Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce {Tastes Like Rao’s}


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Make a flavorful marinara sauce in your slow cooker. This recipe makes a huge batch, enough for using all week or freezing for later. You won’t want to buy marinara sauce after making this! We use this for spaghetti pizza and more.

You can make just about any sauce in the slow cooker! We also make tomato butter sauce, slow cooker spaghetti sauce and slow cooker vegetarian spaghetti sauce.

marinara sauce in slow cooker, done cooking
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This rich, flavorful marinara sauce slowly simmers in your crockpot all day, developing a deep, authentic taste that rivals Rao’s. With just a little prep, you’ll have enough sauce to serve 12 standard portions—or 8 generous ones—depending on how much marinara you love to pile onto your dishes.

What makes this recipe truly special is how effortless it is. Simply add the ingredients to your crockpot in the morning and let it work its magic while you go about your day. The result is a sauce with the same savory balance of garlic, herbs, and tomatoes that Rao’s is famous for—without the premium price tag of store-bought jars.

Once you see how easy and delicious this recipe is, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without homemade marinara. Keep some on hand in the fridge or freezer for busy nights, and you’ll always be prepared for a quick, satisfying meal. The convenience and flavor are unbeatable!

What you need:

ingredients for marinara sauce on table
  • Crushed tomatoes  -While you can certainly use and cook fresh tomatoes for this recipe, I prefer meals I can quickly prepare. In the interest of quick and easy, we’re using canned tomatoes in our recipe.
  • Diced tomatoes – These will add texture to your sauce
  • White onion – Dice your onion small if you have picky eaters.
  • Garlic cloves – minced (add as much as you like! We love lots of garlic)
  • Seasonings – Dried oregano, dried basil, salt, pepper, sugar, and onion powder.
  • {The full recipe is in the recipe card below the images}

Variations

  • If you have fresh herbs on hand, feel free to use them! Personally, I prefer dried spices since they’re more budget-friendly and have a longer shelf life. You can also customize the flavor by adding up to four tablespoons of your favorite herbs or spices, like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or basil.
  • Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a bold sauce.
  • A half cup of red wine is a great addition and will flavor the sauce wonderfully.
  • Double or triple the garlic if you are a garlic lover.
  • Some like to add vegetables to their marinara (chopped small) such as carrots, celery or button mushrooms.

Step by Step Directions

Step 1 – Add everything to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir.

Step 2 – Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time. You can do 5 hours on high if you are in a hurry. After the sauce is done cooking, uncover and let cool for about an hour before storing.

cooked marinara sauce in slow cooker with spoon

How to freeze

  • Cool the sauce completely before ladling it into storage bags. Freeze for no longer than 3 months for the best taste.
  • You can also store it in plastic or glass jars, leaving room at the top for the sauce to expand. Just remember that not all jars are made for the freezer, so check yours before you use them.
  • When you’re ready to use the frozen sauce, place the bag or jar of sauce in the fridge to thaw the day before it’s needed.
ribbed jar with marinara sauce in it

Recipe FAQs

How long to cook marinara sauce in the slow cooker

I recommend eight hours on low, this delicious recipe really works best when you give it the whole 8 hours to simmer and let the spices really incorporate with the tomatoes for a rich flavor. You can do five hours on high if you are in a pinch.

Can I water bath can or pressure can this recipe?

Canning tomatoes needs a special formula of acidity. This recipe was not created for canning, it’s great for freezing though!

Meals to use up marinara sauce:

You can put it over anything from a meatball sub sandwich to eggplant parmesan. Use it as a dipping sauce for pizza rolls or garlic bread, or over-baked chicken with a bit of goat cheese on top. I like to use it for homemade pizza and lasagna. It’s also great with spaghetti squash or zoodles if you’re trying to avoid gluten!

Ways to use this sauce up

  • Use as a pizza sauce (we love this on Boboli pizza crusts or English muffin pizzas).
  • Of course any type of pasta dish (lasagna, ravioli, chicken Parmesan and more!).
  • Use a dipping sauce for garlic bread or bread sticks.
  • Make meatball subs with the extra marinara later in the week.

