.

What are 5 mother sauces? ›

The five French mother sauces are béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato. Developed in the 19th century by French chef Auguste Escoffier, mother sauces serve as a starting point for a variety of delicious sauces used to complement countless dishes, including veggies, fish, meat, casseroles, and pastas.

What are the 4 master sauces? ›

To the original four sauces (Velouté, Béchamel, Allemande, and Espagnole) enshrined by his predecessor, royal chef Marie-Antoine Carême a century earlier, Escoffier added Hollandaise and Sauce Tomate, and reclassified Allemande. (Mayonnaise, one of his essential cold sauces, is now considered the sixth mother.)

What is the best sauce of all time? ›

A world tour of the 10 most popular sauces
  • 1 Bechamel | France.
  • 2 Andalouse | Belgium.
  • 3 Tzatziki | Greece.
  • 4 Alfredo | Italy.
  • 5 Guasacaca | Venezuela.
  • 6 BBQ | United States.
  • 7 Pico de gallo | Mexico.
  • 8 Sweet & Sour | China.
May 25, 2022

What are the six mother sauces? ›

There are no historical records to verify that he was a gourmet, a cook, or the inventor of béchamel sauce.
  • Mother Sauce # 2. Velouté:
  • Mother Sauce # 3. Espagnole (Brown Sauce):
  • Mother Sauce # 4. Tomato Sauce:
  • Mother Sauce # 5. Hollandaise Sauce (Dutch Sauce):
  • Mother Sauce # 6. Mayonnaise Sauce:

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 gives a sauce more flavor? ›

Pungent fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and marjoram can liven up tomato sauce with their bold, distinctive flavors. Add 1 to 2 sprigs of one or more of them to your favorite sauce, cover, and simmer at least 5 minutes to allow them to infuse in the sauce. Remove the sprigs before serving.

What is the most basic sauce? ›

Béchamel sauce is probably the simplest of the mother sauces because it doesn't require making stock. If you have milk, flour, and butter you can make a very basic béchamel. Béchamel is made by thickening hot milk with a simple white roux.

What are the 5 cardinal sauces? ›

The five mother sauces of classical cuisine are béchamel, velouté, espagnole, tomato, and hollandaise. Since Marie Antoine-Carême codified them in 1833, numerous sauces have been based on them.

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.

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