Slow Cooker Beef Ragu is the definition of comfort food! This supremely comforting meal features tender slow cooked beef that’s made delicious with ingredients like a bouquet of herbs, red wine, tomatoes, and more. Serve it over pasta, top it off with parsley and parmesan, and treat yourself to the dinner you deserve!
Crockpot Beef Ragu
Need to warm up with a dinner that’s equal parts comforting, flavorful, and downright delicious? Beef Ragu is the meal for you!
To make this recipe even better, we have to make even easier. This Slow Cooker Beef Ragu simplifies things as much as possible by letting the Crockpot do the majority of the work for you. It cooks to tender perfection and makes your kitchen smell like heaven.
This Ragu features some key ingredients, like dried herbs, red wine, beef broth, and more. The way all of the flavors are slowly infused into the tender beef is a thing of beauty, and it all pairs oh so famously with cooked pasta.
Why You’ll Love this Beef Ragu Recipe:
- EASY: Oh yes! This slow cooker Beef Ragu recipe is a real cinch. You just have to sear the meat, sauté some veggies, and toss it all in the Crockpot with a handful of key ingredients.
- COMFORT MEAL: This dish really is comfort food at its absolute best! Tender, flavorful meat that just falls apart in your mouth is served with the pasta of your choice. Are you drooling yet?
- DATE NIGHT FAVORITE: While this recipe is a great weeknight family dinner, it doubles as a sophisticated date night recipe for those romantic nights at home.
You only need one cup of red wine to make Crockpot Beef Ragu. That works out well, because this dish pairs so well with a glass of red wine, you’ll still have plenty left to drink!
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Sear the meat and sauté the veggies.
- Stir the remaining ingredients and veggies into the Crockpot.
- Add the beef, cover, and cook.
- Shred the cooked meat, then serve over pasta.
Beef ragu is an Italian meat-based sauce served with pasta. It consists of ground or shredded beef mixed with sofrito (carrots, celery, and onions) and tomato. It is cooked low and slow to produce a tender, savory sauce.
No. Actually, the opposite is true! Bolognese is a type of ragu. Ragu is a meat sauce made with vegetables, wine, and tomatoes. Bolognese is a regional version of ragu made in the Bologna region of Italy, and it is sometimes called Ragu Bolognese.
This recipe uses beef chuck roast, often also called blade roast. Other great cuts for ragu include beef brisket, beef shanks, or beef short ribs.
This beef ragu is great with any kind of pasta, but I highly recommend using pappardelle if you can find it. This flat, wide pasta is great because the beef sticks to it easily.
While you don’t have to sear the meat first, I highly recommend it, as it adds a lot of flavor to the final sauce!
For beef ragu, I like a fruity, low-tannin red wine, such as Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chianti, or a lighter Cabernet.
Yes! Follow the recipe as-is and cook for 45 minutes on Manual. A quick release should work, but if it splatters, you can also do a natural release.
On a cold winter night, nothing hits the spot more than a warm, heaping serving of slow cooked Beef Ragu!
Make Ahead Instructions
Slow cooker beef ragu is a great make-ahead recipe because many argue it is best to let the ragu cool to room temperature, then store it overnight in the refrigerator. This overnight chill in the refrigerator helps the flavors to develop, creating a richer tasting ragu.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover slow cooker beef ragu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Gently reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until simmering.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze leftover beef ragu in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Let ragu thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Ragu Variations
- Bolognese: Use ground beef, veal, lamb, pork, or a combination of any of those meats and add nutmeg and milk. Use white wine in place of the red. Serve over tagliatelle or in a lasagna.
- Ragu di Prosciutto: Use prosciutto as the meat and add more extra-virgin olive oil. Omit the carrots and celery, and use white wine in place of the red. Serve over pappardelle or tagliatelle.
- Ragu d’agnello: Use ground lamb as the meat. Omit the carrots, celery, and onion. Serve over tagliatelle.
- Sugo di Carne: Use ground beef, pork, or a combination of both, optionally with porcini mushrooms. Serve with penne, rigatoni, farfalle, or fettuccini.
- Amatriciana: Use guanciale (cured pork jowl) and diced tomatoes. Omit the carrots, celery, and onions. Add hot peppers, if desired, and toss together with either spaghetti or bucatini pasta.
More Crockpot Beef Recipes We Love
Of all the pasta dishes that are near and dear to my heart, Beef Ragu will always hold a very special place as one of my favorites. Now, it’s even easier to make than ever before in my slow cooker!
More Italian Pasta Recipes to Try:
- Cacio e Pepe
- Homemade Alfredo Sauce
- Baked Pasta Primavera
- Baked Mostaccioli
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Chicken Florentine
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast cut into large pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup red wine (see note)
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 large can)
- 6 ounces tomato paste (1 can)
- 1 pound cooked pasta pappardelle recommended (1 box)
- Chopped fresh parsley optional, for serving
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional, for serving
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.3 pounds beef chuck roast, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Sear the beef for a few minutes on each side to create a brown crust on the outside of each piece. Set aside on a plate.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pot.
- Add in the onion, celery, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.1 onion, 2 ribs celery, 2 carrots, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, red wine, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste to the slow cooker. Stir.½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 1 cup red wine, 1 cup low-sodium beef broth, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 6 ounces tomato paste
- Add in the beef.
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 6-10 hours or until the beef can be easily shredded with a fork.
- Remove the bay leaves and shred the beef in the slow cooker.
- Serve the beef ragu over cooked pasta.1 pound cooked pasta
- Finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.Chopped fresh parsley, Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Wine: For the wine, choose a Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chianti, or lighter Cabernet.
- You can also use beef brisket, beef shanks, or beef short rib in this recipe.
- If you can’t find pappardelle, use tagliatelle or fettuccini instead.
- For the best tasting ragu, prepare the recipe 1 day in advance and let the flavors develop in the refrigerator overnight.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition Information
I followed this recipe exactly and found it to be a little bland and way too greasy! If I make it again, I would add more of the spices and a leaner cutter of beef. No data or oils where’re added so it was just the fat that cooked out of the meat.
I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t a hit, Cheryl!
I followed the recipe except for the crushed tomatoes. I used tomato sauce because my husband dislikes tomatoes (pieces). It was very good and rich. It mellows after warming it up on 2nd day
Thanks for sharing what worked for you, Karin!