Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is for those days when you need a phenomenal cozy, comfort meal with minimal effort. Tender, fall-apart beef in a rich flavorful tomato, herb, and garlic sauce simmers all day in the slow cooker and all you need to do is toss it with your favorite pasta.
Everyone loves this wonderfully savory sauce and you can even make it in the Instant Pot or in your dutch oven!
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If pasta is what's on your mind, I've got you! My classic Bolognese is a tried and true favorite around here along with White Chicken Lasagna. If you want pasta, but maybe a little lighter, you've got to try my Spaghetti Squash With Shrimp!
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Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is the perfect easy family dinner for busy days when you crave something hearty, but just don't have the time to stand over the stove. The prep is minimal - just sear the beef and throw the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker bowl. You can let it cook on low, you can cook it on high. This recipe can even go in the Instant Pot if you need it quicker.
The flavors of this beef ragu are just out of this world. Tossed with ribbons of wide cut pasta at the end and your family will be singing your praises. I'm always going to tell you to serve this recipe with a side of crusty bread. You definitely don't want to leave any of that rich sauce behind.
Make this for weeknights when you're craving something comforting, it's fantastic for busy weekends, and serve it to friends for you next get together when everyone wants a truly comforting pasta dish. The ragu itself freezes wonderfully. It's fantastic to make in bulk and freeze for a super easy family dinner!
Whatever you do, add this Slow Cooker Beef Ragu to your rotation. You won't regret it.
What You'll Need
Most of the ingredients in this easy Slow Cooker Beef Ragu recipe go into the sauce - a rich, red wine tomato sauce that is absolutely incredible! Otherwise, it’s just beef and a few veggies! Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:
- Beef Chuck Roast - My beef cut of choice for this recipe. It becomes super tender.
- Tomato Paste and Red Wine - To build flavor and to deglaze the cooking bowl.
- Yellow Onion, Carrot, Celery, Garlic - Classic flavor players for a classic dish.
- Whole Peeled Tomatoes and Beef Broth - For the braising liquid and sauce
- Dried Oregano, Dried Thyme, Dried Basil, Bay Leaves - The dried herb components
- Parmesan Cheese - Make it rain. I can't have pasta without parm. Neither should you.
- Pappardelle or Tagliatelle Pasta - My favorite pasta cuts for this recipe, but you can definitely use what you have on hand!
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How To Make It
This slow cooker recipe is so simple and takes very little in the prep department. It's a perfect weeknight dinner hero! I'll give you the quick rundown here, but the details will live in the recipe card below.
All you have to do is:
- Season and sear the beef.
- Build the flavor layer and deglaze.
- Slow cook beef until tender.
- Shred and toss with pasta.
Top with as much grated parmesan cheese as your heart tells you and enjoy! That's it! Told ya it was easy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Slow Cooker Beef Ragu gluten and/or dairy-free?
This Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is gluten and dairy-free! If you need it to remain gluten-free, use your favorite GF pasta. You can leave the parmesan cheese out or top with a little nutritional yeast to keep it dairy-free.
What are the Instant Pot and Dutch Oven Instructions?
For an Instant Pot: Sear the beef using the sauté function. Continue on with the recipe as written. Cook on high pressure for 1 - 1.5 hours depending on the size of the beef roast.
For a Dutch Oven: Sear the beef on the stovetop on medium high heat. Continue on with the recipe as written. Cook in the oven at 250° for 6-8 hours or 350° for 4-6 hours - until beef is fall apart tender.
Tips and Tricks
- Remove the beef from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Reserve some of the pasta cooking water if you feel you need to thin out the sauce a bit.
- After cooking, toss the pasta with a bit of butter to keep the noodles from sticking.
- For a little zing at the end, sprinkle on some red chili flakes.
- For serving, all you need is a little crusty bread and a lovely green salad.
- If freezing, do not freeze the Slow Cooker Beef Ragu along with the pasta. Pasta does not freeze and reheat well at all.
Variations and Substitutions
- You can use oxtail or short ribs instead of chuck roast. They ware both wonderful options for this Slow Cooker Beef Ragu.
- If you don't want to use red wine, you can use white wine or just use beef broth. Any of these options will be fantastic.
- You can use chicken thighs instead of beef. Follow the recipe as written, but cut down on the cook time. Expect 2ish hours on high and 4 hours or so on low. White or red wine will work here. It's a great variation.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2½-3 lb beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 med yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into large pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
- 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½-2 cups beef broth
- 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 lb pappardelle pasta, cooked to al dente
- parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Season the beef liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on all sides. Sear the beef in the olive oil on all sides.
- Remove the beef after it has developed a deep, brown crust. Add the tomato paste and stir it for a few minutes to let it caramelize a bit.
- Deglaze with the red wine. Let the wine cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring to scrape up the bits off the bottom.
- Return the beef to the slow cooker bowl along with the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, herbs and bay leaves, beef broth and tomatoes.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. The beef should be fall apart tender at the end.
- Remove the beef, carrot, and celery. Shred the beef, mash the carrot and return them to the sauce. Discard the celery.
- To finish, toss the ragu with a wide pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle. If needed or desired, stir in a little reserved pasta water.
- Top with as much grated parmesan cheese as your heart tells you and enjoy!
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- This dish will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, cover portion with a damp paper towel and heat in small increments in the microwave until warmed through.
- This recipe is perfect for the freezer and for future easy meals. Just freeze with sauce WITHOUT the pasta in airtight containers. It'll stay good for up to 6 months. When you're ready, simply thaw and reheat in a large skillet. Toss with a little pasta and dinner is served!
If you guys make this Slow Cooker Beef Ragu, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Slow Cooker Beef Ragu recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Slow Cooker Mexican Beef - Another Mexican-inspired beef dish that I make for nachos, burritos, and quesadillas. It's my go-to for busy weeks when we can make several meals from one recipe!
Pasta Alla Genovese - A comfort food classic. It's a beef and onion ragu that is just out of this world delicious. And, it's super easy!
Darren Bethel says
We loved this instead of the regular old spaghetti sauce! A huge hit with everyone!
Rufus says
I am so very glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know! Comments like this make me so happy!
Marianne E says
We loved this as something different than the regular spaghetti sauce. So easy. Definitely making again. Thank you.
Rufus says
I'm so glad you liked it! We like a little something different, too!
Julia says
Was so great! The beef came out so tender and the flavor was great.
Rufus says
I am so very glad to hear you liked it! Thanks so very much for letting me know. That means the world to me.