21 Delicious DIY Sauces to Replace Store Bought Jars

Want to make your food taste a whole lot better? These homemade sauces can turn simple meals into something really amazing using just a few basic ingredients. Whether you are into spicy, creamy, or tangy flavors, there is a sauce here for everyone. The best part is that they are all very easy to make with things you probably already have in your kitchen.

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Taqueria-Style Salsa Serrano

This Taqueria-Style Salsa Serrano tastes just like the sauce you get at a real taco stand, with spicy peppers that make it great on tacos or eggs, and you can adjust the heat to be just how you like it.
Get Recipe: Taqueria-Style Salsa Serrano

Southern Comeback Sauce

A white ramekin filled with a creamy dipping sauce with pepper on top, surrounded by crinkle cut fries on a plate. Some fries are partially dipped into the sauce. — Southern Comeback Sauce. Photo credit: The Cookin’ Chicks.

Southern Comeback Sauce is a creamy sauce with a little bit of spice that is perfect for dipping fries or chicken fingers, and it is like a much better version of fancy ketchup that you will want to put on everything.
Get Recipe: Southern Comeback Sauce

Cilantro Chimichurri

A spoon lifting a portion of chimichurri sauce from a small, brown bowl. The sauce is a vibrant mix of finely chopped green herbs, red onions, garlic, and red chili peppers in a yellowish-green liquid. A striped cloth is visible in the background. — Cilantro Chimichurri. Photo credit: Mama Maggie’s Kitchen.

Packed with fresh herbs and garlic, this Cilantro Chimichurri is perfect on grilled meats but also works really well as a salad dressing, and its bright green color makes any dish look more exciting.
Get Recipe: Cilantro Chimichurri

Easy Curry Sauce

A bowl of white rice topped with creamy orange curry containing chunks of meat or tofu, garnished with fresh cilantro. The dish appears well-cooked with a smooth and rich texture. — Easy Curry Sauce. Photo credit: Sauce Fanatic.

This Easy Curry Sauce can turn boring chicken into something exciting with its warm spices that smell amazing while cooking, and even beginners will love how simple and tasty it is to make.
Get Recipe: Easy Curry Sauce

Cilantro Lime Crema

A bowl of creamy green sauce with a spoon on a wooden surface. A lime half, fresh cilantro, and tortilla chips are arranged around the bowl. — Cilantro Lime Crema. Photo By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

Cilantro Lime Crema is a creamy sauce with a fresh lime kick that takes just minutes to make and goes great on tacos or as a dip for chips, plus the bright green color makes food look fancy.
Get Recipe: Cilantro Lime Crema

Mustard Sauce for Ham

A wooden spoon drizzles a creamy, yellow sauce into an open glass jar filled with the same sauce. The background is softly blurred with hints of yellow and white, creating a warm and bright atmosphere. — Grandma’s Mustard Sauce Recipe. Photo credit: Harbour Breeze Home.

Grandma’s Mustard Sauce makes ham taste even better with its sweet and tangy flavors that cut through the saltiness, and it is so easy but tastes like you worked hard on it.
Get Recipe: Mustard Sauce for Ham

Poblano Cream Sauce

A vibrant poblano sauce fills a decorative blue bowl placed on a wooden surface. Fresh cilantro leaves are visible beside the bowl, and a colorful striped cloth is nearby, adding a pop of color to the setting. — Poblano Cream Sauce. Photo credit: Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

This Poblano Cream Sauce is creamy with just a little bit of spice, and it is great on tacos or as a dip for chips, using only a few ingredients but making everything taste better.
Get Recipe: Poblano Cream Sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce

A white plate with crispy fried shrimp, egg rolls, and another fried item next to a white bowl filled with red dipping sauce. A small sprig of cilantro is partially visible at the bottom edge of the plate. — Sweet and Sour Sauce. Photo credit: Dinner at the Zoo.

You can make your own Sweet and Sour Sauce that beats takeout any day, with a perfect mix of tangy and sweet for egg rolls or chicken that kids love, and it is ready in just ten minutes.
Get Recipe: Sweet and Sour Sauce

Chipotle Mayo Sauce

Chipotle Mayo Sauce adds a smoky spice to boring food by just mixing mayo with chipotle peppers, and it is great on burgers, tacos, or fries where a little bit makes everything more exciting.
Get Recipe: Chipotle Mayo Sauce

Best Healthy Homemade Stir Fry Sauce Recipe {Easy!}

A close-up image of a glass jar filled with a brown sauce or marinade. The background features a blurred pan containing mixed vegetables, including broccoli and carrots, placed on a light-colored, textured surface. — Best Healthy Homemade Stir Fry Sauce Recipe. Photo credit: Haute & Healthy Living.

