Marinara Dipping Sauce

This Marinara Dipping sauce is so incredibly simple to make. Use it for dipping breadsticks, calamari, fried cheese or even just plonk it on top of some garlic bread!

Homemade Marinara Dipping Sauce

Everybody needs one of these up their sleeves, in the most non-literal way. My love for breadsticks and marinara is how this recipe came about and since then the low has only grown. Side note – if you’re not dunking breadsticks into a marinara dip are you truly living your best life?

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need:

• Tomatoes – A can of chopped or skinned plum tomatoes (chopped in the can) will do the trick!
• Onion & Garlic – Finely diced and lightly fried in oil.
• Oregano & Basil – Both dried as you won’t need much.
• Balsamic Vinegar – Balsamic vinegar and tomato is a match made in heaven! Adds a gorgeous punch of flavour.
• Sugar – To balance out the tomatoes and vinegar.

Tips for making Marinara Dip

1. Thickening

It’s important to simmer the sauce until it’s nice and thick, or at least until the tomatoes aren’t watery. This will ensure the flavours fully marry together and offer a better texture when serving. Because nobody likes watery dips 😳

2. Sugar

This is important to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar, so don’t be scared to add a good few pinches. It’s what really makes the difference between marinara sauce and marinara dip. Dips tend to be slightly sweeter.

3. Quality Tomatoes

These are the star of the show so I recommend investing in a good quality can of tomatoes to allow them to shine!

Marinara Dipping Sauce FAQ

Chunky versus smooth?

I tend to keep it chunky, just for a more rustic feel. However, you can blitz it until smooth if you wish!

Do I serve this hot or cold?

Either! I tend to serve it soon after it’s cooked, so room temp. But feel free to make in advance, cool, cover and store in the fridge until needed.

What can I do with leftovers?

Stirred through some pasta with copious amounts of parmesan of course!

What can I serve with this?

• Halloumi Fries
• Fried Cheese Balls
• Garlic Bread (or Cheesy Garlic Bread)
• Crispy Chicken Tenders
• Fried Ravioli
• Calamari
• Breadsticks

If you like the sound of this dip then be sure to check out my Baked Feta (in marinara dip)!

For more easy and delicious dips check out these beauties too:

• Homemade Fresh Salsa
• Easy Hummus
• Chunky Guac
• Blue Cheese Dip

How to make Marinara Dipping Sauce (Full Recipe & Video)

Marinara Dipping Sauce

This Marinara Dipping sauce is so incredibly simple to make. Use it for dipping breadsticks, calamari, fried cheese or even just plonk it on top of some garlic bread!

5 from 9 votes

Save Saved! Print Pin Rate Share by Text

Servings (click & slide): 4

Course: Appetizer / Dip / Starter

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Calories per serving: 36kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost per serving: £1 / $1

Cook Mode(prevent your screen from going dark)

Equipment:

• Small Pot
• Wooden Spoon
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Measuring Spoons

Ingredients (check list):

• ▢ 1x 14oz/400g can of Quality Chopped Tomatoes
• ▢ 1/4 medium Onion, finely diced
• ▢ 1 clove of Garlic, finely diced
• ▢ 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Dried Basil
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Sugar, or to taste
• ▢ Salt & Pepper, to taste
• ▢ Olive Oil, for frying
• ▢ Chilli Flakes (optional)

Instructions:

• Heat up a little oil in a suitably sized pot or pan, and fry your onions over medium heat until they just begin to brown. Add your garlic and fry for couple more minutes until it begins to brown.
• Pour in your tomatoes, alongside a splash of water to swill out the can. Add balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer.
• Add in your basil, oregano, sugar, chilli flakes (optional) and salt & pepper (to taste) and stir to combine.
• Simmer for a good 10-15 mins until the sauce has thickened and is no longer watery, stirring occasionally.

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Thickening - It's really important to make sure the sauce fully thickens before serving. I know it's tempting to serve as soon as it's hot, but to avoid serving a pot of watery dip, ensure you give it time to simmer. That will also give time for the flavours to develop.

b) Chunky or Smooth - Personally I love this dip chunky, but blitz it after it's cooked with a hand blender it you want it smooth!

c) Hot or cold - Delicious hot or cold! Store in the fridge in an air tight container for up to a couple of days.

d) Calories - based on a division of 6, using 1 tsp olive oil.

Your Private Notes:

Click here to add your own private notes or reminders about this recipe.

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Marinara Dipping Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 36 Calories from Fat 13

% Daily Value*

Fat 1.4g2%

Saturated Fat 0.197g1%

Trans Fat 0.001g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.225g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.864g

Sodium 117mg5%

Potassium 214mg6%

Carbohydrates 5.74g2%

Fiber 2.1g8%

Sugar 4.01g4%

Protein 0.97g2%

Vitamin A 411IU8%

Vitamin C 13.3mg16%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 0.77mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

Tried this recipe?Show me how you got on by tagging @dontgobaconmyheart_ on IG and #dontgobaconmyheart

Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

If you loved this Homemade Marinara Dip recipe then be sure to pin it for later! Already made it or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!