Monday, May 5, 2025

21 Versatile Sauce Recipes to Have on Hand

The most effective sauces are culinary workhorses that know no boundaries. We love the thought of constructing a single sauce after which discovering all of the artistic methods to make use of it, imparting new layers of taste and texture to no matter we’re cooking. This recipe assortment provides up versatile sauces which can be good for amplifying any meal. Strive tacky Mornay sauce on egg dishes, strong ají verde on nearly any sort of roasted or grilled meat or greens, and zesty Alabama white barbecue sauce on rooster, pork, or potatoes. We have additionally included some candy sauces, so you possibly can punch up your dessert sport. As a result of actually, what’s not higher with sauce?

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Greg Dupree / Meals Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster


This well-known tomato sauce from Italian cooking icon Marcella Hazan is greater than the sum of its elements. A yellow onion, most of a stick of butter, and an hour on the stovetop brings a easy can of tomatoes to their candy, tomatoey peak.

Burnt Honey Barbecue Sauce

Jen Causey

Use tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, and just-burnt honey to make this smoky, refined do-it-yourself barbecue sauce.

Pesto Genovese (Traditional Basil Pesto)

Victor Protasio / Meals Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley


Pesto will be comprised of numerous substances in any variety of methods, however this traditional basil and pine nut model is very easy and versatile, including recent taste to every little thing from pasta to salads, sandwiches, soups, grilled meats, and roasted greens.

Mortar and Pestle Garlic Aïoli

Jen Causey

Use your mortar and pestle to make this straightforward garlic aïoli, then dip, dollop, and unfold the mayonnaise-like sauce to your coronary heart’s content material.

Mole Poblano

Meals & Wine / Photograph by Robby Lozano / Meals Styling by Chelesa Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle


Holy mole! Wealthy, decadent, and deeply flavorful, this model blends chiles, chocolate, spices, nuts, and seeds for a sauce that is begging to be served over meat, spooned over enchiladas, and drizzled onto burritos or tacos. It is also terrific with eggs and rice.

Inexperienced chili (Peruvian-Type Inexperienced Sauce)

Jennifer Causey / Meals Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland


Ready with ají amarillo paste, lime, scallions, and loads of cilantro, this iconic Peruvian inexperienced sauce is a strong companion for rotisserie rooster, grilled meats, roasted or grilled fish, and all method of veggies.

Onion Béchamel

Photograph by Justin Walker / Meals Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Half of a small yellow onion offers this wealthy, thick white sauce that little little bit of je ne sais quoi. Use it in lasagna, macaroni and cheese, gratins, or as a base for soups and different casseroles.

Mornay Sauce

Yekaterina Boytsova

Add cheese to your béchamel and you have got a luscious cheese sauce to drizzle over no matter you please. It is particularly nice with egg dishes like this sausage-studded strata.

Traditional English Cream

Meals & Wine / Photograph by Robby Lozano / Meals Styling by Chelesa Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen.

This wealthy four-ingredient French custard sauce is actually unchurned ice cream. Flecked with aromatic vanilla beans, it provides a bit of contact of luxurious to no matter it is spooned over, from recent fruit to desserts and all types of plated desserts.

Caramel Sauce

Photograph by Victor Protasio / Meals Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Home made caramel sauce can take almost any dessert to the subsequent degree. This one makes use of each butter and cream — and the right quantity of salt to stability out the sweetness.

Champ

Greg DuPree

This ubiquitous Vietnamese sauce comprised of lime juice, sugar, rice vinegar, and fish sauce is ideal as a dip, however do not cease there. It is also very good on egg dishes, as a dressing for noodles, or sprinkled onto rice.

Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

Brie Goldman / Meals Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl


Creamy, zesty Alabama white barbecue sauce is a pure pairing with grilled or smoked rooster or pork, however we additionally find it irresistible with wings, as a dressing for coleslaw or potato salad, or as a topping for baked potatoes.

Tzatziki

Julia Hartbeck


Creamy, cooling tzatziki combines Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and dill for an extremely adaptable sauce. Serve it as an appetizer dip with toasted pita wedges; as an ideal complement to grilled lamb, rooster, fish, and veggies; or as a diffusion in your gyro sandwich.

Chimichurri

Julia Hartbeck


Although infinitely customizable, the principle parts of vibrant, herbaceous chimichurri are tender herbs, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and garlic and/or minced shallot. Salty, acidic, oily, and vivacious, it is implausible drizzled over grilled meat or greens, tossed with greens like a French dressing, or as a dressing for pasta salad.

Thai Inexperienced Curry Coconut Sauce

Meals & Wine / Photograph by Victor Protasio / Meals Styling by Emily Nabors Corridor / Prop Styliing Claire Spollen


Usher within the extremely fragrant flavors of Thailand by using inexperienced chiles, garlic, lemongrass, coconut milk, makrut lime leaves, and basil for this important inexperienced curry. Combine in your favourite protein and veggies and serve over rice, use it as a poaching liquid, or incorporate it right into a tasty stir-fry.

Complete Lemon French dressing

Greg DuPree / Meals Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley


As soon as you have made your personal French dressing, you may marvel why you ever bothered with the bottled stuff. This lemony model brightens every little thing it is available in contact with, from salads to tuna and rooster.

Gochujang Sauce

Photograph by Greg DuPree / Meals Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford

Simmer the deeply savory Korean chile paste gochujang with garlic, ginger, and sesame oil to make a saucy condiment for drizzling over every little thing from bibimbap to grain bowls and congee, or use it as a steak marinade.

Romesco sauce

Christopher Testami

Constructed from tomatoes, chiles, garlic, bell pepper, and nuts, this multipurpose sauce is terrific served with every little thing from grilled greens and bread to shrimp, fish, rooster, and steak.

Greatest-Ever Marinara

Aaron Kirk

Made both chunky or easy, marinara is our top-of-mind tomato sauce. Layer it on pizza, toss it with pasta, or use it as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks or zucchini fries.

Dumpling Dipping Sauce

Julia Hartbeck


Whether or not you have acquired spring rolls, gyoza, or potstickers, you want a dipping sauce — this one comprised of soy sauce, rice vinegar, chile-garlic sauce, and toasted sesame oil suits the invoice.

Belgian Chocolate Fudge Sauce

© Tina Rupp

This ganache sauce is wealthy and never overly candy. It is a supremely versatile recipe that is suited to all types of dessert purposes; over ice cream or different chilled sweets, it will agency as much as type a truffle-like topping.

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