Skip takeout with this Healthy Stir Fry Sauce that is sweet, salty, and sticks to noodles perfectly, with less sugar than the store-bought kind but just as much tasty flavor for weeknight dinners.
Get Recipe: Healthy Homemade Stir Fry Sauce

Chimichurri Sauce

This Chimichurri Sauce makes grilled meats amazing with its bright herbs and garlic that give it a fresh flavor, and it is great on steak, chicken, or veggies with a pretty green color.Get Recipe: Chimichurri Sauce

Lemon Herb Green Tahini Sauce

A glass jar filled with vibrant green pesto, with a wooden spoon dipped into it. Surrounding the jar are assorted fresh vegetables including sliced carrots, radishes, and baby corn, suggesting a dipping snack. — Lemon Herb Green Tahini Sauce. Photo credit: Dana’s Table.

Lemon Herb Green Tahini Sauce is a creamy and tangy sauce that is perfect on veggies or as a pita dip, and even picky eaters love it because it is full of healthy stuff.Get Recipe: Lemon Herb Green Tahini Sauce

Easy Mexican Mole Sauce

Mole sauce in a jar with a spoon inside. — Easy Mole Recipe. Photo credit: Mama Maggie’s Kitchen.

This Easy Mexican Mole Sauce mixes chocolate with chili for a rich flavor that is not too spicy but just deep and yummy, and it is way better than store-bought and almost as simple.
Get Recipe: Easy Mole Recipe

Mushroom Sauce

Mushroom Sauce can make a cheap steak taste fancy with its soft mushrooms that soak up all the good juices, and it is so good on mashed potatoes it might change mushroom haters’ minds.
Get Recipe: Mushroom Sauce

Adobo Sauce

A glass jar filled with smooth, reddish-brown sauce, with a metal lid beside it. The background includes other sealed jars and dried dark chili peppers, suggesting a homemade spicy sauce or salsa. — Mexican Adobo Sauce. Photo credit: Mama Maggie’s Kitchen.

Adobo Sauce gives Mexican dishes their awesome flavor with chili peppers and spices where just a little makes meats and veggies taste way better, and you do not need much to make ingredients special.
Get Recipe: Adobo Sauce

Cilantro-Mint Chutney

A small bowl filled with green chutney sits on a dark plate. A sprig of cilantro and a sliced green chili pepper are placed next to the bowl. The arrangement is accompanied by a colorful fabric with intricate patterns. — Mom’s Cilantro-Mint Chutney. Photo credit: Masala and Chai.

Cilantro-Mint Chutney is that green sauce that makes Indian food so good with herbs and lemon that keep it light and fresh, and you can use it as a dip or on sandwiches.
Get Recipe: Cilantro-Mint Chutney

Guajillo Sauce

A white bowl filled with vibrant red sauce on a wooden surface. A dried red chili pepper is placed beside the bowl. The scene suggests a spicy or flavorful culinary theme. — Guajillo Sauce. Photo credit: Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

Guajillo Sauce makes simple meats taste amazing with dried chilies that give a deep flavor without too much heat, and it is great on chicken or tacos so you will want extra.
Get Recipe: Guajillo Sauce

Easy Homemade Bistro Sauce

A top-down view of a bowl filled with a light orange, creamy dip. The bowl is dark-colored with a textured exterior. The dip appears smooth and slightly speckled with herbs or spices, giving it a subtle, varied appearance. — Easy Homemade Bistro Sauce. Photo credit: Go Cook Yummy.

This Bistro Sauce tastes like it came from a restaurant but costs a lot less, and it is great on burgers or as a fry dip because it is creamy with a little spice.
Get Recipe: Easy Homemade Bistro Sauce

Yogurt Sauce (2 minute Yogurt Garlic Sauce)

A close-up view of a bowl filled with creamy ranch dressing, topped with black pepper flakes. The bowl rests on a round grey plate, both placed on a light textured surface. The dressing appears smooth and thick. — Yogurt Sauce. Photo credit: J Cooking Odyssey.

Yogurt Garlic Sauce takes just two minutes to make but makes meals better because the cool yogurt balances spicy foods perfectly on Mediterranean bowls or as a veggie dip.
Get Recipe: Yogurt Sauce

Horseradish Sauce

Sliced medium-rare roast beef garnished with herbs, arranged on a wooden cutting board. Next to it is a small bowl of creamy white sauce with a spoon. The scene is accompanied by a vintage carving knife and framed by sprigs of fresh herbs. — Horseradish Sauce. Photo credit: Grandbaby Cakes.

Horseradish Sauce gives roast beef a spicy kick with a creamy texture and just enough heat to be interesting, making it perfect for holidays or fancy sandwiches.
Get Recipe: Horseradish Sauce

Hearty Marinara Sauce

Close-up of a wooden spoon stirring rich, red tomato sauce with visible chunks of tomato and herbs. The sauce looks thick and freshly cooked, with bits of basil adding a touch of green to the vibrant red mixture. — Hearty Marinara Sauce. Photo credit: The Frizzled Leek.

This Hearty Marinara Sauce tastes like it was slow-cooked but comes together fast with a rich tomato flavor perfect for pasta or pizza, and you should make extra because it freezes great.
Get Recipe: Hearty Marinara Sauce