Slow Cooker Recipes that use marinara sauce:

marinara sauce on a spoon coming from slow cooker

Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce

4.72 from 7 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 cups
This rich and versatile Slow Cooker Marinara is packed with classic Italian flavors and perfect for pasta, pizza, or dipping! 🍅

Ingredients 
 

  • 84 oz. crushed tomatoes, (three 28 oz. cans)
  • 29 oz. diced tomatoes, (two 14.5 oz. cans)
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. dried basil
  • 2 tsp. sea salt, standard table salt works fine
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder

Instructions 

  • Add everything to the slow cooker, stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.
  • After the sauce is done cooking you can use right away. Or, uncover and let cool for about an hour before ladling into freezer storage bags. Plastic or glass jars can be used, the same way you would with freezer jam, leaving room at the top for the sauce to expand.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To use, place the bag of sauce in the fridge to thaw the day before the sauce is needed.

How to Video

Sarah’s Notes

Serving Ideas: 
  • Use as a pizza sauce (we love this on Boboli pizza crusts or English muffin pizzas).
  • Of course any type of pasta dish (lasagna, ravioli, chicken Parmesan and more!).
  • Use a dipping sauce for garlic bread or bread sticks.
  • Make meatball subs with the extra marinara later in the week.
Variations:
  • If you have fresh herbs on hand, feel free to use them! Personally, I prefer dried spices since they’re more budget-friendly and have a longer shelf life. You can also customize the flavor by adding up to four tablespoons of your favorite herbs or spices, like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or basil.
  • Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a bold sauce.
  • A half cup of red wine is a great addition and will flavor the sauce wonderfully.
  • Double or triple the garlic if you are a garlic lover.
  • Some like to add vegetables to their marinara (chopped small) such as carrots, celery or button mushrooms.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 657mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 517IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

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40 Comments

  1. Steve N. says:

    I always put in a can of Rotel.

  2. Per says:

    I’m trying to figure out if it would work with a 5 quart crock pot.

  3. Kelly says:

    4 stars
    I am making this recipe as I write this and the house smells amazing! I can’t wait to use it later in my eggplant parmesan recipe. Thank you for the great recipes!

  4. Aimee says:

    This sounds like a great recipe but how many fresh tomatoes would it take to make this?

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Hi! It’s hard to say without testing it. My guess is 2-3 pounds.

  5. Jennifer says:

    I am making this to accompany breaded and fried ravioli for SB50 50 tomorrow

  6. Jo Prescott says:

    I never thought to make spaghetti sauce in the crock pot, but I will now! I grow my own tomatoes, cook them, and freeze them for use all year for anything that calls for tomatoes. I never learned how to can so freezing works for me. I only use glass to freeze anything in and never have had a problem with taste or quality. I also grow, cook and freeze summer squash and enjoy that year round. We have a Meyer lemon tree and freeze the juice. I use that for iced tea (which I drink gallons of year round) and for cooking. Yes, I am fortunate to have an extra freezer, and it sure has paid for itself.

  7. Kim Emswiler says:

    Awesome!!

  8. Becky Kukoski says:

    I freeze my sauces in 2 cup portions in the zip lock bags until frozen then take the frozen sauce out of the bags and vacuum seal them. They keep for a year with no freezer taste.

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Great idea Becky! Thanks for the tip. I need to get my food saver out of the closet!

  9. T R says:

    better yet – grown your own tomatoes, chop them a bit,,do this crock pot method, and use a hand blender to smooth out the sauce before freezing. I don’t like using canned anything because of the chemicals and preservatives

    1. ABCarey says:

      How many tomatoes do you use in this when using home-grown?

      1. Sarah Olson says:

        Hi, I’m unsure. You could test it out with as many as you want to use and add more seasonings towards the end.

  10. Valenzanoj@charter.net says:

    I add 5-6 bay leaves and a pinch of red pepper.